Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference. - Page 7

Nigel.D · 20-01-2006

Richard
I dont wish to offend but you yourself work with the public and you know how fickle or downright obnoxious they can be! whilst i cant comment on other buisineses i can tell you that the customer to us is at the forefront of everything we do (we dont get it right all the time though) you may here or view a bad example of customer service but we serve over 250 million people a year and our complaint rate is 0.0073% Though thats pretty good it still means lots of people are unhappy with our service. what i would like is for those people to ask to speak to me or another manager rather than fire off a letter as we can normally sort out any prob to their advantage! I believe that the customer isnt allways right but if you take the time to explain a situation or problem they generally are all ok . of course you get the complete richard head who just needs exterminating but thats the joys of retail! Just remember please that no one goes into a store to work thinking "how can i be really awfull today. how can i give really bad service and p off a lot of people" I myself have a greater tolerance of staff trying to do their best but i also have a greater intolerance of obvious bad service! the trick is to differentiate between the two. Please mate dont generalise that service is getting worse! demands on us due to the compensation culture and watchdog (sic) are now at an all time high. Its a well known fact that consumers get a much better deal than they are legally intiteled to. I have no problem with that and i instruct my staff to treat people as they would expect to be treated. Its a real shame that a lot of consumers think that by swearing threats and intimidation they can get what they want. Rant over i feel better now lol )

**Bunkerbarge** · 21-01-2006

Don't worry Nigel I know the other side of the coin and I understand but I do think that there are more and more people in business nowadays who seem to think they have a right to a living without giving anything for it. I seem to come across so many people in business who are offhand, rude, uncaring and even arrogant. The guy with the strip wood doesn't deserve any customers and my thoughts are that there seems to be more and more of his type around.

It is a sign of the changing face of retail and whereas I am sure that you put your best into your particular position from a customers point of view I see less and less hardware shops and more and more assistants in B&Q who don't know the differrence betwen a brass countersunk Number 8 screw and a bag of weed and feed!

Does anyone know what a Number 8 screw is nowadays and does anyone know how you get the number 8?

Don't worry its just me getting old ungracefully!

Nigel.D · 21-01-2006

Of course i know number 8 he is the freind of number 6 ( although he is really a free man)

**wonwinglo** · 21-01-2006

Watching a model helicopter literally shake itself to pieces,made me realise that perhaps some modellers would benefit from a few tips on setting up the main rotor blades on model helicopters,firstly do not think that the blades will be automatically all ready for fitting to your model straight out of the box,far from it as even the best factory matched blades will need a little attention after they reach you.
A small set of scales is a must to first check the static balance of each blade,do a cross check and if one blade is heavier that the other take some Snowflake or similar rectification fluid and add a small area underneath the blade at the centre point of the offending blade,if one blade is really heavy then discard it and get in touch with the supplier to obtain a replacement,the next check is to see if the blades balance statically from the same point along the length,to do this place a single edge razor blade into some modelling clay on a level surface that has been checked with a spirit level,place one blade at mid-point and slide it along until it balances out perfectly,next with a chinagraph pencil mark the point of balance,take the other blade and and balance at the very same point,it should in theory balance at the very same point but probably will not,small rectifications can be made with the snowflake again but this time either inboard or outboard of the blade,keep adding a bit at a time until you are satisfied that the two blades match up.
We are now ready to attach the blades to the rotor head,but before we do just have a look at the holes in the end of the blades,a quick check with the two blades held together will ascertain if any errors have crept in during the manufacturing process,once again if they are very far out then they will need replacing,also account for any root end bushes that have been provided.
With the required allen key nip up the blades so that they just start to swing when you strike them with your hand,not too tight but certainly not sloppy,lock nuts should also be used with the bolt entering from the top.
With your workbench set up again dead level with a spirit level place the helicopter onto it,switch on your radio set and model for the next check,now slide on your pitch tool ( illustration above ) mid-way along the blade so that the needle hangs freely down,push the collective stick to its lowest position and with a small mirror check to make sure that the engine carb setting is at low ( ie barrel on the throttle is actually covering the carb hole ) next set the throttle at mid point,this should correspond with the blades at '0' degrees,slowly eyeing the blade along from the tip move the throttle upwards to give positive pitch,check with your manual the setting usually 2-4 degrees depending on how the helicopter is going to be flown,and adjust the pitch links up or down to reach the desired setting,use the correct tool to release the ball from the joint,and also to screw the ball in and out,after every adjustment check and re-check,now swing the bade around to the other side and do exactly the same with this one,once these settings have been done drop the throttle to the lowest setting and note the negative pitch angles on each blade,check with your manual and make sure that they are within limits.
The next job is to run the helicopter up and with a coloured strip on each rotor blade tip ( ask for tracking tape at your dealers ) watch carefully to see if one blade is riding high,the chances are that it will be,so shut down having noted the high blades colour and adjust the offending blades pitch link accordingly a tiny bit at a time,this is a compromise as it will also have affected the pitch previously set up,if one blade is running well out then you will need to change the pitch link rod ends as they are probably worn if the helicopter has done a fair amount of flying.
Have about four flights with the model and check everything again to see if everything has bedded in with any new parts.
Helicopter flying is all about settings and trim,get it wrong and the machine will never lift off the ground,get it right and you will have a very nimble and crisp helicopter to practise on,accept the fact that there is a lot of maintenance as opposed to flying.
If you have a bump the chances are that something will be bent,change the main shaft,possibly fly-bars and examine the blades for damage,do not leave anything to chance,safety is paramount.

