Iain's (Delta Racing Car) Builder's Tea Break 2015

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Colin's right, way things are going there will eventually be less red tape involved if flying across Europe rather than driving!

Don't you believe it, Mike, just ask the Private Pilot community

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

..... Also love the Tucano turboprop trainer- just a modern interpretation of a WW2 fighter to me.

2 things about the Tucano:

1. It wasn't the aircraft that the RAF wanted, they originally chose the Swiss Pilatus PC9 but we're over ruled by the Politicians who wanted to secure jobs in N Ireland (the Tucano being built under licence by Shorts)
2. To save money the MOD specified that they remove the hard points for weapons, but the re-design cost money and when Afghanistan happened and the RAF wanted to consider deploying them a s a cheap and cheerful counter insurgency aircraft they couldn't because..... They didn't have the hard points and it would cost too much to re-engineer them back in.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by andy97

Don't you believe it, Mike, just ask the Private Pilot community

I know, but we can manipulate the facts to fit the discussion!

The Tucano story sounds typical of MoD.......

[zefarelly]

Like Question time.

Have you been talking to the TV again?

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by gary396

Most will probably be aware of this but just in case - if you intend hiring a hire abroad after 8th June 2015 note the driving licence (paper counterpart) changes mentioned in the BBC link below:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-32481382

Thankfully, it won't apply to those of us who still have the old style non-photo licence.

Some years ago a friend tried to hire a car using a UK plastic driving licence and was told that he needed the paper one because the plastic one did not show any offences (e.g. whether it is valid or not!).

Of course that was in the UK and not abroad - until now most other countries assumed that possession of a driving licence meant you weren't banned since they tend to physically relieve you of them when you are banned and insist on you having it when driving.

So you should all be grateful that some British bureaucrat has informed the foreign ones of the situation!!

[delta]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Colin's right, way things are going there will eventually be less red tape involved if flying across Europe rather than driving!

Iain, there could be another reason why you can now consume a whole Mallory brekkie- your capacity to do so has increased. One word- seatbelts!

Hmmm well I tested a FJ Gemini today as well and for the very first time , apart from when I drive with a very good mate of mine who is a stick insect I had to slacken the lap belt.
Here is the latest Delta build. ; ;

[delta]

We were well chuffed when asked at the track if this car was one of the Million Pound Heritage E Types.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by delta

Attachment 44943 We were well chuffed when asked at the track if this car was one of the Million Pound Heritage E Types.

Very pretty! And a Delta E must be far less common than those Heritage ones, so could be worth more....

[terence]

Looks lovely Iain.

[Mike Bell]

Just walked past a shop selling "Children's quality shoes". So is that "Children's quality" shoes or Children's "quality shoes"? If the former then surely equal rights people need to be told.....

Good luck and safe racing to any tenthers at Donington this weekend. Now looks like worst rain will be during Saturday night. If so- jammy buggers!

[HRSTR5]

Seeing as this is a motorracing forum and it seems we've been talking about aeroplanes ... time to join the dots ... did you know that a Tucano force-landed on the track at Silverstone ? If i recall correctly, on the section after Stowe, but before Vale and all that modern nonsense - to be fair it was some time ago!

[grantp]

Originally Posted by HRSTR5

Seeing as this is a motorracing forum and it seems we've been talking about aeroplanes ... time to join the dots ... did you know that a Tucano force-landed on the track at Silverstone ? If i recall correctly, on the section after Stowe, but before Vale and all that modern nonsense - to be fair it was some time ago!

Oh for the days when Silverstone had a Fly In of vintage planes during the "Classic" weekend.

Now they are restricted to helicopters. Some of those may be old but hardly vintage.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by grantp

Oh for the days when Silverstone had a Fly In of vintage planes during the "Classic" weekend.

Now they are restricted to helicopters. Some of those may be old but hardly vintage.

And when F1 drivers and team principals would fly in to Silverstone in their private planes. And, certainly when I raced there in the sixties, you could apply to the CoC to conduct straight line testing on the runway between practice and your race. Life was so easy in those respects back then.

[delta]

Originally Posted by delta

Attachment 44943 We were well chuffed when asked at the track if this car was one of the Million Pound Heritage E Types.

