The Royal Air Force Museum’s Post

Impressive power. Effective weaponry. Precision sensors. All included to carry out a variety of complex missions in just one flight. Whatever your task, this is the ultimate workhorse.

What about your schedule today? 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇫🇷 Back 80 Years Ago on the Longest Day As we hustle through our busy schedules today, let's take a moment to reflect on the 80th anniversary of D-Day—June 6, 1944—known as the "Longest Day." For the brave aviators of that time, it was a day that demanded unparalleled courage and resilience. On the night of June 5th, 1944, Waco CG-4A gliders—primitive yet vital aircraft made from steel and wood, and without engines—were towed across the English Channel. These "flying coffins," with a wingspan of about 48 feet and a cargo capacity of up to 3,800 pounds, carried troops and supplies into enemy territory. Navigating through darkness and adverse weather, these pilots exemplified extraordinary bravery and skill. Their successful missions behind enemy lines were crucial for the success of the Normandy landings, showcasing the indomitable spirit and determination of those involved. As we tackle our own challenges today, let's draw inspiration from these historical feats. The legacy of D-Day's glider pilots reminds us of the incredible achievements possible through dedication and teamwork. #DDay #AviationHistory #Aviation #AviationIndustry #NeverForget

The Mystery of Wellington Z8491, 12 Squadron, RAF. The Peak District is peppered with the remains of more than 200 aircraft wrecks, some well known, many not. So, what makes this one a little different? It seems that everyone you ask either has no knowledge of it, or passes it off as a wild story. As far as I'm aware, only a small piece of fuel pipe has ever been found in recent years. As many of you will know, a good deal of Overland Professional's business has come from 'recovering lost things', shall we say. There's no money in this particular one, so why am I interested? History is one reason, but the main reason is that everyone seems intent on keeping the location a secret. I even asked someone who works for the Eastern Moors Partnership who look after the land for the Peak Park, and he told me that there was nothing like that on the moor. I'd already done a little research, and knew he was lying, but why? The land is open access and free to roam. There are stone circles, burial mounds, rock art, other WW2 remnants, etc. that people come to see. Why not the Wellington crash site? The reason appears to be little more than 'because they don't want you to'. Things like this really annoy me! I know that many have searched in the past, but have been unsuccessful. I decided to put a little of my expertise to work and find the location. To be fair, it didn't take too long. Reports from the time of the incident allowed me to plot the position on an OS map. Only that one position satisfied all of the relevant information. A quick trip out in the snow yesterday, armed with an OS map, a Silva 4/54 sighting compass, and a flask of coffee (along with a few bits & pieces 😉) confirmed the location of the crash site. There is some information in Ron Collier's book 'Dark Peak Aircraft Wrecks 1', but his location is a little adrift. That may be another reason why it's lain forgotten for so long. On the night of 6th February 1942, Wellington Z8491 crashed on Big Moor, 4 km NNE of Baslow. It was carrying seven 500lb bombs that remained intact. All survived the incident with relatively minor injuries. The pilot was Pilot Officer Colin Barnes, DFC. He finished his service with the rank of Squadron Leader. Squadron Leader Barnes DFC died in the April of 1983. Barbrook reservoir has now been drained offering sanctuary to local wildlife. Its edges were instrumental in calculating the location. Anyone interested further may contact me privately. #ww2 #planewrecks #aircraftwrecks #peakdistrict #adventure #ww2history #history #wellington

Stop right there – this isn’t even a Harrier!   This is the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA 1. It was used to develop vertical take-off and landing techniques during the 1950s. It was part of the Tripartite Evaluation Squadron at RAF West Raynham which involved pilots from the US, UK and West Germany. The project was so successful that it led to the Harrier taking its first flight, just one year after trials were concluded. It was developed from the P1127 and was powered by the Bristol Siddeley Pegasus vectored-thrust engine, which allowed the aircraft to direct its thrust in different directions. Only a small number of Kestrels were built, as primary purpose was for evaluation and testing. It featured a distinctive tandem landing gear configuration with outriggers, which provided extra stability during vertical operations. The square hole in the tail allowed the pilot to control the aircraft in yaw while hovering. Similar outlets were fitted to the nose and the wingtips to control the aircraft in pitch and roll. At the top of the fuselage there, you can see a Ram Air Turbine. The western Allies were worried their airfields would be bombed during the Cold War, so the Kestrel and Harrier were designed to operate from unprepared airstrips that didn’t have runways.   #aviation #aircraft #airplane #fyp

