It's true about the pairs approach to the apron. I was just hanging on assuming Paul would power up and take it round from a foot or so. But he didn't, and we both kissed the concrete for a moment. After that we climbed away, split up, and 'wired it' individually. We visited Coningsby and Wittering ...

The Jaguar didn't replace the Lightning. It was a ground attack/interdiction aircraft optimised for low level. It was intended to replace the F4 in this role, which it did to a great extent. The F4 then replaced the Lightning, though never entirely; the Tornado F1/F3 came along before the last two s...

one always breathed oxygen. The regulator mixed it with air depending upon cabin altitude and pilot selection. At high altitude it gave a 75mm positive pressure, so the effort was in breathing out, not in. Pressure jerkins were issued for even higher altitudes in the old days (partial pressure of O2...

Someone mentioned Manston, I think. I did the Lightning display there in '86, and put on a real Fred Karno performance. In the Lightning, you quite often would get starter problems, which was one of the many reasons why we took our own ground crew to displays. A spare aircraft was also often useful....

Before I tell too many tales, I ought to say that the idea of dogfighting went out to some extent with the development of air-air missiles, which were expected to negate the need for manoeuvre in their most advanced form. Sort of fire and forget. But Vietnam showed the West what a bad idea that was....

A few things to think about for me. The Phantom was a great machine, and don't let anyone tell you different. We were supposed to be buying the F111 with a stand-off missile, but when the missile was cancelled by the Americans, we cancelled our order. The F4 was bought as a stop-gap machine, and the...

WELL, i'm not the oracle, but I was quite an old fart when I first flew it - you know, been around a bit. Flew the Phantom before the Lightning, which was unusual in itself (long story) The Lightning was what they used to call a pilot's aircraft, in that was both powerful and docile. Docile means yo...

Just caught the last part of the BBC Four programme on the British aircraft industry. I think we were good on design, not so good on development. The Lightning and the Harrier and the Fairey Delta (FD2) were the highest of high tech of their day, but only the FD2 translated into an enduring success ...

just an intro from one who no longer owns an Alfa after thirty odd years of doing so. I'm the pilot friend of Kevin, and have promised a few yarns about Shackleton Mark 3s, Phantom FGR 2s and Lightning F3 and F^. I also flew the Sea Vixen with the Navy, and instructed on the Jet Provost and the Hawk...

In defence of the stick-ons; it was part of the original option list, along with the fake wood Momo, which was ordered by the first owner. It is a bit naff, but you get used to it, and maybe it stops you trying to set the tarmac on fire every time you drive it, who knows?

It's only fair to remember Rudolf Hruska, the man who designed the Sud on a clean sheet of paper. Previous employer was?

Couldn't resist returning to my original aircraft theme. I believe that the high tensile pin upon which the Tornado wings 'swing' was always made in Italy, wherever final assembly took place. The manufacturing tolerances were/are eye-watering. For installation, the agency of liquid nitrogen was used...

Surely not, Shrew. We are all interested in the older cars, by definition, but it does seem that Fiat/Alfa have moved the goalposts, rather as Jaguar did after the E-Type. You are now required to have a lot of cash if you want to get into a sporty, as distinct from sporty-looking, Alfa. Perhaps the ...

Kevin and I were having a few words about how much better the current range of Alfas is compared with some of the stuff they were flogging ten or twenty years ago. Take the 33 16v as a start point. Not too good in a crash, unlike a Mito or a Giulietta. But not too heavy on fuel, considering it's a n...

Only the arms are rusty! Thanks to Kevin, it's now temporarily 2 wheel drive whilst the transmission servo hydraulic lines are replaced. Incidentally, it came from the factory with an Austrian 'viscomatic' torque splitter (Steyr) and a German gearbox (Getrag). So it can only be....

update; new screen fitted, complete with heating, on 18 Feb.

1994M 164 QV. 133,000 miles, increasing slowly. The car is in very good order, having had lots of time and money spent on it over the last 18 months. The body is as solid as they come, with tank-out welding done to usual spots at the back. The engine has, within the last few months, had new timing b...