Shane
Wed Feb 09 21:01:59 CST 2005
Another link:
http://www.capetownjets.com/electric.html
That 5 grand was basically the scrap value. This is around about 1980
(although both planes lasted a few more years in service). Still it was a
fair deal and I wonder if you're familiar with the Vulcan Bomber, as I think
you might think that was a fairly outrageous price. The Vulcan is
reminiscent of Concorde, being delta winged and with four great Bristol
Olympus engines. Not as sleek and (because) not supersonic, it was intended
to fly to the Soviet Union and drop atomic bombs! One did drop conventional
bombs on the runway at Port Stanley in '83. It was built by Avro, who also
built the Lancaster.
The Vulcan, with Blue Steel atomic bomb beneath:
http://www.raf.mod.uk/downloads/gallery/617vulcanb21024.jpg
Shane
"Shane" <arthursixpence@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3700efF578l3aU1@individual.net...
> Heirloom,
>
> In the late-40's the RAF wanted an interceptor that could go supersonic in
> level flight. The English Electric Lightning went into service in 1960 and
> exceeded Mach 2. It was the E-type Jag of jet fighters. It was
> astonishingly fast, 60,000ft ceiling, handled like a British sports car.
> The first pilots to convert to them would desperately try to get the nose
> up to avoid going supersonic on takeoff. There's a tale - possibly
> apocryphal, but told by the original pilots - of a French test pilot come
> to try the new jet during the early drive for export orders. They told him
> not to use reheat on take-off, but he did anyway and hit 30,000 ft before
> he got the undercarriage up! The Lightning's air show party piece was to
> take off and, while barely off the runway, stand on it's tail and shoot
> vertically into the clouds! Man what a sound those two Rolls Royce engines
> made!
>
>
http://www.raf.mod.uk/downloads/gallery/zombie1024.jpg
>
>
> Shane
>
>
> "heirloom" <heirloom@nospamatall.com> wrote in message
> news:eOIwALxDFHA.1564@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>> Would that be a P38 Lightning?? Don't know how much 5K Pounds equates
>> to
>> in US Bucks, but, that seems like quite a deal for on that is airworthy.
>> Heirloom, old and wants a B-24
>>
>> "Shane" <arthursixpence@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:36vdsbF58oeliU2@individual.net...
>>>
>>> "Mike M" <No_Spam@Corned_Beef.Only> wrote in message
>>> news:eGAptjuDFHA.1408@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>>> > Shane <arthursixpence@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> And Vulcan Bombers.
>>> >
>>> > As purchased, I seem to recall, by a Lancs pub landlord. [Memory
>>> > could
>> of
>>> > course be playing up again.] <g>
>>> > --
>>>
>>> That does ring a bell. And why not, the Vulcan was, iirc, stood open to
>> the
>>> elements at Manchester Airport for a couple of decades and well-beyond
>>> airworthiness by all accounts.
>>>
>>> Remember when they were first being sold - along with the Lightnings?
>>> You
>>> could have either for £5,000. I'd just left school and started work, and
>>> thought about it until the practicalities of where to keep it and how to
>> get
>>> it there intruded.
>>>
>>> £5,000, stripped of sensitive electronics and armaments, but otherwise
>>> airworthy and doubtless impeccably maintained!
>>>
>>> <really great big long drawn out sigh!>
>>>
>>>
>>> Shane
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
