Classic Alfa Forums

Podcast:

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/roy ... 0323730240

Brgds,
Simon

Great photo Simon.
I got a copy of the book for Christmas from my brother.

Great book Keith. He flew one of these;

Dornier Do 335 Arrow
Brgds
Simon

Hi Simon
I am, to say the least, very jealous. If there was one person who ever lived that I could have lunch with, I honestly think it would be Eric Brown.
I had the chance to go and see him give a talk in Bristol some years ago but had something else on that night. I did not, at the time, realise what a legend he was and clearly made the wrong choice.

Hi Crank,
This article gives some insight into his experiences at the end of WW2 when he was desperately trying to find as many of the high tech GERMAN aircraft as possible and fly them back to the UK before the Americans got them. Being fluent in German he interviewed over 200 Nazis who went to the gallows.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.mirror ... 949855.amp

Selected as the pilot for the Miles M52 he was also a good friend of Sir Frank Whittle.

All the best,
Simon

John was a Lightning pilot back in the day, loads more very interesting stuff he's done too

Here here's a pic from '86 at RAF Conningsby (Tattershall Castle in the background gives it away!) he's agreed to let me post, him sat on the Lightning in the green flying suit.

John is my Eric Brown really, he like so many other's is a fascinating fella so full of stories.

Myself and Kev have covered some mileage up and down the country with him, and theres never a dull moment.

His tales are fascinating, and it does make me kinda regret not following my initial career steps towards the forces.

His car knowledge isnt far behind his raf experience either, always an education with John, without realising it,

Old raf guys rule!

Great discussion guys - watched programme on Saturday and pretty much agree with what's been said here already. The thing that struck me watching and also people comments on here is how much I, and kids at my school, noticed these things when we were growing up - if one of us saw a Lightning, a Harrier or Concorde we were king of the heap in the playground! It just fired our imaginations and I just don't see that with kids today............

There were two very good podcasts publish by the BBC on Eric Brown and both well worth a listen - Radio 4 iPlayer: 'Great Lives - Eric Brown' and 'Desert Island Discs - Eric Brown'. I don't have Apple software so might be repeating what Simon put in his link at the top of the page.

Ted

Sadly, I have never seen a Lightning fly (excluding the P38 ). I have seen the beautiful Concorde a few times, and had a fantastic head on experience on a mountain road in Wales with a Tornado when he popped up over the road out of the valley. I also saw my first Euro fighter in Wales. Pilot flew past then heard an amazing roar and he came back !! Having now seen what they can do at air shows, he obviously turned it around in the valley.
When I was in my last years of school all I remember seeing were GD F111 s which were very loud, but I loved watching the A10 s playing cat and mouse over the fields.
It was the only time I liked being at the top of our maths block

We get spoiled a bit here living so close to RAF Conningsby, where the Eurofighter did a lot of early work. Also of course the Battle of Britain stuff there so regularly get the Lanc flying over the back garden in the Summer on it's way back from shows...
Plus of course the other Lanc at East Kirkby that does its' taxi runs, currently having an overhaul with a view to getting it airworthy..that's only about 2 miles from my door as the crow flies...

Trying to get John to come on and regale some Lightning stories, but he's too modest for his own good and thinks he'd be seen as big headed....come on John.....

Yeh ! Come on John.!!

Marlow Sud wrote:I have an aircraft for Lauren. Miles M52. It never flew but the Whittle engine with thrust augmentation was so powerful that the pilot (Captain Eric Brown) was briefed that he would have to throttle back after achieving Mach 1 because the aircraft would keep accelerating beyond what the airframe could withstand.

Amazing concept considering the period in which it was conceived. And Eric Brown was THE MAN when it came to flying those early prototypes!

Speaking of aerospace history, I've just bought my copy of this...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/British-Secret ... 1910809020

Never got over seeing the 1966 artist rendering of MUSTARD launching off the pad. Makes you proud to be British

A WHOLE BOOK on the subject. 20 pages in and I am loving it

Ted27sud wrote:It just fired our imaginations and I just don't see that with kids today............
Ted

Thats because a lot of kids have shot 5 fighters down, stole 8 cars, killed 43 cops and mugged a dozen less than morally upward ladies, all before breakfast!

