AIRCRAFT # 7.

PERCIVAL P.40 PRENTICE UR249 ( G-APIY )

Basic trainer/communications aircraft. Aircrew - 5. Max speed - 167mph. Range - 396 miles. Service ceiling - 13,000ft. Loaded weight - 4,350lbs. Span - 46ft - 2inch. Length - 31ft 6 1/2inch. Height - 12ft 5 1/2inch. Armament - none. Power plant - DE Havilland Gipsy 30 MK.2 rated at 250hp.

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ARMSTRONG - WHITWORTH SEA HAWK FB.3 WM913.

Shipboard strike fighter. Aircrew -one. Max speed - 599mph. Range - 778 miles. Service ceiling - 44,500ft. Loaded weight - 16,200lbs. Span - 39ft. Length - 39ft 8inch. Height - 8ft 8inch. Armament - four 20mm Hispano cannon, two 227kg ( 500lbs ) bombs. Power plant - one Rolls Royce Nene 101 rated at 5,000lbs static thrust.

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SARO SKEETER AOP.12 XL764.

Trainer/air observation helicopter. Aircrew - two. Max speed - 101mph. Range - 213 miles. Service ceiling - 5,500ft. Loaded weight - 2,200lbs. Rotor Dia - 32ft. Length - 26ft 6inch. Height - 7ft 6inch. Armament - none. Power plant - one DE Havilland Gipsy Major engine rated at 200hp.

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HAWKER SIDDELEY KESTREL F (GA ).1

The Kestrel was a developed version of the private venture Hawker P.1127 Vertical and / or short take off and landing ( V/STOL ) aircraft. The Kestrel`s Bristol - Siddeley Pegasus Turbofan, Vectored through rotating jet nozzles, enabled it to take off vertically, hover and to fly ( slowly ) backwards and sideways.

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MESSERSCHMITT ME410A - 1/U2 HORNISSE.

The last in a series of twin engine destroyers manufactured by Messerschmitt. The ME410 was used by the Luftwaffe in a variety of roles. Although designed as a fighter, the type was used as a light bomber, photographic reconnaissance and anti - shipping aircraft.

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BOULTON PAUL SEA BALLIOL T21.

The Balliol was developed using the well - tried Merlin Piston engine as an advanced trainer to replace the Harvard.

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AVRO ANSON C.19 VL348 ( G-AVVO ).

Light transport / communications aircraft. Armament - none. Power plant - two Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah 15 radial engines, each rated at 420hp. Max speed - 182mph. Range - 820 miles.

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MESSERSCHMITT ME163B - 1A KOMET.

The only rocket propelled interceptor ever to be used operationally. The ME163 Komet was deployed by the Luftwaffe in a desperate attempt to combat the allied strategic bombing offensive during the closing stages of the second world war.

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KAWASAKI KI 100.

One of the best Japanese single seat fighters of world war two. It was nimble, fast fighter which proved very effective in intercepting long - range American B -29 Superfortress bombers and their escorting fighters.

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BAE HARRIER GR.9.

STOVL tactical strike bomber. The Harrier GR.9 was the last of the series of vertical take off and landing aircraft that began with the Hawker P.1127 in 1957. It`s roles were close support and reconnaissance.

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HAWKER HUNTER F-6A.

Single seat ground attack aircraft. Engine - one Rolls Royce Avon 203 single shaft turbojet. Max speed - 710mph. Operational history - Royal Air Force 92, 63, 65 squadrons. OCU 1 tactical weapons unit ( Shadow 234 son ). 

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GLOSTER JAVELIN FAW5 XA699 ( GB ).

RAF all weather fighter. Armament - 4 x 30mm wing cannons, 4 x Firestreak  missiles or 148 x 2inch rockets in 4 packs of 37. Power plant - 2 x A.S. Sapphire 203`s. Max speed - 710mph.

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STATUES.

 

NOTTINGHAM`S ROBIN HOOD STATUE.

 

Was unveiled on 24th July 1952 by the Duchess of Portland, Ivy Cavendish - Bentinck, of Welbeck in Nottinghamshire. The 2.1 metre high bronze statue was sculpted by James Woodford RA, a former student of the Nottingham school of art and made by Morris Singer & Co of Basingstoke, Hampshire. It is estimated that the statue should last for 6,000 years.

 

 

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BRADFORD WAR MEMORIAL.

 

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CAPTAIN GEORGE VANCOUVER.

