Awesome sight

[jakarta]

I don't know much about the subject but the Spitfire was an awesome aircraft. I take it the Hurricane was a cheaper version but also contributed as much during the conflict ?

The Hurricane was a different aircraft made by Hawker (Spitfire was made by Supermarine) and was pretty much the end of a development road as it was almost a monoplane (single wing) version of the 1930's Hawker Fury biplane (twin wing). While it had 8 machine guns, an enclosed cockpit and retracting undercarriage it was nowhere near as advanced a concept as the Spitfire which was all metal constuction (Hurricanes were fabric over wooden frame).

A fine fighter aircraft and used by the majority of RAF Fighter Command in 1940 but just about to become superseded by the new generation of fighter aircraft such as the Spitfire and Me 109.

You could say we had just enough Spitfires to take on the German fighters and enough Hurricanes to take on the German bombers (Gross simplification for those that that know - sorry!)

Both were Rolls-Royce Merlin powered hence the wonderful sound when they fly over...

 

[Ned]

Why look at a weapon of war with feelings of pride if you know what war is like?

You know, if you read my posts carefully, I have never said that we should not use military aircraft. I just find our celebration of these things very distasteful and like I said before, kind of disturbing.

Actually Dingo as an engineer who works in a design department I appreciate these aircraft because they are beautiful (sleek lines an graceful form) & also because of the fact that they were at the cutting edge of technology in their time. There are few aircraft designed since that can match them for such a marriage of form & function (& for function I refer purely to how they maneuver in the air).
If you take into consideration that these machines were designed on large manual drawing boards using slide rules rather than modeled in 3D in a computer that can perform all the necessary calculations then you begin to understand how awesome these machines truly are.
Marry all the above to the fact that but for the brave few who went up in such machines, with an almost certainty that sooner or later they wouldn't make it back, to protect our freedoms that we take as rights (& few seem to forget the irresponsibility that goes with such freedoms) then is there little wonder that these machines have a special place in the psyche of our nation.
No one is celebrating the death and destruction of the great wars what we are doing is marking the courage of "the few" & marvelling at the machines (that are aesthetically pleasing) in which they performed many feats of said courage with gratitude for that sacrifice.

 

[banjo]

Cheers guys.

 

[glasfryn]

Actually Dingo as an engineer who works in a design department I appreciate these aircraft because they are beautiful (sleek lines an graceful form) & also because of the fact that they were at the cutting edge of technology in their time. There are few aircraft designed since that can match them for such a marriage of form & function (& for function I refer purely to how they maneuver in the air).
If you take into consideration that these machines were designed on large manual drawing boards using slide rules rather than modeled in 3D in a computer that can perform all the necessary calculations then you begin to understand how awesome these machines truly are.
Marry all the above to the fact that but for the brave few who went up in such machines, with an almost certainty that sooner or later they wouldn't make it back, to protect our freedoms that we take as rights (& few seem to forget the irresponsibility that goes with such freedoms) then is there little wonder that these machines have a special place in the psyche of our nation.
No one is celebrating the death and destruction of the great wars what we are doing is marking the courage of "the few" & marvelling at the machines (that are aesthetically pleasing) in which they performed many feats of said courage with gratitude for that sacrifice.

brilliant post
one of the reasons Ilove these aircraft is because when we went on holiday to Gloucestershire(where both my parents came from) we used to drive between Cheltenham and Gloucester to see my gran and passed the factory that my mum worked in during the war making parts for the Spitfire and she cried every damn time we passed there and one of her friends husbands died in one of those aircraft.
Whatever anyone says those aircraft are an awesome sight and are magnificent pieces of engineering.
I also love the concorde and enjoyed along with my son watching them fly in and out of Gatwick years ago.

 

[tweenster]

If someone attacked me, and I defended myself with a weapon, say a knife, I would not then look upon that knife with feelings of wonder and awe.

I would look upon it with feelings of regret and sadness. Not regret that I defended myself, just regret that I had too, and that I had to at the expense of the life of another.

The romantic view this country has towards war and militarism, I find it quite disturbing to be honest.

We clearly are poles apart in our opinions.

You clearly have absolutely no idea of war, the perils of war or the sufferance of war. War is not romantic, there is no way that killing can be considered romantic and to even think that it may be so is, quite simply, stupid. But we do 'celebrate' the sacrifice of those who gave their lives because, for many, they had no choice and, as a country, we shall remember them.

But the BoB Memorial Flight is just awesome and these aircraft represent one aspect of the deliverance from tyranny. My Grandmother used to tell me stories of dogfights over Peacehaven and V2 rockets flying overhead. But that is behind us now. Thank goodness.

