Colin Leighfield Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Sorry Rich, it's got us excited and we're keeping it going while we wait for Tony to finish it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Posted by Rich2 on 06/09/2016 09:05:08: Oi, this is a build thread! Strangely enough a lot of builders are actually interestedin the history of the aircraft that they are building Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brokenenglish Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Posted by Rich2 on 06/09/2016 09:05:08: Oi, this is a build thread! Sorry Rich. I did make a conscious effort to avoid drifting into some of our antics on Nav school. In mitigation, our ramblings are supplementing the build log, just filling in the inevitable gaps while the build is progressing. They're not detracting from, preventing or replacing the build log... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 At the risk of annoying Rich a bit more I must share my favourite Varsity story. We had a station flight Vartsiry that was used for various jobs and it had a couple of VIP seats at the rear, just in front of the flare chute. The aircraft did the occasional trip to Gibraltar with thre groud crew. On One trip the AOC came with us accompanied by a young pilot officer. On the return trip we had all eaten our packed lunches. The young officer wantng to look efficient, collected all the boxes and sandwich wrappers etc. and stuffed them into the flare chute. He then closed the top and opened the bottom. Nothing happened so he opened the top to push the debris out. Unfortunately what happened was that the slip stream blew all the rubbish straight back into the cabin, right over the AOC sitting in his VIP seat. The young Pilot Officer was rushing round and picking bits f eggsshell etc off the AOC. while he sat there looking like thunder. The ground crew who had seats further forward all promptly reatreated as far away as possible helpless with laughter. We never heard what happened to that young PO!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted September 6, 2016 Author Share Posted September 6, 2016 well at the moment i am doing all the boring bits that i hate. the bits where i get fed up and stop working on the model. run 8 wires through each wing now to run all the servo's, retracts, and escs. need to fit the nose retract and then i can cover and paint. haven't decided on a colour scheme yet. any idea's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Peter, I envy your experiences. I was a bit too late for national service and short-sightness prevented me from flying with the RAF, so I never joined up. Perhaps it was a mistake but my enthusiasm goes back to my early childhood and it's never dimmed. Designing, building and occasionally flying models of planes that fascinate me is part of me converting my interest into making these wonderful machines, some of which don't even exist any more, let alone fly, come back to life and appear in their natural element. Time and other commitments prevented me from keeping up the Group "A" PPL I got in the eighties, but I stay in touch in every way that I can and the flight in the Boultbee Spitfire in May was what it's all about for me. Tony converts dreams into reality, that's what the Varsity is about and look at his AW Ensign project. Wonderful. Kindred spirits. It's not just about flying model planes. Go for it Tony! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Colin. I was not on that particular Varsity flight. I was an airframe fitter for 12 years. and was lucky enough to work on quite a few types of aircraft starting with the last Lancasters in the RAF IT was the modelling that made me join the RAF. Like you my eyesight was not good enough to fly. but I was happy working on aircraft. I think that I am more of a hands on type. Tony. Most Varsities were roughly the same colour scheme. SOme had more dayglow on them. I have looked through all my photos and can't find any of our Varsity although I am sure that I had one. However that are a lot on Google. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Halcyon days Peter, you were there in a time of transition, so you got close to the old and the new. We'll never see those days again, sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Price 2 Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Sure was Colin. I flew in a Varsity and, of course, a Chippy whilst at ATC camp, Marham. I won the draw for a Linclon night flight which was sadly scrubbed when it went us. Rations box was devoured very quickly after hearing the news!! The technology driven tranisitions were plain to see. I remember, as well as the above as well as the resident Valiants, visiting Canberras, Victors and, possibly, a Vulcan. The Varsity(s) and Lincolns were being used to train bomb aimers and possibly navigators for the v bomber force although I fully expect Peter will embarrass me with some superior knowledge!! Model is looking really good by the way, Tony. Keep it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dane Crosby Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Had fun flying the Varsity in '73 when converting from Jets to Multi engine. The morning starts with clouds of smoke, Low level Navexes around Cambridgeshire felt like a wartime mission with the noise of the Twin Bristol Hercules drowning out everything whilst leaving a cracking oil slick. Wonderful classic machines. Can't wait to see the model fly. Good luck with the build. The Oakington colour scheme is bright and easy to see with white, red, and grey (all oil streaked of course !!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 No Andrew, I really only know about the little areas that I was involved in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Price 2 Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 I survive, for the time being then, Peter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 I love all this. Keep it going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Price 2 Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Yes colin, I agree, but its poor old Tonys build thread, and it is getting hijacked more than a mite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Price 2 Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 I do remember some dayglo scheme Varsitys Tony but the "red" one I think is by far the more common one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Price 2 Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 I do remember some dayglo scheme Varsitys Tony but the "red" one I think is by far the more common one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted September 6, 2016 Author Share Posted September 6, 2016 It's fine gents. i like finding out the history of an aircraft i am building. just a shame none of you are old enough to remember the AW Ensign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 My rides were all the dayglo schemed Varsitys Tony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 Posted by Terry Walters on 06/09/2016 18:53:22: My rides were all the dayglo schemed Varsitys Tony. That is apart from the one at RAE Thurleigh which was the Blind Landing Experimental Unit (BLEU) in mid to late '60s - that was an exciting and interesting ride LOL! We each had a landing up front in the right hand seat while the pilot did X wind landings hands off!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted September 6, 2016 Share Posted September 6, 2016 That is apart from the one at RAE Thurleigh which was the Blind Landing Experimental Unit (BLEU) in mid to late '60s - that was an exciting and interesting ride LOL! We each had a landing up front in the right hand seat while the pilot did X wind landings hands off!! And the toilet is right down the back of the aircraft!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted September 10, 2016 Author Share Posted September 10, 2016 covering and paint going on at last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted September 10, 2016 Share Posted September 10, 2016 Coming along nicely I am reminded of the effort involved in closing those ruddy cowlings. They were in four sections. The two side sections swung open on hinges. The top and bottom sections were hinged to the side sections. You undid the over centre latches and the whole cowl opened up like a big flower. great for access to the engines. Closing them was another matter. You closed the two side sections and held them in as close to the engine as possible. Then you did the top and bottom sections. The top wasn't too bad, you dropped that over and pushed on the side panels while someone tried to engage the big over centre latches which engage with the oposite side section. The bottom one was a swine. They were all very heavy but you had to swing the bottom one up and try and engage those latches Even with two or three of you it was not easy. One person had no chance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted September 11, 2016 Author Share Posted September 11, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted September 11, 2016 Share Posted September 11, 2016 Well that certainly has the look of a Varsity Tony - coming on very nicely indeed! Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted September 12, 2016 Share Posted September 12, 2016 That's right on the button, brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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