Dakota ahoy!

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Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
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...

S7000298.jpg


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

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:

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

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

Unkraut

Master of the Inane Comment
Location
Germany
Which control sets off the windscreen wipers?
 

ChrisKH

Guru
Location
Essex
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.
 
OP
OP
Arch

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
Unkraut said:
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...)
 

Unkraut

Master of the Inane Comment
Location
Germany
Arch said:
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

Veteran
ChrisKH said:
...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

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

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
Elmer Fudd said:
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...
 
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