1999 5 March 99’
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What’s on Vicky Hall - Programme Secretary 8 January 99’...........Vic Wilkinson - Recollections of Farnborough 6 February 99’.......................Gordon Kinsey - Martlesham Heath Volume 1 No.7 January 1999 5 March 99’.........Paul Jackson from Janes all the Worlds Aircraft 9 April 99’...............................................AGM & Photo Competition 7th May 99’.............................Monica Maxwell - Codes & Ciphersl Newsletter Contributions NEWSLETTER If you have an article or a story you would like to share with the other members of the Society then please send it to me.... Alan Powell - Newsletter Editor Tel: Ipswich 622458 16 Warren Lane Martlesham Heath E-Mail Address Ipswich IP5 3SH [email protected] Martlesham Heath Aviation Society Other Committee Contacts RAF Martlesham Heath 356th Fighter Group Chairman Martyn Cook (01394) 671210 Contents E-Mail Address [email protected] Page 2...................................................................Editorial Vice Chairman Bob Dunnett (01473) 624510 Page 2..................................................‘Flight To Freedom’ Treasurer Russell Bailey (01473) 715938 Page 4............................................England At Leisure 98’ Program Sec. Vicky Hall (01473) 720004 Page 5...................RAF Martlesham Heath Reunion 1999 Membership Sec. Julie Smith (01473) 728343 Rag Trade David Bloomfield (01473) 686204 Page 6.................................RAF Martlesham Heath 1950 Catering Ethel & Roy Gammage (01473) 623420 Page 6........................................Remembrance Day 1998 Museum Adviser Tony Errington (01473) 741574 Page 7........................................Remembrance Day 1940 Society Advisor Don Kitt (01473) 742332 Page 8......................................Monthly Meeting Roundup Society Advisor Daphne Taylor (01473) 713087 Page 9.............Gas Turbines & Jet Propulsion For Aircraft Produced by: Jack Russell Designs Page 11...........................356th FG Membership Renewal EDITORIAL and the real break through will not come for about 10 years when jet-propelled aircraft operating at a high altitude, with pressurised cabins, The first newsletter of the last year of the present century and may I take are fully developed”. The enormous advantage of jets versus internal this opportunity of wishing everybody a very happy New Year. combustion engines at high altitudes was well recognised and the forecast Our Society continues to thrive. I have not accurately counted the number by Roy Chadwick was quite correct. of folk that we get to the monthly meetings but I am sure that there are often Much of what appears in the book did certainly occur in reality, after all, over a hundred bums on seats. Vicky provides us with most interesting that concept of the turboprop with contra-rotating propellers is still very speakers and we are grateful to her for that. much with us today in much the same form. It seems a long time ago since our American friends from the 356th. Fighter The only allied jet to see active service during WW2 was the Gloster Meteor, Group Association visited us. This is the first time we have been able to report on it. Ed Malo, who organised the trip in the States, has sent me a nice article, which is very appreciative of our efforts to entertain them. Thank you to James Crisp, a new member, for a piece about Martlesham in the early 50’s. Also to Roy Browne for his interesting contribution which So what’s new? was inspired by the talk given recently by our own Honorary Vice President, Illustration of a jet-propelled carriage which appears in early text books Dick Storer. All those who heard Dick describe his time, as Air Attaché in on the evolution of the horseless carriage. You cannot be serious!! Brussels will remember his observation that many of the Belgian Air Force officers wore RAF Wings on their uniforms, this is the story of two of them. 356TH FIGHTER GROUP MEMBERS - MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL Having reported on the occasion of our current Remembrance Day Service, I thought it would be interesting to include an article by Gordon Kinsey The committee hope that you have enjoyed reading the which relates to an historical event on Remembrance Day, 1940. Thank you Runway 22 Newsletters and being a member of the Gordon for that. Martlesham Heath Aviation Society and we sincerely hope that you will want to renew your membership for another We have a newsletter exchange arrangement with the Handley Page Association and their newsletters are available from me if anyone wishes As this will be the last newsletter before the 1st April 1999 to see them. which is the date on which all members subscriptions become Normal procedure is to distribute newsletters at the monthly meetings. due I thought it would be helpful to advise you on the However, all those unclaimed after the second meeting