Primarily for general aviation discussion, but other aviation topics are also welcome.
#1841337
And they gave the Hurricane its rightful place. TV almost never even acknowledges that it played a part in the Battle let alone giving the aircraft and its pilots their due. There was also a mention of sergeant pilots and the contribution they made. Thank you Guy Martin and Channel Four.
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By Rich V
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1841538
The commentary made me wince a little, but GM's loose shoulder strap in the Moth, that fell down by his elbow, from about 10 mins onwards made me wince a lot!!

Otherwise, an enjoyable programme; as mentioned by @JAFO above, good to see sergeant pilots and Hurricanes get due credit.
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#1841548
I have to say that there were certain things made me wince too, but you just need to keep telling yourself " its not real, its TV!! " and go with the flow. I look forward to the next installment.

Regards, SD..
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#1841587
It’s interesting, but a bit “reality TV” in my opinion.

<raspy commentary voice> Guy is amazing at doing fine movements with the stick, so now he’s going to attempt a takeoff without a pre brief, or using his feet, in a tiger moth.

At the moment they are making out he is going to solo a hurricane?

Are there any 2 seater hurricanes flying at the moment?


btw. Why is he flying with 2 hands on the stick? I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever done that, I don’t think so, and I have 50 mins in a Harvard at DX in my logbook. I don’t remember it needing 2 hands.
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#1841591
JAFO wrote:I have watched both and don't recall any mention of a solo in anything at any time.

Yes, there is a two-seat Hurricane and the very thought of that makes me go a bit weak at the knees. It still looks like a Hurricane, too unlike those truly awful two-seat Spitfires.


I think it’s more implied, they keep showing a normal hurricane and saying Guy’s aim is to fly an air combat sortie in a hurricane.

The TR9 Spitfires are 1940’s 2 seat Spitfires, as I’m sure you know. They don’t look the same as a single seat Spitfire, but they are original, btw, this means they have ALL instruments and controls in the back, which makes it interesting back there. (and fully flyable back there). I don’t know if the others do.

I can’t comment on the looks of the others, but I’ve seen worse looking aircraft. :wink:

I find the program interesting, because I beat Guy to it...

Before I flew in a Spitfire..

Mr Greenfield taught me to do Barrel rolls.
Then I trained for a PPL
I then flew a Tiger Moth
I then had 50 mins in a Harvard being taught to do them.
When asked “What do you want out of this?” by my Pilot in the Spitfire I responded I wanted to fly a barrel roll myself, after a discussion he concluded that was possible, and I have, and I have the film to prove it :wink:

(and yes, you can tell which is his and which is mine as I skid the thing all over the sky!)
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#1841632
When Mark Evans was doing the build of a Europa on “Build a plane!” They showed him getting his PPL. (PA28) I think.
Is it impossible to to do the same, at least to solo, in a Tiger moth? Or are they so precious as to be too risky.
I agree two handed in either aircraft is not good.
#1841666
Cessna571 wrote:
The TR9 Spitfires are 1940’s 2 seat Spitfires, as I’m sure you know. They don’t look the same as a single seat Spitfire, but they are original, btw, this means they have ALL instruments and controls in the back, which makes it interesting back there. (and fully flyable back there). I don’t know if the others do.


Well the TR9s had to have controls in the back as that's where the instructor sat. There wouldn't be a lot of takers to sit in the back with a sprog on his first ever serious warbird flight and nothing to grab when it's all going to worms. Especially not as being Irish they'd sat out the war in safety.

Original is a difficult word as most if not all of the IAC TR9s started life as RAF single seaters and were then converted to meet the Irish contract.

Nick Grace's conversion of ML407 is by far the prettiest with the low profile rear canopy. There's another similar, but I'm not geek enough to recall its identity.

The current crop of butchered single seaters do look awful. And there's plenty more coming :(

Rob P
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By Hooligan
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1841687
All the Irish, Indian and other two seater Spitfires were modified by Vickers from existing MkIXs except for the prototype which is an MkVIII. At least six or seven of the original conversions still survive I think, one was de-converted by TFC during its restoration. The four flying from Biggin are all originals, as is The Grace Spitfire.

Most of the new two seaters are being built up from little more than hulks or less - not quite as bad as butchering a complete surviving airframe. The other aircraft sporting the lowered "Grace" rear canopy is PT462 which was recreated to two-seat standard for Charles Church from a hulk recovered from Israel. Now at Duxford.

The Hurricane was modified from an airworthy restoration and I think follows the pattern of field modified aircraft of which I believe there were several.