Comet4 Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 Yes, you read that right, this is an RAF aircraft. During 1958-60, the RAF were operating U2s out of Turkey on behalf of the CIA. Although never formerly taken on charge by the RAF they were nonetheless deemed to be RAF aircraft. This model is built to represent what a fully integrated U2 may have looked like. The registration and markings actually belonged to a Canberra PR9 that performed a similar role. More information can be found here; http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/revealed-the-rafs-secret-cold-war-heroes-1285189.html/media/tinymce_upload/1be991d79a1b0c56439d71ce5d217754.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/2d0852d286528db53749f4f61fe0ad1f.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/53b31720fe537ab4e4e49696f550f60c.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/a239e9d86bd6304c7844c52eeddc5bc5.jpg/media/tinymce_upload/a04061e59a40fa0e215fd0500e6069b3.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 :DYou've gone and given me an idea; hint in my signature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comet4 Posted November 24, 2016 Author Share Posted November 24, 2016 😆 Glad to be of assistance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rael Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Great model! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Symmons Posted November 24, 2016 Share Posted November 24, 2016 Another impeciable build and story, again I,ve learnt something.Just been trawling through your other new postings The SM 79 looks great, I have one in my stash and was looking at it just the other day wondering weither I should give the Luftwaffer a rest and try something Italian, always liked the SM 79 Sparviero (Hawk).Your airliner builds also great, it's had to believe they're the same old 144 scale models from the 60's well done and keep up the good work. As an aside the Caravelle was my first airliner flight in 1963 or 64, Air France, Heathrow to Paris, and I can still recall it, it was the worst flight I,ve ever been on. Noisy ( yes even with the engines at the back.) hot and cramped. I really felt sorry for the stewardes's as for the first 40 minutes we were climing and two, one dragging one pushing the trolly up the isle, had a hard time of it, the one at the back then jamming her foot under the wheels to stop it rolling back. I oftern wonder if she'd have slipped that trolly would have rolled down the isle would it have punched a hole out the back, yes we were climing that steeply. Then for the next 40 minutes we decended and the situation was suddenly reversed. the stewardess's were caught unawares and the trolly almost got away. Again I often wonder what the pilot would have said if that trolly ended up in the cock-pit. All in all a very menerable flight for all the wrong reasons. But the Universe did make amends as I flew home 8 days later on the best and I mean realy the best flight I've ever had. It was a real privilage to fly home in a genuine queen of the skys a DC3. Now that was a really memerable flight and I will always cherish the memory.Remember we do this for fun John the Pom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braille Dave Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Just need an RB45 Tornado (operated by an RAF detachment out of Sculthorpe) and Blackbird (flown by RAF exchange pilots) and you'll have the set! Incidently, the Canberra PR9 flew nearly as high, and could often exceed the TR2- The later version of the U2, and a fair bit heavier, with a not-quite-powerful-enough, uprated engine. Mind you, the RAF didn't need US aeroplanes to go sneaking about- 51sqn Comets and later the Nimrods kept turning up in unexpected places, in one memorable occasion turning up at Anchorage, having entered Alaskan airspace from the west! And indeed the PR9s had a habit of 'popping up'- Chile in April 1982, for one example. (Alongside a strangely camouflaged Chilean Hercules, with a refuelling probe) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 Or the Lightning F3 that "intercepted" an SR-71 at FL650 en route to Farnborough whilst "somewhere over the Western Approaches" and took photos to prove the point.(This involved a life expired airframe with the throttle detent removed being more or less "towed" out there by a Victor K2, an ejection and pilot pickup by the Grey Funnel Line) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braille Dave Posted December 8, 2016 Share Posted December 8, 2016 David Roome Intercepted a RB57F at 80,000ft, Oct 1968 Over Malaysia, in a 74 sqn F6. He went on that same day to take the aeroplane to 88,000ft. And he brought it back to Tengah. Don't think they removed a throttle detente- Lightnings had a facility where the pilot could unlock the upper gate, to get full thrust. This was a safety feature given the aeroplane's fuel capability. As well, the Lightning's max height, subsonic was 55,000ft, so a climb to 65,000 wouldn't even require reheat, just a 16 degree climb angle at climb power. The ejection was more to do with running out of fuel than exceeding the airframe capability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted December 9, 2016 Share Posted December 9, 2016 Well, the story I had said that this detente took the form of a piece of 0.5" bar welded across the quadrant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braille Dave Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Interesting... Not disputing what you read, but Lightnings regularly achieved FL650 without reheat. And they certainly wouldn't have had a throttle lever limit 'welded' on- the throttle quadrants were aluminium. Although the T-birds had a bolt that went through the slot and clamped up underneath, to prevent a heavy-handed pupil selecting reheat. ....The bit about the Victor 'towing' the lightning out certainly sounds right! The big issue of the Lightning was it's fuel load (max endurance for a T4 was 1hr 45mins- which allowing for reserves and contingencies [the infamous 'two go-rounds and a eff-off'] a sorty of 45mins) and they would often deploy to the far-east by connecting up with a tanker over the Bay of Biscay and disconnecting over the Indian Ocean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Symmons Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 Wow! You learn more and more each day. What an interesting read this is turning out to be. Thanks guys.Renenber we do this for fun. John the Pom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenneth ONeill Posted December 23, 2016 Share Posted December 23, 2016 @Braille Dave - I don't want to get into an argument about it, but it's possible to weld aluminium, and I work with people who work at Farnborough and for ETPS at Boscombe Down, and they're the guys I got the story from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braille Dave Posted December 24, 2016 Share Posted December 24, 2016 Certainly is possible, and at places like Boscome Down probable- but on the squadrons we didn't have the equipment, skills or the authority. The only limiter on the throttle I ever saw was as I explained earlier, and that was only on the T-birds. All the operational aeroplanes had full throttle movement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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