Baronkoster · 21-01-2006

Barry,
Try my newsagent. He has been more that helpful over the past 24 months with "Build the Red Baron". If you want his address, you know where I am.

Harold

**wonwinglo** · 21-01-2006

*** Thanks Harold,the problem is thankfully all sorted now,I have found a new newsagent prepared to continue the series for me,like your own this one has been very helpful in getting the rest of the soldiers for us,but thank you for your kind suggestion.
There are at least some newsagents prepared to offer courtesy and service to us all.
Have a pleasant evening,Barry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baronkoster

Barry,
Try my newsagent. He has been more that helpful over the past 24 months with "Build the Red Baron". If you want his address, you know where I am.

Harold

**wonwinglo** · 22-01-2006

Bristol Freighter goes up for Auction.

C-GYQS Bristol Freighter owned by Hawkair Aviation,this aircraft was fitted with Vickers Varsity engines during August 2004 and went to the Reynolds museum,Wetaskivin,Alberta,the aircraft is c/n 13060,formerly Royal New Zealand air force NZ5907,ZK-EPD,G-AMLK.
Starman Bothers auctions had this aircraft up for sale during January 2006,the question is will this aircraft return to its land of birth ?

Just after World War 2 the Bristol aeroplane company developed the Bristol Type 170 as a shorth range utility freight aircraft,the shape of the bulbous nose was governed by the Armys post war needs to load a standard 3-ton truck through the front clamshell doors.The sensible flight deck was positioned above the cargo hold,a sturdy fixed landing gear and two reliable and proven Bristol Hercules sleeve-valve engines,the whole project was subsidised by the then MOS (Ministry of Supply) but the Bristol company had to cover the massive tooling costs and build two extra prototypes,Bristol realised the potential as a combined passenger/cargo version called the Type 170 Mk 1 Freighter and built another solid nosed version called the Wayfarer.
First flown on 2nd December 1945 the aircrft was quickly pressed into service for trials at Boscombe Down as a result the wingspan was increased by 10 feet to allow for the important increase in gross weight,this however had a knock on effect and the engines needed to be upgraded to more powerful units.
Probably the most widely known version was the Mk.32 with a fuselage lengthened by some 5 feet,this was used on the cross channel service started by Silver City airways for their UK-France air bridge which proved very successful and highly popular,you took your car abroad with you and continued your journey.
When production ended in 1958 the total of 214 Bristol Freighters and Superfreighters had been built.
Powerplant:Two Bristol Hercules 734 radial piston engines of 1,980 hp.
Max speed:225 mph.
Cruising speed:163 mph.
Service ceiling:24,500 feet.
Range:820 miles.
Empty weight: 29,950 lbs.
Max take-off weight: 44,000 lbs.
Wingspan: 108 feet.
Length: 73 feet 4 inches.
Height: 25 feet.
Wing area: 1,487 square feet.

