Dakota ahoy!

[Arch]

Skived off with a mate yesterday to the Elvington Air Museum, where they were having a series of events to fit in with the Festival of Science. We intended to hear the talk about the Halifax bomber, but that was cancelled, so instead we had a look round a Dakota...

Amazing - the one we were in had 54 years flying service. Taking a quick look in the cockpit, we couldn't help thinking, how hard would it be...

I mean, I understand what most of the dials mean... And Simon has a half hour lesson in a Tiger Moth under his belt...

Apparently, they are amazingly sturdy and forgiving - there is a story of one where the crew bailed when the fuel ran out, and the Dakota obligingly landed itself in a field...

Even better though, I spotted this ad in a facsimile newspaper:

I always knew I was right about chocolate counting as a vegetable...

We also heard a talk on Barnes Wallis - there's an amazing man!

 

[Unkraut]

Which control sets off the windscreen wipers?

 

[NickM]

I dunno... quite a lot of knobs there - what happens if you pull the wrong one?

 

[ChrisKH]

Having a mad pilot for a brother, I once participated in a (real) flight simulator session for a big plane; 737 or the like, It is really hard to coordinate hand, feet and eyes on dials if you're not used to it. Great fun though.

 

[Arch]

Which control sets off the windscreen wipers?

Actually, I don't remember seeing any....

Trivia: There are half a million rivets in a Dakota: laid end to end, they'd stretch 3 miles.

Also, anyone know what they made the gas bags inside the R100/R101 of, in order to be gas-tight? (Without looking it up...)

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Sheep intestines ?

 

[Unkraut]

Also, anyone know what they made the gas bags inside the R100/R101 of, in order to be gas-tight? (Without looking it up...)

17 million turkey bags. Laid end to end, they would stretch from Dover to Berwick-upon-Tweed.

You can tell it's getting towards home time and the weekend ....

 

[NickM]

...really hard to coordinate hand, feet and eyes on dials if you're not used to it...

So if you can play the organ you'll be all right?

I can just see the air hostess announcing "Ladies and Gentlemen, our pilot and co-pilot have coincidentally both dropped dead. Is there a pilot on the plane? No? Anybody played a Wurlitzer, then?"

 

[NickM]

...anyone know what they made the gas bags inside the R100/R101 of, in order to be gas-tight? (Without looking it up...)

Rubber?

 

[Arch]

Sheep intestines ?

Cow actually... Well done, a prize of virtual cake to you!

NickM: what's the worst that can happen? Oh...

Apparently these things have survived mid air collisions and limped home ok. They're like the battered old Transits of the air...

 

[Elmer Fudd]

Cow actually... Well done, a prize of virtual cake to you!

Yum! Yum! Thankyou. I didn't look it up, I was taught it at school, but got the animal wrong !!
(School was a long, long time ago)

 

[Arch]

I guess sheep would do, you'd just need a lot more!

 

[trustysteed]

How hard could it be? Roger Moore landed one with a bullet in his leg in The Wild Geese, so not that hard really!

 

[asterix]

Yum! Yum! Thankyou. I didn't look it up, I was taught it at school, but got the animal wrong !!
(School was a long, long time ago)

So you were learning about cutting-edge technology at the time?

 

[Elmer Fudd]

So you were learning about cutting-edge technology at the time?

I thankyou !!! I am an ole scrote, but not quite that old pal !!! .

Just remembered, sheeps intestines were cut up and used as a certain re-usable anti-procreation device.