Captain George Vancouver ( 22nd June 1757 - 10th May 1798 ) was an English Officer of the Royal Navy, best known for his 1791 - 95 expedition, which explored and chartered North America`s Northwestern Pacific coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. He also explored the Hawaiian Islands and the southwest coast of Australia. This statue of Vancouver is located in front of Vancouver City Hall, in King`s Lynn, England, his home town.

 

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CAPTAIN JAMES COOK.

 

Captain James Cook ( 1728 - 1779 ) was a British Explorer, Navigator, Cartographer and Captain in the Royal Navy. Cook made detailed maps of Newfoundland prior to making three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, during which he achieved the first recorded European contact with the eastern coastline of Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, and the first recorded circumnavigation of New Zealand. This statue of Captain James Cook is in Whitby, North Yorkshire, England.

 

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COVENTRY BOY.

This boy has no name but represents all boys of all time who are proud to belong here reaching out as always from rough spun to close weave for family and for city. This statue is in Coventry, England.

 

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GANDHI.

 

Born and raised in a Hindu merchant caste family in coastal Gujaret, western India and trained in law at the inner temple, London. Gandhi first employed nonviolent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community`s struggle for civil rights. After his return to India in 1915, he set about organising peasants, farmers and urban labourers to protest against excessive land - tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women`s rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, but above all for achieving self rule. Born 1869 - Died 1948 aged 78. Cause of death - assassination by shooting. This statue is in Hull, England.

 

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HERBERT INGRAM.

 



Herbert Ingram ( 1811 - 1860 ) was a British Journalist and Politician. He is considered the father of pictorial journalism through his founding of the Illustrated London News. He was a Liberal politician who favoured social reform and represented Boston for four years until his early death in a shipping accident. Ingram was born at Paddock Grove, Boston, Lincolnshire, England, the son of a butcher. After being educated at Laughton`s Charity school and free school in Wormgate ( a street in Boston ), he was apprenticed as a fourteen year old to town printer Joseph Clarke. When Ingram finished his training he moved to London where he worked as a journeyman printer. This statue of Ingram is in Boston, England.

 

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SIR JOHN FRANKLIN.

Rear Admiral Sir John Franklin KCH,FRGS RN was a British Navy Officer and explorer of the Artic. Franklin also served as Lieutenant Governor of Van Diemen`s Land ( now Tasmania ) from 1837 to 1843. He disappeared on his last expedition, attempting to chart and navigate a section of the northwest passage in the Canadian Artic. The icebound ships were abandoned and the entire crew perished from starvation, hypothermia, tuberculosis, lead poisoning and scurvy. Born 1786 in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England. Died 1847 aged 61 at sea, near King William Island, Canada, aboard HMS Terror. This statue is in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, England.

 

 

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THOMAS SHEPPARD.

 

Thomas Sheppard ( 1766 - 1858 ) was a Politician in England. He was elected at the 1832 general election as the member of parliament ( MP ) for the newly enfranchised borough of Frome in Somerset, standing as a Whig. He was re - elected in 1835 as a conservative and held the seat until he stood down from the house of commons at the 1847 general election.

 

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F.W.WEBB.

 

Chief mechanical engineer, London and North Western Railway Company, October 1871 to June 1903. Presented to the Webb Orphanage by his old friend Sir Henry, B. Robertson, Pale. Corwen, April 1912.

 

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SCRAMBLE.

 

Scramble is a replica of a bronze section from the Battle of Britain Monument.  The Battle of Britain Monument is located on the embankment of the river Thames in London, opposite the London Eye.

 

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HONOUR GUARD SCUPTURE.

 

The honour guard was designed by award winning sculptor Zenos Frudakis. It depicts the colours Flight of the United States Air Force Honour guard. The United States Honour Guard is the official ceremonial unit of the United States Air Force. Its mission is to represent US Airmen to the American public and the world. The colours flight displays and guards the American Flag, the US Air Force Flag and flags of visiting countries at air force and other events. The eight foot high bronze figures in the sculpture reflect the diversity in the US military observed by Frudakis. It is composed from left to right of one Caucasian man, one African-American man, one Hispanic man and one Caucasian woman. The two central figures are flag bearers; one holding the US flag and the other an Air Force flag complete with battle streamers that represent every campaign the US Air Force has taken part in. The two other figures are the weapons bearers who guard the flags. The sculpture is a version of the original honour guard created by Zenos Frudakis for the National Air Force Memorial in Washington, DC. The memorial honours the millions of men and women who have served in the United States Air Force and its predecessors. The Honour Guard was generously donated to the American Air Museum and the Imperial War Museum by Sarah and Ross Perot, JR.