This really could be the very last opportunity to bring one of these old ladies back to the UK,some years ago a consortium of pilots from Heathrow purchased a Bristol 170,the aircraft was kept at Enstone airfield near Oxford,she appeared at a few shows being demonstrated by the pilots in their spare time,sadly whilst fully loaded and on its way to a Bristol open day she swung badly on take off narrowly missing an hangar and skidded off the runway crashing heavily,there was no fire despite the impact but the back was broken and the aircraft badly damaged totally beyond repair,the crew were shaken but fine,so ended that attempt to keep one flying on the airshow circuit.
So with all aircraft now withdrawn from use after extensive use in the mining industry in New Zealand, this particular airframe is the last ostensibly airworthy example.
All it needs is the right people with some financial backing to bring her back home.

**wonwinglo** · 23-01-2006

Forty five years ago,together with another small group of enthusiasts I was a founder member of the aircraft preservation movement in the UK,starting from a lock-up garage in a suburban area,which contained amongst other relics from the past a Flying Flea aircraft,the museum grew and matured into the successful Midland Air Museum and over the years accumulated a large collection of aircraft from all over the world,some of the aircraft like the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy freighter are very large machines and the present singulur building only has enough room to accommodate a dozen or so aircraft to protect them from the elements,the problem is that the weather outside is slowly corroding them away internally despite restoration on the outer surfaces by the small team of volunteers.Magnesium alloys do not take kindly to our harsh climatic changes,and the fact remains that these important and historic machines will only go downhill and their preservation life considerably shortened.
So the only answer is to get them inside as quickly as possible to protect them and the work already undertaken,but buildings costs money,and lots of it as well,the first building was acquired with a local government grant which made use of a surplus amount of cash that had to be used within a certain time period,it also provided a place for the visitor centre and shop complex essential to any day to day museum,but what of the future ? well lottery grants are getting very difficult to obtain these days,with so many organisations applying and with the lottery grants becoming more tailored towards those in the mass public image sector,things are not getting any easier.
But this only applies to our smaller independant museums,the larger ones run by the Government differ in obtaining money from their own funds,the massive and costly new Cold war museum at R.A.F Cosford is a good example of this,they too have realised the long term future of our aviation history needs protection for our valuable artifacts to remain in good condition for the future.
The many private aircraft flying collections have even greater stumbling blocks,and massive costs as well,take this for an example-A friend owns three vintage aeroplanes that he keeps with the Shuttleworth Trust at Old Warden,the maintenance,insurance,hangarage costs divided between 6 hours flying on the three aeroplanes last year amounted to an hourly rate of £1,500 per flying hour ! so this gives you an idea of why with such machines you are constantly putting your hand in your pocket,as he says he just hands them his cheque book these days !
So unless the Government steps in and offers some kind of subsidy towards our aviation heritage,the future looks gloomy for many museums to preserve what they already have in their inventory,we must look after what we already have rather than acquire more airframes that just need even more attention, without any guarantee of extra longevity.

