Another Mystery Photo

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Seeing I had a good response to the previous Mystery Photo, have a looksee at this one below. It looks like the tail end of a helicopter, whith it's engine loose on the ramp of the Hercules.

Guess away...

Scotty

http://ukmams-oba.lweb.net/Mystery10.jpg

Cheers to Tony at http://ukmams-oba.lweb.net

Original post

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

A Westland Scout by any chance???

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 129

RE: Another Mystery Photo

Could be, shape of tail boom is looking that way. Answers on the back of a fiver please to.......

;-)

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

scout or wasp!!!!

coanda

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

OK chaps, you win. You're too good at this. Unfortunately I don't have any info on which it is, but my guess is a wasp as there is no floor protection on the Herc to avoid damage from the skids of a scout.

Scotty

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

Ah, but didn't the Scout have little drop down wheels attached to the skids? (he states in a desperate attempt to win something in his life!!!:))

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

Don't think its a Wasp as they only had a single horizontal stabiliser on one side of the tail. Might not be a Scout either as although it had a twin stabiliser each had a small vertical oval shaped component at the tip, these are not visible in the photo and I wouldnt imagine they would require removal for transportation. Any "older" C130 loadmasters out there to confirm this ?
Regards to all, Phil.A.

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

It's a Whirlwind. The giveaways are the cockpit glazing all wrapped up in the foreground, the stabilisers, the three-bladed rotor hub and you can just make out the rear fuselage fairings in the gloom.

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

Not to mention the huge gearbox!

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Posts: 129

RE: Another Mystery Photo

This is great. Move over Who wants to be a millionaire!!
My first thoughts were Whirlwind, however the hight even with the rotar head removed would be too high (?!). We used to struggle loading Gazelles. Even for a Lynx we had a fight on our hands when it came to loading them. From what I can remember, clearance hight was only 8 feet. Could be wrong - I left Hercs behind 5 1/2 years ago.

Scotty

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

I stand by Whirlwind. I have seen one inside a Herk in the past, and it is certainly a very tight fit. Not only does the rotor head and gearbox have to come off, but so does the cockpit frame and the undercarriage.

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Posts: 129

RE: Another Mystery Photo

LAST EDITED ON 19-09-01 AT 02:29 PM (GMT)[p]Steve, you're just too good at this.

Any good at spotting which airfield certain hanger doors belong to? Try this one, nice hole in the door:

http://ukmams-oba.lweb.net/Mystery03.jpg

Thanks to Tony at http://ukmams-oba.lweb.net

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24 years 2 months

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

Looks like a Nimrod fuselage cross section. Doubt if it's St Mawgan or Kinloss though, as the groundies are in shorts. How about Luqa?

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

in a flash of insperation could it possibly be a sycamore with the end of the tail removed just before the vertical, the transparency shape would match!!!!

coanda

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

Sorry, just realised that isn't a groundie in shorts, it's just the light showing on his trouser legs. Don't I feel stupid now? :D

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

Haven't got a clue but reckon the person who lashed the ground genny down needs some more practice. :D

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

Looks like Akrotiri to me.

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 129

RE: Another Mystery Photo

The ground generator, a Houchin, was being loaded onto the aircraft. The accident occurred when one of the loading team placed a chock against one of the front steering wheels as the Houchin rolled down the ramp of the C130.

Scotty

Ps. It wasn't me - I wasn't that stupid!

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RE: Another Mystery Photo

All I can work out is that the hangar construction does not conform to any standard RAF type or any more recent type that I've seen at an RAF station in the UK.

Sorry Coanda, but it really is a Whirlwind. The Sycamore tail boom and tail-skid confirguration are very different, and it does not have twin stabilisers. The cockpit glazing is also very different.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 129

RE: Another Mystery Photo

I agree it's not a sycamore.

OK we'll go for Whirlwind.

As for the hanger door???? It's certainly a strange one, the only other info about the photo is that it was taken sometime in the 90's.

New photo to follow.

Scotty

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Posts: 2,228

RE: Another Mystery Photo

>I agree it's not a sycamore.
ok fair enuff

http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/images/mk44.jpg
http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/images/gaslx.jpg

http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/images/mk12.jpg
http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/images/mk10.jpg

oh, and this, believe its called a widgeon

http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/images/widgrestore.gif

coanda