Honoring the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, 6 June 1944, this GB is dedicated to units and equipment of both sides who participated on that day.
The GB runs 6 June to 20 July; your GBL is Lancfan.
Not a great deal happening now though....we are away on holiday for a week from Tuesday morning, and needless to say work has gone silly busy ever since I booked the holiday 3 weeks ago
So I've been out on site 5 days a week, and stuck in the office at home on the drawing board every evening this week and will be today, and tomorrow/Monday to get cleared...
Thank heavens for the Test Match Special commentary
I will have to finish the Horsa when we get back, and I hope before the end of the GB on the 20th July
Best wishes
Jim If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing "Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
we're back, and I'll be back at the bench this evening with luck and a following wind!
Best wishes
Jim If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing "Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Still trying to get back into the swing of things......
Spent all day Saturday at Waddington Airshow ( Great day) and today was spent cruising the Grand Union Canal on a narrow boat followed by watching the Grand Prix which I recorded ( another great day!)
Back to the bench tomorrow evening I promise!
Best wishes
Jim If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing "Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
BTW my Dad was on 575 Sqn and 48 Sqn prior to D-Day and in the months leading up to the invasion, many Horsa gliders were delivered and they got plenty of use in training so would have been scratched and scraped inside and out. My Dad flew many times in Horsa gliders for the fun of it and used to stand between the pilots, holding on with no straps. When they were released from the towing aircraft they would glide back to the airfield or practice target and dive at a steep angle before levelling off for the landing. As for the D-Day stripes these were applied on one day - the 4th June as D-Day was set for the 5th June but delayed one day. While some D-Day stripes were neat, once the RAF Personnel on each RAF Station realised the enormity of the task, the standard really slipped and anything that could pass for a paint brush was used to get the job done. It has been claimed that even mops were used! A Typical RAF Transport Command base involved with D-Day might have approximately 60 Dakotas and 60 Horsas to paint. Incidentally as the job of painting D-Day stripes had to be ready without exception everyone on the RAF Station was roped in to do some painting; even the CO and pilots.
Cheers for the background info Larry, and the confirmation that some gliders would have been less than factory fresh!
Would you know if the undercarriage was detached on the training flights, or did they land with it still attached? I'd like to make a dio for this one, and (hopefully) your answer will help me decide before or after flight (as I've already attached the undercarriage!)
Best wishes
Jim If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing "Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Thanks to Rob_Van_Riel for the editing instructions!
Rather closer to the wire than planned, but my Horsa is done
Although I've just realised that I need to put some glue 'n glaze in the portholes
I overcame the tail sitting by glueing the rear access door in the open position, so it touches the ground; no more tail sitting
Anyhow, here she is:
I've just started an airborne Jeep to go alongside
Best wishes
Jim If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing "Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Jim If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing "Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Superb work...even Robbie the robot in the background looks impressed!
Well spotted! It's not a bad likeness is it!
Best wishes
Jim If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing "Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