The sound of a Merlin engine is unmistakeable and, for someone of my generation, it sends a tingle up my spine. I love it.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

Lancaster bomber with a Spitfire and Hurricane alongside flew straight over us this afternoon.

Only 71 years late returning. Slow slow planes, but better late than never I suppose? Welcome back Chalky and Jock!

TNBA

TTF

 

[Silk]

We clearly are poles apart in our opinions.

You clearly have absolutely no idea of war, the perils of war or the sufferance of war. War is not romantic, there is no way that killing can be considered romantic and to even think that it may be so is, quite simply, stupid. But we do 'celebrate' the sacrifice of those who gave their lives because, for many, they had no choice and, as a country, we shall remember them.

But the BoB Memorial Flight is just awesome and these aircraft represent one aspect of the deliverance from tyranny. My Grandmother used to tell me stories of dogfights over Peacehaven and V2 rockets flying overhead. But that is behind us now. Thank goodness.

The sound of a Merlin engine is unmistakeable and, for someone of my generation, it sends a tingle up my spine. I love it.

I think you mean V1 (Doodlebug). You would not see a V2 in flight at this end. The first you would know about it was when half your street had disappeared.

 

[wellquickwoody]

If someone attacked me, and I defended myself with a weapon, say a knife, I would not then look upon that knife with feelings of wonder and awe.

I would look upon it with feelings of regret and sadness. Not regret that I defended myself, just regret that I had too, and that I had to at the expense of the life of another.

The romantic view this country has towards war and militarism, I find it quite disturbing to be honest.

Best you go live elsewhere then you sad apologist.

 

[wellquickwoody]

That's right, we have brand spanking new flying killing machines today.

I am all for all of the sentiments expressing gratitude towards those who fought, and sorrow for those who did not return.

But I can feel nothing but sadness whenever I see any weapon of war, however old, however nobly it was used. Because war is ugly. War is death.

Just seems to me like that reality is lost on those who take pleasure or pride from these things.

Self confessed conciencous (sp) objector?

 

[wellquickwoody]

And I'm sorry you would rather I did not post.

To prove my point, a serial apologist!

 

[Pickledegg]

I for one will be looking forward to seeing the BBMF once again grace the skies over Eastbourne today! What an awesome sight! Killing Machines? In their day, yes! However, today they are part of our proud history and without them, who knows where we might be?!

 

[army ali]

Nothing I have said has disrespected people who lost their lives in the war, quite the contrary.

The opposite of humility is pride mate. You should think about that.

Err, no. Oh and I'm not your mate.
Humility is a quality we do not see in ourselves, it is a quality others see in you. Humility in this aspect would have been your ability to 'back off' a little, realise that your posts have caused concern, and leave gracefully.

Instead you did the contrary. I suspect, in this aspect, you do feel a sense of pride. Definitely no humility.

 

[dingodan]

Err, no. Oh and I'm not your mate.
Humility is a quality we do not see in ourselves, it is a quality others see in you. Humility in this aspect would have been your ability to 'back off' a little, realise that your posts have caused concern, and leave gracefully.

Instead you did the contrary. I suspect, in this aspect, you do feel a sense of pride. Definitely no humility.

Err, yes. Pride is the opposite of humility.

Humility | Define Humility at Dictionary.com

Yes, I have shown little humility - towards those offended by my being offended by this thread.

You and the other "proud" posters in this thread have shown little humility - towards the tragedy of war.

 

[backson]

My god, are you still at it? Give it a rest

 

[Pickledegg]

Fantastic to see the BBMF today but another iconic sight that stole the show was the Vulcan bomber! Another 'killing machine' in it's day but once again a part of out proud history!! Long may it continue!!

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

Err, yes. Pride is the opposite of humility.

Humility | Define Humility at Dictionary.com

Yes, I have shown little humility - towards those offended by my being offended by this thread.

You and the other "proud" posters in this thread have shown little humility - towards the tragedy of war.

War is not a tragedy, the tragedy is in the politicians believing it will solve issues.

 

[dingodan]

Best you go live elsewhere then you sad apologist.

Yes yes, of course this makes me an apologist, basically in league with Hitler.

Hey, want to call me a holocaust denier too?

 

[dingodan]

War is not a tragedy, the tragedy is in the politicians believing it will solve issues.

War is not a tragedy? Something tells me you haven't seen one then.

 

[Sergei's Celebration]

War is not a tragedy? Something tells me you haven't seen one then.

Shall we try this again.

War is not a tragedy but politicians believing that it will solve anything is.

This is an olive branch...please accept it, you know nothing about me.

 

[dingodan]

Shall we try this again.

War is not a tragedy but politicians believing that it will solve anything is.

This is an olive branch...please accept it, you know nothing about me.

I know you were trying to be accommodating to my point of view.

But war is a tragedy.