**wonwinglo** · 24-01-2006

One evening during 1976, we sat down and watched a sprightly chap with a flat cap climb a massive chimney on a television programme,this was a pilot programme on people who had very unusual and dangerous jobs,little did we realise that he would become one of the countrys most loved and dynamic characters,above all educating the public about steeplejacks,steam engines and our industrial heritage,somehow he just had an uncanny knack of explaining things,the passion and enthusiasm for his subjects were infectious.The scaffolding around the chimneys that he was dismantling was called a 'Sputnik' something that Fred had designed and developed to assist him moving down the chimneys as he dismantled them brick,by brick,throwing not only the bricks down the centre but his many cigarette ends as well ! As the years went on,the television people realised that they had someone very special on their hands,someone who could convey to the public the dangers of a steeplejack in such an entertaining way,Fred was just ideal and the letters started to pour in asking to see more.
Deep in the outskirts of Bolton was a most unusual back yard,you could easily spot it by the steam coming through the trees ! it was Freds steam plant operated machinery all fed from rubber belting to his various tools,anyone who visited him said it was like stepping back into a time warp,you see he was born just that bit too late and despite his love of machinery,wood working etc his heart lay with steam engines,to this end he purchased a road roller with which he taught himself to drive a steam vehicle,then he had the chance to buy a traction engine from a farmer,this was discovered in an old barn some miles away,he patched it up and steamed it all the way home to his garden workshop,that engine was to take him 27 years to rebuild,cost him two lovely wives in the process and probably shorten his life in the process.But he slogged on in between doing increasing public appearances all over the country and finally finished that engine.
Never content to do just one thing he continued to make lovely weather-vanes from scrap materials,he repaired many a church roof for a few quid and made many friends along the way,then came along the replica pit-head in his garden,assisted by some friends who had worked in the harsh mining industry they used the very same principles in his miniature mine shaft as their full sized counterpart,much to the consternation of his neighbours.
So just what was it about this chap called Fred Dibnah who entertained people so well with his jovial nature ? well he called a spade,a spade put on no hairs and graces for anyone,and above all endeared himself to the nation not only with his seemingly endless daring exploits up and down chimneys,but his sheer down to earth approach to life in general.
Some fascinating catch phrases have been coined by Fred,his 'D Ya like that !' has become household phraseology,his 'half a day at the undertakers' for toppling off a chimney,and that cheeky little horn that he used for warning that a chimney had been felled,whilst the big boys as he called them,blew up our past,Fred did it the hard way,but it was his precision at felling chimneys with only feet to spare either side that intrigued people and gave him endless work,his technique was to remove some lower bricks at the base of the chimney,place numerous wooden props into place,then set alight this with old tyres etc,this would then weaken the structure as it burned,and then the chimney would ( and did ) topple exactly where he wanted it to.
His final series 'Made in Britain' will stand as a lasting monument in itself to the life and work of Dr Fred Dibnah MBE,there will never be anyone quite like him ever again,he was not only unique but the last bastion of the iron age living today,during his life he gave us all a chance to peep into the distant and hardy past,he did it with great skill,understanding and entertainment.

***My picture above is dedicated in his name,and will be placed in a corner of my own workshop to remember a truly great personality and engineer.

