Tag: aviation

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Aviation Collection Four

I do find aircraft inherently interesting. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s the idea of defying gravity (I know they don’t really do that but it’s a simpler explanation to what’s going on). I’ve recently mentioned these items at work and searched this site but they didn’t exist here. So this is to make up for that. There are a couple of other communications about the aviation collection, search them by the tags at the bottom of this page.

My first diecast model was a Northrop F5 Freedom Fighter. I bought one of these from a stall at North Weald many years ago. I can’t remember if it was an airshow or just some event I was at. That F5 represented the VF111 Sundowner United States Navy unit. I used to have it on display at work because I would use it for cadet type things, especially explaining the dynamics of aircraft and airflow. This model was lost. More accurately I think it was stolen. It was in my room and then it wasn’t. This was a shame but I knew I needed an F5 because they are cool and also it’s an F5.

Northrop F5
Northrop F5

I can’t remember which unit this F5 represents. It might be an aggressor squadron. It just looks nice. The second diecast aircraft I bought was from a stall at the Royal International Air Tattoo in 2019 (I think). I took my kids there and enjoyed the day I spent watching displays and seeing the static aircraft. I wanted a memento of this trip and so I bought an A400M at, what I thought was, a reasonable price.

Airbus A400 M
Airbus A400 M

The A400M sits atop my NAS drive in one of the tech corners of the house. It looks pretty there, guarding the dining room.

The third and final model I have is tiny. It’s a pretty small model of a small and cute plane. I’ve written about the Baby Bus here. I couldn’t find a British Airways version of this plane, there’s still an Air France version flying I think. But this is a lovely plane.

Airbus A318 - The Baby Bus
Airbus A318 – The Baby Bus

Those are my aircraft and apart from some trinkets I have from a 1980s Brize Norton that is pretty much it for collections related to aviation.

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Aviation Collection Three

This is, I think, the collection I am proudest of. I have some AviationTags which are actual parts of aircraft skin that have been cut up to look pretty and be luggage tags so you can spot your suitcase on the carousel. I’m not going to use these as tags. They are going to stay in the display cabinet because I think they are pretty and I don’t want them ruined.

The first tag I got was the P180. They used to fly over my house a lot pre-Brexit. There were people who would fly from Biggin Hill to Frankfurt and the gorgeous sound of these planes would draw me out of the house or workplace. They are very good looking planes. The aircraft registration of this one was D-IZZY and I have sat in their sister D-IPPY. The next skin I bought was the Super Guppy, such an iconic aircraft. Then came my fafourite:

The SU35S. This is part of a Russian plane that was shot down over Ukraine as part of the war there. A company in Kiev managed to get some of the skin and create these tags. While it was expensive it was worth every penny as the profits have been used to help fund the land war. It’s pretty cool to own part of a Sukhoi.

Actual Aircraft Skins
Actual Aircraft Skins

The last piece of skin I purchased was the A320. I bought this at Hannover airport as part of the return journey from the M’era Luna festival of 2023. The aircraft that flew me out and returned was an A320 so it seemed appropriate.

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Aviation Collection Two

These two gorgeous little things are compressor blades from a Rolls Royce RB199 engine. These engines powered the Panavia Tornado and it’s an iconic aircraft still currently in use with two air forces around the world, but not the RAF. The large blade is the first of the compressors and it is wood mounted. The little blade is slightly further along towards the combustion end of the engine and has a little hole as it’s a keyring. Do NOT put the little blade in your pocket. It is sharp and will ruin any clothes that you have.

RB199 Blades
RB199 Blades
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Aviation Collection One

I think the first part of getting this collection was having the chair and seeing someone else hang their aircraft things on their own chair. It seemed a good place for them. So, I have the following on my Secret Lab chair and I think they look rather smart. No, I don’t care what you think.

Aircraft Keyring Tag Thingies
Aircraft Keyring Tag Thingies
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Early Air Pioneers

Until about four days ago I didn’t know that the first powered flight of an aircraft in the UK occurred on the Isle Of Sheppey. The island isn’t that far from here and so I went to have a look at a beach.

Upon some investigating it turns out that the first purpose-built aircraft factory was on Sheppey and built by the Shorts brothers. Then it turns out that they then build the first airfield nearby in 1909. This is amazing and I don’t know why I didn’t know this before this week.

I had previously known that Shorts used to make aircraft at Rochester and used the Medway there as the aerodrome. It is here that they made the Sunderland and other famous planes.

Eventually they moved production to Belfast and now the company is known as Bombardier. It would have been magnificent to see sea planes taking off and landing on the river Medway, such an age of exploration and adventure. This would have made Rochester such a target during the second world war as there was a Royal Navy shipyard and also an aircraft manufacturer there.

On Sheppey I drove to the old RAF Eastchurch site which is now three prisons built on Crown land. It was strange driving to the museum as there was lots of security along a public road. It felt like entering an RAF base. Two of the prisons there are high security and the walls were impressive. The third prison is an open prison and the museum is on the land of that prison with a cafe nearby run by inmates.

RAF Eastchurch
RAF Eastchurch

The key to the things I have marked in the above photo runs such:

  1. The museum
  2. The first aero hangar in the UK
  3. The RAF base water tower
  4. The original airfield control block
  5. The E-W runway
  6. The N-S runway

There are plenty of features there to see and the person running the museum was really friendly and told me loads about the history. It’s strange to me all these old air force bases that are now re-purposed. I guess I hanker for the old days of aircraft everywhere.

One of the buildings on the site still shows the scars of war with bomb damage on the brick wall:

Bomb Damage
Bomb Damage

The museum is based in one of the original base buildings and certainly contains lots of lovely information about the early days of aeronautical exploration in this country.

RAF Eastchurch Museum
RAF Eastchurch Museum

Inside the building was a photograph taken at Muswell Manor on the east coast of the island and one of the early headquarters of the Royal Aero Club. In that photograph the following people are pictured:

  • The Short Brothers
  • Frank McClean
  • Frank Hedges Butler
  • Warwick Wright
  • JTC Brabazon
  • Wilber Wright
  • Orville Wright
  • Charles Rolls

That is an amazing collection of rich people who had the money to start the aviation industry in this country and the world. The Wright brothers had come across the Atlantic with their flyer to try and create interest and also start manufacturing the product. This they managed and the Short brothers built the Flyer under licence. The rest is pretty much history as we know. I hadn’t even been aware that the Wright brothers had come over here!

Near Muswell Manor is a statue to the Short Brothers. It stands as a marker for the start of aviation in this country and the adventuring that started at Shellness.

Shorts Brothers
Shorts Brothers

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