The Night Mail

[Compound2632]

Well, I don't consider myself in any very imminent danger* but I have gone down with a nasty cold brought home from school by No. 2 Son, which does cast doubt on the effectiveness of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.

 

*Certainly since the bus frequency on our road was halved as a lockdown economy measure.

[Happy Hippo]

8 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

 

Based on recent posts I think that with the exception of young Douglas we are all lucky to still be here. 

 

Dave  

Yes, and career choices for some of us a long time ago, also had the potential to increased the chance of an early demise.

 

Now it's time to panic buy again

 

I've just had 171 Sqn RLC deliver 300 tons of toilet paper direct to my back door (I mean the rear entrance to the Hippodrome)

 

SEVEN Sqn (RAF) will deliver underslung loads comprising pallets of baked beans.

 

In Hippo terms that's the equivalent of a Coffman start.

 

Douglas is too young to remember so:

 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

13 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Douglas is too young to remember so:

Nice DH is that, I’m more used to looking at MiG 21s though. I think you could fit several Xmas turkeys in those droptanks...

 

I’ve heard of Coffman starts funnily enough, the same method (I believe) is used when starting Field Marshall tractor or a Catepriller D8 made before 1957.

Edited September 24, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Dave Hunt]

Is that a Mig 21PF Douglas? To whom does it belong?

 

Dave

[Florence Locomotive Works]

20 minutes ago, Dave Hunt said:

Is that a Mig 21PF Douglas? To whom does it belong?

 

Dave

It belongs to a friend of mine, he’s ex USAAF (two tours Vietnam). He owns several planes, or did, including an ex red arrows knat. The MiG is ex Polish Air Force, my friend bought her and flew her for a few years before something broke that was not cost effective to repair. He then decided to donate it to the Tulsa Air & Space museum. All original paint  was stripped (hence why the photo is in bare metal), and repainted in North Korean markings. Keep in mind this was near the height of Trump-Kim Jong Un tensions. Now it’s mounted on a stand outside the museum. 
 

The hanger she was in is now owned by a multi million dollar oil supply company, and houses a G550 and a DeSault Falcon. My dad used to work at said company, but left just before completion of hanger conversion.

If I remember correctly, my dad, who is also good friends with the gentleman, got some of the engineers at said company to design the stand before he left.

 

Funny aircraft carrier story for you all. The gent seen on the far right in the last photo is also a friend of both me and my dad, and was on carriers for a while during the 70s and 80s, mostly in the Med. When he left the Navy he took a catapult bar with him, why? Well I’ve got no idea. 30 odd years later we where standing round talking in his garage (this jolly massive catapult bar is leaning up against the wall, 7ft long and a good 200 pounds), and the bar got a bit energetic, ie it fell over and made a massive racket. Thankfully I jumped out of the way otherwise I would have been crushed by it, was only 10 at the time.

Edited September 24, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Dave Hunt]

It's possible hat I've flown the Gnat. I wasn't in the Arrows but I did fly quite a few of the aircraft. Lovely little things to fly.

 

Dave

[J. S. Bach]

1 hour ago, Happy Hippo said:

Douglas is too young to remember so:

Powered by ALCo?

[Florence Locomotive Works]

37 minutes ago, J. S. Bach said:

Powered by ALCo?

*visible confusion from Douglas*

[Steamport Southport]

1 hour ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

.

 

 

That's an Airfix kit. 

 

Similar markings to the one in the Dogfight Doubles.

 

 

Had that kit. No idea what happened to it though. 

 

 

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Just now, Steamport Southport said:

 

That's an Airfix kit. 

 

Similar markings to the one in the Dogfight Doubles.

 

 

Had that kit. No idea what happened to it though. 

 

 

I highly, highly doubt a Cessna would have ever willingly gotten that close to a MiG 21. An F4 Phantom or A7 would be a bit more likely. I believe the Airfix one is in either Chinese or Viet Cong markings.

[bbishop]

2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

Well, I don't consider myself in any very imminent danger* but I have gone down with a nasty cold brought home from school by No. 2 Son, which does cast doubt on the effectiveness of measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.

 

*Certainly since the bus frequency on our road was halved as a lockdown economy measure.

'

Pandemic no 2 - the common cold.  Temperature and cough - you can guess the rest of the scenario.  Sadly a certain gentleman in SW1 didn't, closing down testing sites and laboratories just as the little darlings went back to school. 

 

And bank opening hours cut "to help our customers cope with Covid".

 

Bill

[Steamport Southport]

11 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

I highly, highly doubt a Cessna would have ever willingly gotten that close to a MiG 21. An F4 Phantom or A7 would be a bit more likely. I believe the Airfix one is in either Chinese or Viet Cong markings.

 

Vietnam War.

 

It was a late 1960s/early 1970s set, so current at the time. Meant to be a MIG attacking the Americans.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Just now, Steamport Southport said:

 

Vietnam War.

 

It was a late 1960s/early 1970s set, so current at the time. Meant to be a MIG attacking the Americans.

Ah, that seems much more plausible.