 

 

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CREWE HERITAGE CENTRE.

Established in 1987 as Crewe Railway Age by the owning registered charity, it returned to its original name of Crewe Heritage Centre in early 2008. The museum is located in the old London and Scottish railway yard, which was once part of Crewe works, between the junction to Chester and the West Coast main line. The site is operated by supporters of the Crewe Heritage Centre. These are the locomotive pictures I have taken at this centre.

Advanced passenger train ( APC ).

Inside view of one of the APC`s carriages.

APC`s driver`s cab.

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Duchess of Sutherland.

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Robert Burns.

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Shunter

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Railway Crane.

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Shunter.

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Locomotive 92134 under restoration.

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Crewe Station A signal box.

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A view inside West Signal Box showing the levers.

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MILITARY VEHICLES #4.

 

NAVISTAR DEFENCE HUSKY PROTECTED SUPPORT VEHICLE( PSV ).

 

This Husky was badly damaged three times while operated by the British Army in Afghanistan during 2010 - 12. The Husky was introduced in 2009 to meet an urgent operational requirement for a mine protected vehicle in the Afghan theatre. The Husky is used by the British Army as a command vehicle and in a variety of transport roles. Crew - four ( driver and commander plus two ). Engine - 254 kw ( 341hp ) V8- cylinder Maxxforce D6.OL 6 - litre turbocharged diesel, compatible with any Nato single fuel derivative. Speed - 70mph.

 

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CENTURION.

 

Main battle tank, United Kingdom.

 

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CNN ARMOURED VEHICLE.

 

This armoured land rover was nicknamed the  `Pizza Truck ` by the journalists and crews at CNN. The cab at the front of the vehicle was armoured to protect passengers. Originally there was a large box on the back for equipment, which gave the pizza truck its nickname. The truck has undergone many modifications, it was also repainted. Cameraman Dave Rust thought the choice of camouflage was unusual, ` I never saw any oak trees while travelling around Afghanistan `.

 

 

 

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CLETRAC M2 TRACTOR and M5 BOMB TRAILER.

 

The Cletrac was used from 1942 to tow aircraft and equipment around on airfields. The M5 bomb trailer carried bombs to waiting aircraft. Airfields in Europe were frequently wet and muddy, especially those that were built quickly to support the allies as they fought through France, the low counties and Germany. The Clectrac short for Cleveland Tractor Company could cope with soggy ground, winch equipment and also pull trailers. It was a vital workhorse of the USAAF. A single bomb trailer weighed 3,265 kg ( 7,200lbs ) when fully loaded. Up to six M5s could be towed in a train to the aircraft. Men unloading the trailers had to work as a tight team to manoeuvre the bombs safely into the bomb bays.

 

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BULLDOZER.

 

Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army Airborne equipment. Manufactured by Laplant Choate Meq CO. Inc. Cedar Rapids Iowa.

 

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AMBULANCE  ( UNITED STATES ARMY ).

 

 

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ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER.

 

FV432 Armoured Personnel Carrier ( APC ) with Pearson Surface Clearance Device. British lightweight, tracked ` armoured box ` used primarily for transporting infantry on the battlefield. Over 3,000 in service since 1963 as APC`s and in several other specialist roles. The FV432 ( initially called the Trojan ) had a crew of two and could carry ten troops.

 

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BRITISH MARK 10 GENERAL SERVICE WAGON.

 

At the outbreak of the first world war in 1914 the overwhelming majority of transport of all armies was horse drawn. This two horse wagon built in 1915 is typical of the period.

 

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BRITISH LAND ROVER DEFENDER 90.

 

Rover developed this multi role combat vehicle for the reconnaissance and patrol duties of the rapid reaction force. It was known as ` Dinky ` because it is shorter than the Defender 110 Pink Panther ( Pinky ) of the SAS.

 

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CZECHOSLOVAKIAN ANTI - AIRCRAFT GUN.

 

This vehicle was used by Serb forces in Bosnia and then abandoned by its crew. It was hidden in a barn and found by British troops in 1999. Built by the Czechoslovakian state arsenal in 1959, it has two 30mm cannon in a M53 gun mount.

 

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