By: ianwoodward9
- 22nd March 2018 at 23:44Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Somewhat earlier than some of the previous posts, this is one of three original 8" x 6" photographs of the Avro Tudor II G-AGSU that I was given long ago. Stuck on the back of this one is a small strip of paper, on which is typed, "The Avro Tudor II flying very low on a test flight at A.V. Roe's aerodrome, Manchester", to which is added the date - 3 April 1946.
By: J Boyle
- 29th March 2018 at 00:04Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Now that air display errors may be subject to criminal prosecution (in the UK) should the forum be celebrating some of these events?
Many look reckless in the extreme...note many were photographed in countries with less than exemplary safety records.
And the B-17 photo in post 12, I'm I correct in guessing the pilot on that occasion was a display pilot who later met with an unfortunate...and controversial (the last thread about him was locked in 2008)...end?
I read in several places that that B-17s survival is due, in part, to him not flying it.
New
By: Anonymous
- 29th March 2018 at 00:26Permalink- Edited 14th June 2020 at 08:19
By: ianwoodward9
- 30th March 2018 at 01:29Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Not quite so vintage as my previous contributions: mid-1960s in South Africa. They benefit from being clicked on, to make them larger on screen, and then toggle between the two.
By: ianwoodward9
- 4th April 2018 at 16:30Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thank you, Chris, for your response. I'd been looking for an RAF squadron with a "ZX" code and none I found seemed to fit the bill.
In terms of the aircraft type, I had it filed as a "PV-1". Whether I got that designation from a photo caption or whether it was my own identification, I really cannot say. Whichever it was, let me explain why I was content to stick with Ventura or 'PV-1'.
To be the best of my knowledge, Hudsons did not have the ventral gun position, which gives that 'kink' in the lower rear fuselage. Also, the Hudson, being based on the Lockheed 14, has a shorter fuselage than a Ventura, which is based on the Lockheed 18 (the Lodestar); this gives the Hudson a slightly 'stubbier' appearance. Also, the dorsal turret on a Hudson was much further back along the fuselage.
In respect of it being a PV-1 as against a Ventura, I actually think that, despite the roundel, it looks more like a PV-1 (as in the U.S. Navy) than it does a Ventura (as in RAF service). The reason I say that is that the Venturas had more of a bubble for the dorsal turret (rather like the dorsal turret on a Hudson, as it happens), whereas the PV-1s had a more 'flat-topped' bubble to the dorsal turret.
That's just my personal view, of course, and, as I've often said in other threads on this site, I am very happy to be countered and/or contradicted.
Meanwhile, I will try to find some images to illustrate the differences that I have mentioned and, if I do, I'll post them later.
By: ianwoodward9
- 4th April 2018 at 17:31Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This is an official Lockheed publicity photograph of a Hudson. I omitted one self-evident recognition feature - the Hudson had a non-retractable tail wheel. I am therefore quietly confident that the low-flying Lockheed, a few posts ago, is a Ventura (or a PV-1) but not a Hudson.
Quite what that means for or about No.10 (OT) Squadron, I do not know.
By: ianwoodward9
- 4th April 2018 at 18:08Permalink- Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I didn't expect to find anything of relevance so quickly but the first book I dug out of a box in the garage (the 1945 edition of "AIRCRAFT OF THE UNITED STATES" by R.A.Saville-Sneath) had useful three-view drawings, which I show below.
I have very slightly stretched the Hudson drawing horizontally in order to achieve equal wing spans and thus a better comparison. I don't think this action has distorted the image in a significant way.
When I was much, much younger and spending hours looking through these old (even then) books, the text used to refer to the equal tapering of the Hudson's wing in contrast to the slightly 'bent' rear edge of the Ventura's wing. However, when I saw Ventura photos showing the wing, this shape was not readily apparent. Maybe you had to see the two aircraft in flight for real to appreciate the difference.
Owner and pilot Dave Phillips wows the crowd with a high speed, low level display
of his ex-Singapore Air Force Hawker Hunter FR.74 jet fighter
at the Warbirds Over Wanaka 2012 airshow held at Wanaka, New Zealand.
Posts: 1,227
By: Stratofreighter - 14th March 2018 at 22:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aWodFJRHko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSuIIIonZMY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km5o5QxEiwM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q9hpiK0kTs
...from about 0.30 :eagerness:
Posts: 1,227
By: Stratofreighter - 21st March 2018 at 06:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1daxAj1CC4E
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 22nd March 2018 at 23:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Somewhat earlier than some of the previous posts, this is one of three original 8" x 6" photographs of the Avro Tudor II G-AGSU that I was given long ago. Stuck on the back of this one is a small strip of paper, on which is typed, "The Avro Tudor II flying very low on a test flight at A.V. Roe's aerodrome, Manchester", to which is added the date - 3 April 1946.
Posts: 1,227
By: Stratofreighter - 28th March 2018 at 22:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
...nice low Whitley and Tudor "from the archives" Ian! :eagerness:
Some more modern "stuff" now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKejQdKRqGI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSfEEWP7lbM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwFIK-Zcb5I
...hopefully we will see scenes like these again when she is repaired...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DDVA81tTxE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLUeFyP4hWw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K1GSOatoQY
Goose Bay, Canada
Posts: 2,841
By: Anon - 28th March 2018 at 22:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Apologies if this has been posted before (I haven't been a regular watcher of this thread) but for lovers of big pistons, this is rather nice:
https://www.facebook.com/steven.edmundson/videos/10154702920530193/
132 litres at full chat! Turn the volume up and enjoy.