Training is the key to success

Tsamouris, the Fastener Specialists© The "Jesus nut," a term coined by American soldiers during the Vietnam War, refers to the main rotor retaining nut that holds the main rotor to the mast of some helicopters. This single component is so critical that if it were to fail mid-flight, the consequences would be catastrophic, with the rotor detaching from the helicopter. The origin of the term is a grim reminder of the importance of this fastener. Soldiers believed that if the Jesus nut failed, the only thing left to do would be to pray to Jesus, as a crash would be inevitable. The term has since been applied more broadly to any single component, such as a bolt, whose failure would lead to the complete breakdown of a system. Despite the rarity of actual Jesus nut failures, the component must be rigorously checked before each flight. In one tragic incident in 2000, a Bell 206B helicopter crashed within ten minutes of takeoff, after the mast nut was removed for repainting and not properly restored and checked prior to the test flight. Read more stories about bolts at tsamouris.gr/en/news. #JesusNut #Helicopters #BoltsMatter #TsamourisFasteners #Fasteners

The very-low-level flight exercise of German Tornado combat aircraft during the #PacificSkies24 deployment in Alaska requires not only concentration but also skill. Learn more about #PacificSkies24 by following this link: https://lnkd.in/eKn9UV5B

We're working on the UK's first Combat Air Demonstrator in 40 years to test technologies for Tempest ✈️ This pioneering programme is allowing us to trial different methods, tools, and technologies, which could be used on the UK's future combat aircraft 👏 Find out more about the progress we're making on the demonstrator 👇 http://baes.co/4IZS50UArmx

Should the Tornado have been retired? The Tornado’s retirement from Royal Air Force Service in 2019 has sparked a lot of debate within the industry. While it loyally served the UK for a number of decades with advanced features such as its variable sweep wings and precision guided weapon capabilities, the introduction of more modern aircraft such as the Typhoon and the F35 Lightning 2 presented a compelling argument for its replacement. Some argue that despite several upgrades, the Tornado was becoming more and more expensive to maintain, plus it lacked the stealth and advanced avionics of more modern fighters. The aircraft severely lacked in capability compared to the F35, with its superior stealth, sensory array and networking capabilities. Nevertheless some argue that the Tornado’s retirement left a premature gap in the RAF’s capabilities and that the aircraft could still serve a useful role. What do you think - should the Tornado have been retired in 2019?  #aviation #aircraft #airplane #aviationlovers #fyp

Tragedy strikes Airforce Flypast in an effort to create a 'World Record' for maximum people to watch a live Air Show. Two important issues - +Administrative lapses for not making adequate water points and other medical facilities for over 15 lakh people. +Should our Airforce be involved in creating records? +Should we keep increasing the grandeur of such events ? +What about the cost of such an event? +Should we be using frontline combat aircrafts or equipment for organising public events? +Our Airforce is already suffering from huge shortage of fighter aircrafts, efforts must be to minimise exploitation of such a costly equipment. Listen to my opinion in the morning live session as part of DNA. Watch regularly to form solid opinions on national and international topics. My Second Innings is for YOUR First Innings. Jai Hind 🇮🇳 #indianairforce #airforces #airforceday #airshow #liveshow #public #medicalfacilities #tragedy #avoidabledeaths #deaths #dehydration #chennai #armedforces #parade #fiscalprudence #frontline #genyashmor #fighterpilot #fighteraircraft #airdisplay #acrobatics #thriller