Recent content by Peter Garwood

If Only They Had Employed a Balloon Barrage Gives a short discussion of the value and effect of balloons at Pearl harbour and also discusses how they might have changed the air war in the Falklands.

The British balloons were eventually fitted with a squeaker that emitted a radio signal enabling the friendly aircraft to detect when they were nearing a balloon, there was much trouble geting the right frequency and system set up but they did work reasonably well. One UK area had to stop using...

Edited Correction!! What I meant to say was why is there a size difference on the spoilers on the elevator of the V1? The left hand spoiler looking forward is twice the size of the spoiler on the right? Now what would this induce in flight? would it make the craft deviate to one side or fly in a...

It should be borne in mind that the outcome of hitting a balloon cable with the wind behind you was quite different to the likely outcome with the wind against you!! Physics is strange!

If the cable did not enter the slot then it was highly likely that the cable would perform as intended and down the aircraft.No back up plan. Of course once the cartridge had fired it was of no use for any further cable defences. British balloons had a squeaker beacon that was supposed to...

Sorry which cutaway picture is this one? I once talked with a RAF WWII Bomber Pilot who actually hit a cable one night, he said it just came out of the night and the aircraft suddenly slewed around and luckkily the cable seemed to either slip off or part and they had a large gash in the edge of...

The cable cutter on the Lancaster and other aircraft was developed by Martin Baker of ejector seat fame. It was powered by the cable entering a groove in the wing and then the cable would force a safety catch over and then as the cable moved further into the device a explosive cartridge went off...