Canadian Politics Today

Beyond Politics => General Discussion => Topic started by: wilber on April 21, 2018, 09:42:08 pm

Title: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: wilber on April 21, 2018, 09:42:08 pm
I don't know how familiar many of you are but the 1943 Ruhr dams raid was one of the most remarkable stories of WW2. An excellent movie was made about it in the 50's.

617 was a special squadron made up of some of the best crews from all the Empire countries specially for this raid. It was kept intact and conducted many specialist raids using Barnes Wallace's special bombs for the rest of the war, including sinking the Tirpitz, sister ship of Bismark.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43815109
Title: Re: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: Omni on April 21, 2018, 10:00:37 pm
I don't know how familiar many of you are but the 1943 Ruhr dams raid was one of the most remarkable stories of WW2. An excellent movie was made about it in the 50's.

617 was a special squadron made up of some of the best crews from all the Empire countries specially for this raid. It was kept intact and conducted many specialist raids using Barnes Wallace's special bombs for the rest of the war, including sinking the Tirpitz, sister ship of Bismark.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43815109

Barnes Wallis was a creative man. Who'd a thunk of bouncing bombs over nets into a dam.
Title: Re: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: wilber on April 21, 2018, 10:11:13 pm
Barnes Wallis was a creative man. Who'd a thunk of bouncing bombs over nets into a dam.

 Yes, he designed the Wellington bomber with its geodetic construction as well. The RAF museum in Hendon has a recreation of his design office with all his original furniture and other artifacts as well as examples of the Tall Boy and Grand Slam bombs. Visit if you get a chance, a short train ride from Kings Cross and a 15 minute walk.
Title: Re: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: Omni on April 21, 2018, 10:32:52 pm
Yes, he designed the Wellington bomber with its geodetic construction as well. The RAF museum in Hendon has a recreation of his design office with all his original furniture and other artifacts as well as examples of the Tall Boy and Grand Slam bombs. Visit if you get a chance, a short train ride from Kings Cross and a 15 minute walk.

I shall do that if/when I get that way again. I like those kinds of displays. I once got to visit the office of Igor Sikorsky's in Stratford Conn. I even got to sit in his chair and on his desk was a letter he had partially penned to the USCG the day on which he went home and died. That old Bowler hat he wore in that famous picture whilst test flying one of his contraptions was there as well under glass cover.

Title: Re: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: wilber on April 23, 2018, 08:33:11 pm
I shall do that if/when I get that way again. I like those kinds of displays. I once got to visit the office of Igor Sikorsky's in Stratford Conn. I even got to sit in his chair and on his desk was a letter he had partially penned to the USCG the day on which he went home and died. That old Bowler hat he wore in that famous picture whilst test flying one of his contraptions was there as well under glass cover.

Cool, Sikorsky was an aviation giant, IMO.
Title: Re: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: Omni on April 23, 2018, 09:02:23 pm
Cool, Sikorsky was an aviation giant, IMO.

I was over there with a couple of buddies on a littel job to pick up a brand new 76 right off the assembly line and scoot it back to YVR. Great trip.
Title: Re: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: wilber on April 23, 2018, 09:45:47 pm
I was over there with a couple of buddies on a littel job to pick up a brand new 76 right off the assembly line and scoot it back to YVR. Great trip.

So you are a hoppycopter driver?
Title: Re: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: Omni on April 23, 2018, 09:51:19 pm
So you are a hoppycopter driver?

I started out with welded wing, tried fling wing, and moved back and forth over the years.
Title: Re: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: wilber on April 23, 2018, 09:58:44 pm
I started out with welded wing, tried fling wing, and moved back and forth over the years.

Interesting. When I took aircraft maintenance at BCIT, I came first in class in the helicopter portion. I found them fascinating yet 45 years later I have yet to even ride in one.

One day.
 
Title: Re: Last Canadian Dambuster Honoured
Post by: Omni on April 23, 2018, 10:10:37 pm
Interesting. When I took aircraft maintenance at BCIT, I came first in class in the helicopter portion. I found them fascinating yet 45 years later I have yet to even ride in one.

One day.

I will never forget my first lesson. I had a commercial F/W license so I thought how hard could this be?  In cruise flight things went pretty well, but when  I was handed the controls of a Bell 47 by my instructor in the hover, all hell broke loose. I think I certainly put the art. horiz. through it's paces.