The owners have been in to see me. They want us to build another one.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by HRSTR5

Seeing as this is a motorracing forum and it seems we've been talking about aeroplanes ... time to join the dots ... did you know that a Tucano force-landed on the track at Silverstone ? If i recall correctly, on the section after Stowe, but before Vale and all that modern nonsense - to be fair it was some time ago!

Anything goes in tea break! I can remember planes flying into Snetterton, but obviously old airfield circuits had an advantage in that respect! So now, apart from Goody and Croft, which other UK circuits can you fly into with a fixed wing machine?

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by delta

The owners have been in to see me. They want us to build another one.

You shouldn't have made such a good job of that one- or charged more!

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Anything goes in tea break! I can remember planes flying into Snetterton, but obviously old airfield circuits had an advantage in that respect! So now, apart from Goody and Croft, which other UK circuits can you fly into with a fixed wing machine?

Several years ago something went wrong with a Shorts 360 landing at East Mids Airport and it flew in to Donington Park!

I actually suspect that if DP was being proposed now it may not get built due to that potential risk?

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Anything goes in tea break! I can remember planes flying into Snetterton, but obviously old airfield circuits had an advantage in that respect! So now, apart from Goody and Croft, which other UK circuits can you fly into with a fixed wing machine?

Donington - almost ...

A British Midland pilot did manage to fly a Fokker F27 in a few decades ago on a training flight one Sunday.

Obviously it didn't fly out again. In fact I don't think it flew again.

ETA: Hah! Andy got in before me!

[midgetman]

Thruxton?

[Dan Rear]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

A10s never fail to impress when having a play! Also love the Tucano turboprop trainer- just a modern interpretation of a WW2 fighter to me.

Anyone remember our attempt at VTOL transport in the '50s? I give you the Fairy Rotodyne...

Didn't work Mike, apparently 'cos it was too noisy amongst other reasons !!

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Anyone remember our attempt at VTOL transport in the '50s? I give you the Fairy Rotodyne...

Not VTOL but STOL:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armst...itworth_AW.681

There are some great books on the demise of the British aircraft industry such as "Project Cancelled" and "Enpire of the Clouds" which I fully recommend

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Dan Rear

Didn't work Mike, apparently 'cos it was too noisy amongst other reasons !!

Yes, I would imagine not very efficient, either! I only remember it because of the Airfix model.....

Andy, that plane looks far too normal! As for cancelled projects, don't get me started on the TSR2.....

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

YAs for cancelled projects, don't get me started on the TSR2.....

Yeah but think of the money Harold saved us.....and we all survived.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by andy97

Not VTOL but STOL:

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armst...itworth_AW.681

There are some great books on the demise of the British aircraft industry such as "Project Cancelled" and "Enpire of the Clouds" which I fully recommend

A little bit of cosmetic tarting up, and I give you the Bae 146 (and Avro 146). The UK have managed to produce the concepts of aircraft that, in reality, are way ahead of their time, and not necessarily just starting with the Comet.

And whilst talking about aircraft and not landing where they should have done, there is the classic case some many years ago when a Chinese government pilot who was test flying a BAC 1-11 out of the British Aerospace airfield at Hatfield in Hertfordshire, which at the time was certified for heavy aircraft. On his return, he mistakenly landed the plane at Leavesden aerodrome which was on the same bearing and which only had a shortish runway suitable for light aircraft.

[andy97]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

As for cancelled projects, don't get me started on the TSR2.....

I'm going to have to start!!

The TSR-2 is a fabled aircraft now, but in reality cancelling it was the right decision! Controversial?

The fact is that it was a relatively conventional airframe which required the most complex electronic radar and navigation equipment to operate. It was so far ahead of its time that no country in the world could have made up work properly, certainly not 1960s UK.

It was a fine concept but no one in world had built an integrated weapon system, which the TSR-2 was meant to be, and no one really achieved it until a couple of decades later. To be honest, the real failure was that the UK failed to develop and market theBuccaneer properly instead, and that really could and should have been a world beater.

The UK should probably have developed and deployed the Buccaneer more whilst continuing to develop the TSR-2 as a technology demonstrator/ R&D aircraft but the TSR-2 was an aircraft that was too ambitious, too complex and too expensive for the time.