**wonwinglo** · 25-01-2006

Among professional aviators, there's a well-worn saying: Flying is simply hours of boredom punctuated by moments of stark terror. And yet, I don't recall too many periods of boredom during my 30-year career with Lockheed, most of which was spent as a test pilot.
By far, the most memorable flight occurred on Jan. 25, 1966. Jim Zwayer, a Lockheed flight test reconnaissance and navigation systems specialist, and I were evaluating those systems on an SR-71 Blackbird test from Edwards AFB, Calif. We also were investigating procedures designed to reduce trim drag and improve high-Mach cruise performance. The latter involved flying with the center-of-gravity (CG) located further aft than normal, which reduced the Blackbird's longitudinal stability.
We took off from Edwards at 11:20 a.m. and completed the mission's first leg without incident. After refueling from a KC-135 tanker, we turned eastbound, accelerated to a Mach 3.2-cruise speed and climbed to 78,000 ft., our initial cruise-climb altitude.
Several minutes into cruise, the right engine inlet's automatic control system malfunctioned, requiring a switch to manual control. The SR-71's inlet configuration was automatically adjusted during supersonic flight to decelerate air flow in the duct, slowing it to subsonic speed before reaching the engine's face. This was accomplished by the inlet's center-body spike translating aft, and by modulating the inlet's forward bypass doors. Normally, these actions were scheduled automatically as a function of Mach number, positioning the normal shock wave (where air flow becomes subsonic) inside the inlet to ensure optimum engine performance.
Without proper scheduling, disturbances inside the inlet could result in the shock wave being expelled forward--a phenomenon known as an "inlet unstart." That causes an instantaneous loss of engine thrust, explosive banging noises and violent yawing of the aircraft--like being in a train wreck. Unstarts were not uncommon at that time in the SR-71's development, but a properly functioning system would recapture the shock wave and restore normal operation. On the planned test profile, we entered a programmed 35-deg. bank turn to the right. An immediate unstart occurred on the right engine, forcing the aircraft to roll further right and start to pitch up. I jammed the control stick as far left and forward as it would go. No response. I instantly knew we were in for a wild ride.
I attempted to tell Jim what was happening and to stay with the airplane until we reached a lower speed and altitude. I didn't think the chances of surviving an ejection at Mach 3.18 and 78,800 ft. were very good. However, g-forces built up so rapidly that my words came out garbled and unintelligible, as confirmed later by the cockpit voice recorder.
The cumulative effects of system malfunctions, reduced longitudinal stability, increased angle-of-attack in the turn, supersonic speed, high altitude and other factors imposed forces on the airframe that exceeded flight control authority and the Stability Augmentation System's ability to restore control.
Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion. I learned later the time from event onset to catastrophic departure from controlled flight was only 2-3 sec. Still trying to communicate with Jim, I blacked out, succumbing to extremely high g-forces. The SR-71 then literally disintegrated around us.
From that point, I was just along for the ride.
My next recollection was a hazy thought that I was having a bad dream. Maybe I'll wake up and get out of this mess, I mused. Gradually regaining consciousness, I realized this was no dream; it had really happened. That also was disturbing, because I could not have survived what had just happened. Therefore, I must be dead. Since I didn't feel bad--just a detached sense of euphoria--I decided being dead wasn't so bad after all.
AS FULL AWARENESS took hold, I realized I was not dead, but had somehow separated from the airplane. I had no idea how this could have happened; I hadn't initiated an ejection. The sound of rushing air and what sounded like straps flapping in the wind confirmed I was falling, but I couldn't see anything. My pressure suit's face plate had frozen over and I was staring at a layer of ice.
The pressure suit was inflated, so I knew an emergency oxygen cylinder in the seat kit attached to my parachute harness was functioning. It not only supplied breathing oxygen, but also pressurized the suit, preventing my blood from boiling at extremely high altitudes. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but the suit's pressurization had also provided physical protection from intense buffeting and g-forces. That inflated suit had become my own escape capsule.
My next concern was about stability and tumbling. Air density at high altitude is insufficient to resist a body's tumbling motions, and centrifugal forces high enough to cause physical injury could develop quickly. For that reason, the SR-71's parachute system was designed to automatically deploy a small-diameter stabilizing chute shortly after ejection and seat separation. Since I had not intentionally activated the ejection system--and assuming all automatic functions depended on a proper ejection sequence--it occurred to me the stabilizing chute may not have deployed.
However, I quickly determined I was falling vertically and not tumbling. The little chute must have deployed and was doing its job. Next concern: the main parachute, which was designed to open automatically at 15,000 ft. Again, I had no assurance the automatic-opening function would work.
I couldn't ascertain my altitude because I still couldn't see through the iced-up face plate. There was no way to know how long I had been blacked-out, or how far I had fallen. I felt for the manual-activation D-ring on my chute harness, but with the suit inflated and my hands numbed by cold, I couldn't locate it. I decided I'd better open the face plate, try to estimate my height above the ground, then locate that "D" ring. Just as I reached for the face plate, I felt the reassuring sudden deceleration of main-chute deployment.
I raised the frozen face plate and discovered its uplatch was broken. Using one hand to hold that plate up, I saw I was descending through a clear, winter sky with unlimited visibility. I was greatly relieved to see Jim's parachute coming down about a quarter of a mile away. I didn't think either of us could have survived the aircraft's breakup, so seeing Jim had also escaped lifted my spirits incredibly.
I could also see burning wreckage on the ground a few miles from where we would land. The terrain didn't look at all inviting--a desolate, high plateau dotted with patches of snow and no signs of habitation.
I tried to rotate the parachute and look in other directions. But with one hand devoted to keeping the face plate up and both hands numb from high-altitude, subfreezing temperatures, I couldn't manipulate the risers enough to turn. Before the breakup, we'd started a turn in the New Mexico-Colorado-Oklahoma-Texas border region. The SR-71 had a turning radius of about 100 mi. at that speed and altitude, so I wasn't even sure what state we were going to land in. But, because it was about 3:00 p.m., I was certain we would be spending the night out here.
At about 300 ft. above the ground, I yanked the seat kit's release handle and made sure it was still tied to me by a long lanyard. Releasing the hea vy kit ensured I wouldn't land with it attached to my derriere, which could break a leg or cause other injuries. I then tried to recall what survival items were in that kit, as well as techniques I had been taught in survival training.
Looking down, I was startled to see a fairly large animal--perhaps an antelope--directly under me. Evidently, it was just as startled as I was because it literally took off in a cloud of dust.
My first-ever parachute landing was pretty smooth. I landed on fairly soft ground, managing to avoid rocks, cacti and antelopes. My chute was still billowing in the wind, though. I struggled to collapse it with one hand, holding the still-frozen face plate up with the other.
"Can I help you?" a voice said.