In a virtual world of course,


mostly..........

Hey Kev,

with clearly such an interest in aviation history here, perhaps its time to hold an East Kirby Alfa meet like in the good old days!

or Newark air museum that we've been threatening to return to for ages too,


what do you think


we had cars photographed under the lanc wings and allsorts, a cracking day East Kirby was, but a little more logistical for some than Newark possibly

or just do both, why not?

On my doorstep and the Lanc would be great mate, but alas since the running of the place fell into the Son then car clubs no longer get invited in
They were good though, still got pics of VJM under the Lancs undercarriage

Newark Air Museum would be good though, handy with the A1 under a mile from there....

Evening chaps

Keith . Spookerly. My secondary school years . Mirror yours plane wise . The playing fields where pretty much on the same level as manston. F111's f16's f15's tornadoes all used to use the airfield back then .The best lunch break tho . Was watching an a10 doing practice attack runs. That was so cool.
manston was Concordes emergency runway. So would see her now and then . Especially at the air shows. That was the one and only time I saw a lightning in the air . The final year 1988. Will never forget that .
The last air show four years ago .The Vulcan came down here for two weeks. So glad I went to that . Then saw her at Herne bay show for the last time . What plane and of course the sound And one for John . Don't be shy

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.
I left the RAF in 1990 to fly first for AIR UK/KLM UK, then later for Suckling/Loganair. The only other thing I can do is drive cars. Peugeots at the moment

Good evening young man, great to see you on again mate.

You certainly have a captive audience if you want it john, it would appear theres almost as much love for planes here as there is for Alfas!

Evening John

Look forward to reading about your stores in the RAF

glad he's agreed to chat about the RAF exploits, he doesn't think it will be that interesting!

line up with your questions guys, sure once we get him going the stories will flow.

he'll be back tomorrow.



we are actually going down into Norfolk tomorrow afternoon to collect his 205 gti that has just finished a troublesome restoration, some stories in that build I can tell you, including an early morning snatch from shrew & me when I eventually found it after it went missing for a year or so...

Well for me .It's all about the lightning. Did you have any interesting incounters ?

[quote="taffioch"
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.[/quote]


Cheers John, this just gets better.
My Uncle served in Gibraltar with Avro Shackleton s. Not sure what he did in the RAF but remember seeing photos of the planes.

JB, great photo of the Bear interceptor.

Kegsti66 wrote:
JB, great photo of the Bear interceptor.

Cheers Keith
I'd like to say I took it . But sadly not

John the sea vixen is a cool looking plane too . one that still does the airshows around the UK . All the plane talk. I need to see another show this year.me thinks

He'll be back on later, maybe not tonight though, to talk about all the stuff he's done.
Been bending my ear (only joking John ) this afternoon about it all, most of which I don't understand (how does a 'planes speed vary depending on altitude, air speed wise?) when we went down into Suffolk no collect his latest pride and joy, he is a serial Peugeot buyer as Shrew will confirm

This one though has been a trial from start to finish but thankfully this afternoon we collected it and despite an unexpected stop on the way home to tape up the passenger side window that had deceided the bottom of the door was the best place it ran very nicely according to John.

Must say, it does look fantastic

Best (production) Pug ever.

As for non-mass market, Peugeot Quasar, of course

Yes, had two of them just after giving up motorbikes. Excellent cars.

An that one does look well.

....and in the best colour imo.

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 as a warplane, and then only when it became the Mirage 3. The Lightning and the Harrier were developed, but piecemeal, and the original drawbacks weren't eliminated. The Americans put the big money into Harrier development -the GR5 was effectively American.

Evening chaps

Just finished watching part 2 . Government sold us out again to the yanks . For the 707 .

Anyway back to fighters John . Agree about the yanks upgrading the harrier as they used a lot of carbon fiber . But it doesn't annoy me. That we sold them the plans not the aircraft.
So the lightning . As I'm a very big fan of it . What tails have you got about it??