No 56 Squadron, RAF, 'The Firebirds', 1918 - 2008.

[zenstar1974]

Thanks Airframes!

 

[Airframes]

Well, as I can't get out this New Year, due to my bl**dy feet and legs hurting like hell, I've stayed at home and almost finished the Tempest. I think a replacement windscreen is needed really, but the cut-off kit excample will have to suffice for now - if I can get the front end to blend into the fuselage that is. I'm afraid I've had a couple of beers and wee drams, so I'm not going near the Tempest, or the camera, until tomorrow!
Roll on summer, this cold weather is literally crippling me!

 

[Will_Derby]

I know a pilot that flew with the 'Fire Birds' while he served in the RAF. Im going to send him here to look at these great models! Great work Airframes : )

Will

 

[B-17engineer]

Terry that Typhoon, was the camo freehand with your airbrush?

 

[Airframes]

Thanks very much Will. Maybe he can provide some stories and info for the thread? I intend to convert the completed build series into a PDF 'booklet', illustrated with the models and pics of the real aircraft, and briefly covering the various decades of the Squadron's history.
Harrison, I don't know about the Typhoon, asIi haven't started on that one yet (!) - but the Tempest was airbrushed freehand, apart from masking-off the undersurfces and tail band.
I'm just waiting for a modification to the windscreen to set, and I should have the final photos posted in a little while.
Thanks very much to all for your interest.

 

[B-17engineer]

Yes sorry my bad Tempest.

Lovely freehand mate!

 

[Airframes]

Thanks H - you'll be able to do the same soon with a bit of practice. It's not a 'black art', as many think, it's just a tool which will do what you tell it too - sometimes!

 

[B-17engineer]

Right on! Maybe when I get to another British fighter at one point I can try after practice

But it'll be impossible (for me, I've seen Wayne do it, how, I don't know.) with the Splinter camo.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

I know a pilot that flew with the 'Fire Birds' while he served in the RAF. Im going to send him here to look at these great models! Great work Airframes : )

Will

Agree with Terry, maybe you can get some stories and get him to tell us when he was with 56 Sqn. Hope it was in the 'Firebird' display days!!!

 

[109ROAMING]

ffs

 

[Will_Derby]

Sounds good to me Airframes! i dont know when i will be in contact with him but i shouldnt think it will be too long before ive got 1 or 2 strorys out of him : )

Will

 

[Airframes]

That'll be great Will. And you can tell him the first complete build is now done, as I've finished the Tempest. If he flew with the 'Firebirds', or even flew the Lightning F1A, I could do his aircraft! I've got the kit waiting to be done, but I'm not sure yet which one will be next out of the total of twelve (for now!) - might even go to the opposite extreme, and have the first aircraft 56 used as a RAF Squadron, the SE5A.
Anyway, here she is, Tempest MkV srs.ii, EJ742, US-T, of 56 Squadron at Volkel (B80), Netherlands, October 1944.
Hope you like it, and thanks to all for your support and encouragement so far in this exercise.
Terry.

 

[Lucky13]

That's one beautiful machine Terry, old boy! Splendid! Have a dram!

 

[Airframes]

Thanks awfully old chap - think I'll have a 'T-Stoff'!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

That's one beaut machine mate, you've done the Sqn proud.

 

[Heinz]

Looks bang on Terry!! Tempest is a bit of a beast 8)

 

[B-17engineer]

Dam Terry! I love it!

 

[javlin]

NICE!! Tempest!Terry one of my favorite birds in the RAF along with the Mossie and the Spit.Cheers Kevin

 

[109ROAMING]

That is one f*cking nice looking bird right there mate 8)

Well bloody done!

 

[zenstar1974]

Greetings Airframes,
I appreciate your direction to try to find the answer to my inquery about the analogue air position indicator. Many people have viewed my post, but none have replied. Do you have any suggestions about where else I could find this information about this item? I would greatly appreciate the help. Here again, is my question:

I am looking for a list of RAF WWII aircraft that used the Analogue Air Position Indicator for lat/long navigation. Does anyone know where I can find this info? Here is a link to a pix of the item and a description:

Analogue Air Position Indicator

Augustus Muir also tells the remarkable story of how Alfred Rose responded to an unexpected request from the Air Ministry, the result of which was that, in a new 'dispersed' factory in the village of Saxilby the site for which was found, buildings erected, machinery put in, electricity, water supplies and drainage laid on and roads built, all within little more than 30 weeks – a new navigation instrument,an air position indicator that allowed navigators to read off their positioning degrees and minutes, described as "the most efficient type then in use", was produced.

This unit is from UK wartime aircraft, and computed an aircraft's latitude and longitude using an entirely mechanical (analogue) process, involving integration, sines and cosines. The current speed and direction were fed in on servo-motors on the right of this photograph. The speed was split mechanically into sine and cosine components for latitude and longitude changes, and integrated to give the current position. The longitude calculation also needed an inverse "cosine" component (longitude changes more quickly nearer the poles proportional to the cosine of the latitude). The mechanical process would, of course, have failed near the north or south poles.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.