[J. S. Bach]

29 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

*visible confusion from Douglas*

American Locomotive Company; they were notorious smokers.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

1 minute ago, J. S. Bach said:

American Locomotive Company; they were notorious smokers.

Well I got the ALCO bit, but I don't smoke. Or were you referring to the DH?

[J. S. Bach]

23 minutes ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

I highly, highly doubt a Cessna would have ever willingly gotten that close to a MiG 21. An F4 Phantom or A7 would be a bit more likely. I believe the Airfix one is in either Chinese or Viet Cong markings.

Just the MiG's turbulence in passing at that distance would have give the Cessna a load of problems!

[J. S. Bach]

Just now, Florence Locomotive Works said:

Well I got the ALCO bit, but I don't smoke. Or were you referring to the DH?

The smoke coming out of the top of the plane. That the DH?

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Just now, J. S. Bach said:

The smoke coming out of the top of the plane. That the DH?

Ah, yes tis the plane.

[Florence Locomotive Works]

Evening,

 

Just spent a good hour and a half bleeding the breaks on the Kart, not a fun job and took to long, but oh well. Better than racing with just throttle retardation.
 

In other news tonight I found this wonderful old photo in a book of a BL GtV at the Bassett Lowke stand during the 1921 model engineer exhibition. On the top left is a Bing for BL Gauge 1 GNR Atlantic. To the right of that is a BL 2 1/2 inch gauge GNR Pacific, as this was before the grouping. Below is what I think may be a model do one of the Union Castle Line three stackers, but as it’s not very lavender looking I have my doubts. Below that is the GtV with full (at that time) set of coaches. Below that on the far left is another Bing G 1 Atlantic. Behind the center exhibit is this time a 3 1/4 inch (such a thing did exist, @sncf231e has one, hopefully he won’t mind my mentioning it) GNR Atlantic. The other bottom center exhibits are both Midland 2p’s, one is Gauge 1 and the other O. On the bottom far right is rather GCR, G&SWR or maybe Caledonian looking Gauge 1 4-6-0. I did these ID’s just off the top of me ‘ead so the gauges may be wrong.

 

Douglas

Edited September 25, 2020 by Florence Locomotive Works

[Tony_S]

Wasn't the MiG Cessna kit released after the Hughie Green incident while flying to Berlin?

[Oldddudders]

I didn't know it was called Coffman, but do recall a spent cartridge being found adjacent to where a tracked vehicle was working on the sand-pit close to home, in the mid-fifties. My friend, a little older and a gun-lover,  was in no doubt about its purpose.

[polybear]

15 hours ago, Happy Hippo said:

For those of you who have visited the Banggood site, please be aware that they will stock and ship almost anything.

 

The latest ad I have had from them offers what is delicately described as a Men's health tool.

 

I thought this might be some form of exercise machine.  Well it is after a sort ........... 

 

You get the choice of Golden Star, Daisy Touch or Prickly Rose.

 

Now those are names to conjure with.

 

Certainly not the naming of locomotive type names.

 

 

Which did you go for?

[Compound2632]

4 hours ago, Florence Locomotive Works said:

In other news tonight I found this wonderful old photo in a book of a BL GtV at the Bassett Lowke stand during the 1921 model engineer exhibition. On the top left is a Bing for BL Gauge 1 GNR Atlantic. To the right of that is a BL GNR Pacific, as this was before three grouping. Below is what I think may be a model do one of the Union Castle Line three stackers, but as it’s not very lavender looking I have my doubts. Below that is the GtV with full (at that time) set of coaches. Below that on the far left is another Bing G 1 Atlantic. Behind the center exhibit is this time a 3 1/4 inch (such a thing did exist, @sncf231e has one, hopefully he won’t mind my mentioning it) GNR Atlantic. The other bottom center exhibits are both Midland 2p’s, one is Gauge 1 and the other O. On the bottom far right is rather GCR, G&SWR or maybe Caledonian looking Gauge 1 4-6-0. I did these ID’s just off the top of me ‘ead so the gauges may be wrong.

 

 

The O gauge Midland engine is, I think, a Deeley 999 (4P in LMS days) - a known BL model (caption erroneously says Compound - they were simples); the Gauge 1 one is a 483 Class (2P in LMS days) - again a known BL model. The other Gauge 1 engine looks very like a Pickersgill 60 Class (Caledonian) but I haven't been able to track that down as a BL product - perhaps built to commission?

 

Oh that such engines were available RTR these days!

[Stubby47]

 

10 hours ago, Dave Hunt said:

It's possible hat I've flown the Gnat. I wasn't in the Arrows but I did fly quite a few of the aircraft. Lovely little things to fly.

 

Dave

 

Lots of Hawks up over Anglesey at the moment - https://www.flightradar24.com/2599eafc

[Happy Hippo]

27 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

 

 

Lots of Hawks up over Anglesey at the moment - https://www.flightradar24.com/2599eafc

REP3 (Flight of two) seems to be dogfighting over Cardigan bay judging by the radar tracks.