Flying Boat thingy over Brooklands Wed 21st
Flying Boat thingy over Brooklands Wed 21st
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Discussion

tuffer

Original Poster:

9,006 posts

296 months

Wednesday 21st August 2013
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What was that then?

napierrailton

12 posts

216 months

Wednesday 21st August 2013
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Taken from the Brooklands Facebook page:

"There will be a flypast over Brooklands today at 10.55am

The Catalina, 70 years old this month, will depart from IWM Duxford where it is based and undertake the 1913 Circuit of Britain flight, which was flown by pilot Harry Hawker and mechanic Harry Kauper, both Australians, in a Sopwith Waterplane. While the airspace in 2013 poses different restrictions than it did in 1913, the crew of the Catalina intends to follow the original route as closely as possible. Their scheduled 1600 mile route will take five days and fly over some key historic sites including Kingston, where the Sopwith Factory was based; Hook in Chessington, where Harry Hawker is buried and Brooklands where Harry Hawker learnt to fly and tested aircraft for use in the First World War. The Catalina will also orbit the Classic Boat Museum at Cowes, which has on display an 1/8 scale replica of the Bat Boat aeroplane tested by Harry Hawker in 1913.

Please pass this on and have cameras ready. It is hoped that the aircraft will fly directly over the Museum site from an easterly direction at a height of about 1,000 ft. This should be from between the JTI and Sony buildings."


tuffer

Original Poster:

9,006 posts

296 months

Wednesday 21st August 2013
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Thanks
/thread

Simpo Two

92,675 posts

294 months

Wednesday 21st August 2013
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How can anyone not know what a Catalina looks like? This should be compulsory education in primary school...

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Wednesday 21st August 2013
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Indeed - "flying boat thingy". I ask you.

For the OP's education, here's the actual machine -



I got to crawl all over her at the Farnborough Air Show last year. Lovely old thing she is.

tuffer

Original Poster:

9,006 posts

296 months

Thursday 22nd August 2013
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I actually had a pretty good idea what it was (after all I did spend 12 years in the RAF and quite a bit of time doing Aircraft Recce), I just could not recall the name.

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Thursday 22nd August 2013
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Was the PBY/Catalina still on the official Aircraft Recognition list for RAF personnel during your time serving HM?

tuffer

Original Poster:

9,006 posts

296 months

Thursday 22nd August 2013
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Eric Mc said:
Was the PBY/Catalina still on the official Aircraft Recognition list for RAF personnel during your time serving HM?
Seeing as I joined in 1989, no, but I can tell the difference between a Jaguar and a Flogger.

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Thursday 22nd August 2013
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Probably more relevant smile

The PBY could look a bit like some German and Japanese flying boat designs so it was important that people could recognise it at the time.

When I was on board the Cat at Farnborough there was a torrential downpour which revealed that the fuselage actually was leaky - with rain dripping down from above. The crew assured me that the bottom didn't have any leaks though.

Tim-D

539 posts

251 months

Thursday 22nd August 2013
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Just being a pedant this one's a Canso.....

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Thursday 22nd August 2013
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Same aircraft essentially - built under licence in Canada.

tuffer

Original Poster:

9,006 posts

296 months

Thursday 22nd August 2013
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WHOOOOAAAAAAAA back up there........Eric MC was wrong!!!!!!!

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Thursday 22nd August 2013
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During WW2 many aircraft were built by companies other than the company that built and designed the original.

Most Blackburn Rocs were built by Boulton Paul.
Many Douglas C-47s weren't built by non-Douglas related companies.
English Electric built Handley Page Halifaxes.
Ford built a lot of Grumman Avengers.
Canadian Car and Foundry built a lot of Grumman Wildcats.




Edited by Eric Mc on Thursday 22 August 18:06