Anon.
Posts: 9,821
By: J Boyle - 29th March 2018 at 00:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Now that air display errors may be subject to criminal prosecution (in the UK) should the forum be celebrating some of these events?
Many look reckless in the extreme...note many were photographed in countries with less than exemplary safety records.
And the B-17 photo in post 12, I'm I correct in guessing the pilot on that occasion was a display pilot who later met with an unfortunate...and controversial (the last thread about him was locked in 2008)...end?
I read in several places that that B-17s survival is due, in part, to him not flying it.
By: Anonymous - 29th March 2018 at 00:26 Permalink - Edited 14th June 2020 at 08:19
Yep, I believe that was indeed he...
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 30th March 2018 at 01:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Not quite so vintage as my previous contributions: mid-1960s in South Africa. They benefit from being clicked on, to make them larger on screen, and then toggle between the two.
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 30th March 2018 at 01:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
In fact, I'll post the first one individually, to give greater visual impact:
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 3rd April 2018 at 20:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Another 'vintage' one - a Ventura flying low.
Can anyone suggest to which squadron "ZX" applied?
By: Anonymous - 4th April 2018 at 09:21 Permalink - Edited 5th November 2019 at 10:50
Well I think it is a Hudson in which case you will find here http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Squadrons.htm that it belonged to the NZ airforce as part of No.10 (OT) squadron.
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 4th April 2018 at 16:30 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thank you, Chris, for your response. I'd been looking for an RAF squadron with a "ZX" code and none I found seemed to fit the bill.
In terms of the aircraft type, I had it filed as a "PV-1". Whether I got that designation from a photo caption or whether it was my own identification, I really cannot say. Whichever it was, let me explain why I was content to stick with Ventura or 'PV-1'.
To be the best of my knowledge, Hudsons did not have the ventral gun position, which gives that 'kink' in the lower rear fuselage. Also, the Hudson, being based on the Lockheed 14, has a shorter fuselage than a Ventura, which is based on the Lockheed 18 (the Lodestar); this gives the Hudson a slightly 'stubbier' appearance. Also, the dorsal turret on a Hudson was much further back along the fuselage.
In respect of it being a PV-1 as against a Ventura, I actually think that, despite the roundel, it looks more like a PV-1 (as in the U.S. Navy) than it does a Ventura (as in RAF service). The reason I say that is that the Venturas had more of a bubble for the dorsal turret (rather like the dorsal turret on a Hudson, as it happens), whereas the PV-1s had a more 'flat-topped' bubble to the dorsal turret.
That's just my personal view, of course, and, as I've often said in other threads on this site, I am very happy to be countered and/or contradicted.
Meanwhile, I will try to find some images to illustrate the differences that I have mentioned and, if I do, I'll post them later.
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 4th April 2018 at 17:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This is an official Lockheed publicity photograph of a Hudson. I omitted one self-evident recognition feature - the Hudson had a non-retractable tail wheel. I am therefore quietly confident that the low-flying Lockheed, a few posts ago, is a Ventura (or a PV-1) but not a Hudson.
Quite what that means for or about No.10 (OT) Squadron, I do not know.
Meanwhile, brickbats are invited.
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 4th April 2018 at 18:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I didn't expect to find anything of relevance so quickly but the first book I dug out of a box in the garage (the 1945 edition of "AIRCRAFT OF THE UNITED STATES" by R.A.Saville-Sneath) had useful three-view drawings, which I show below.
I have very slightly stretched the Hudson drawing horizontally in order to achieve equal wing spans and thus a better comparison. I don't think this action has distorted the image in a significant way.
When I was much, much younger and spending hours looking through these old (even then) books, the text used to refer to the equal tapering of the Hudson's wing in contrast to the slightly 'bent' rear edge of the Ventura's wing. However, when I saw Ventura photos showing the wing, this shape was not readily apparent. Maybe you had to see the two aircraft in flight for real to appreciate the difference.
Posts: 1,227
By: Stratofreighter - 4th April 2018 at 19:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hawker Hunter passes in New Zealand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nvltpdDVqM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7EWJN30K0I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pzOXPOT2AE
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 5th April 2018 at 00:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This time, a Wellington flying low:
By: Anonymous - 5th April 2018 at 09:54 Permalink - Edited 5th November 2019 at 10:50
Meanwhile back on the Ventura/Hudson issue, New Zealand operated both during ww2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_of_the_Royal_New_Zealand_Air_Force_and_Royal_New_Zealand_Navy#V ,and Ian is correct it is a Ventura
Posts: 117
By: 1958biggles - 5th April 2018 at 19:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Crazy view of Ultra low level from the cockpit this time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSRbA0RwvsA
Posts: 860
By: ianwoodward9 - 5th April 2018 at 20:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for the confirmation, Chris. I will PM you with some additional information.
Posts: 252
By: David Legg - 5th April 2018 at 21:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Forgive me if someone answered the Ventura squadron code question and I have missed it but XZ = 1(B)OTU, RNZAF