are then despatched procedure for renewing your membership for the coming by post. This is obviously for reasons of economy. If you cannot attend meetings we can post your newsletter at the time of publication. So if our The cost of membership is $25.00. Should you wish to renew list is incomplete please let me know. your membership please send your money to Ken & Brita Male along with a note of your name and address, this ensures I am always happy to receive criticism, both negative and positive, (positive that we are posting the Newsletters etc. To the right address. preferred), about the content and style of the newsletter. To a large extent Ken & Brita will collect all your notes and send them onto the success of the publication is dependent upon input from you, the members me. and readers. To ensure you receive your May 1999 Newsletter and your Ed membership card and to save Ken & Brita posting individual FLIGHT TO FREEDOM details please could you post your subscription to them to arrive no later than the 20 February 1999, thank you. It was early one sunny morning on the 5th July 1941 at Thorpe Le Soken, Julie Smith - Membership Secretary Page 2 Page 11 so much to say about the future of jet propulsion in the middle of WW2. where I lived at the police station with my parents, my father being the The book, which carries the same title as this article, was written by the police sergeant for the locality. A biplane was spotted by the local War much respected Managing Editor of “Flight” magazine, G. Geoffrey Smith, Reserve Constable disappearing over the horizon in an easterly direction. MBE and carries a Forward by his friend, Sir Geoffrey De Havilland. A relief constable was on duty at 6am when he was surprised to see two Permission to publish the book had been sought and approved by the Minister young men in strange uniforms making their way towards him. “Good of Aircraft Production, Lord Brabazon. First published in 1942, the earlier morning, we are from Belgium”, said one! Mike Donnet and Leon Duvoy edition simply expounded the theory of jet propulsion and in particular gave were soon tucking into breakfast supplied by my mother. They had stolen much space to the Italian Caproni-Campini experimental aircraft. Unlike a SV4B Stampe biplane from under the noses of the Germans and escaped the ultimate gas-turbine design, as patented by Group Captain Frank Whittle, to England to help fight the war! the Caproni-Campini utilised a conventional radial petrol engine to drive The Belgians had learned that the aircraft was in a small hangar about 300 the rotary turbine compressor. The aircraft first flew in August 1940. yards from a chateau, which was occupied by officers of a JU88 squadron. However, the April 1944 edition, which is in my possession, goes into some Petrol was stolen from German army lorries and was distilled at nearby detail about the Whittle jet programme. As is well known, after initially Brussels University to increase the octane value. It was then hidden in a taking out the patent in 1930, the first Whittle designed BTH turbine wood until required. When they came to collect the petrol on the very night compressor ran successfully on a test bed 1937 and the Air Ministry did not that the escape was planned, it was discovered that it had been stolen! The place an order for a jet propelled aircraft until 1939. What if Frank Whittle whole dangerous business of stealing and distilling more petrol had to be had ignored his patriotic instincts and offered the concept to a large American repeated. The biplane had no instruments except a home-made bent glass company such as GEC, who were eventually given it anyway? There are tube containing a ball bearing. This was an indicator for turning and banking! always if’s and but’s however, one cannot help but speculate that with A chair spring with a tin lid fastened to it was attached to an outboard strut. commercial foresight and adequate funding from the start that the world This was the airspeed indicator! There was a compass! Take off was short may have seen jet planes sooner. but when the ‘plane became airborne it was difficult to gain altitude because of the poor quality of the petrol. Nevertheless, despite the low height it was The first flight of the Gloster jet in May 1941 is recorded and it was flown discovered afterwards that a radar echo had been established and a Spitfire by an ex Martlesham Heath test pilot, Jerry Sayer. Then, in July 1941 full was despatched. Fortunately they were not intercepted. Tobleron chocolate information was disclosed to General Arthur, US Army Air Force. He asked always brings back memories of Mike Donnet. He had handed me a tiny for an engine to be sent to America and this was delivered to the General bar. His “flight rations” or to keep his spirits up if they had come down in Electric Company in September 1941. October1942 is given as the date the sea! I asked them to sign my autograph book.