The Loose Association of Wargamers

It was the perfect plane for its purpose.

Apparently you could loop the Walrus, which would have been something to see.

grizzlymc wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:49 pm What does HAR mean when put after the name of a chopper?

Helicopter Air Rescue. The unsurpassable Whirlwind HAR Mk 10. Best job of my life.

Etranger wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 2:21 pm Apparently you could loop the Walrus, which would have been something to see.

Yes you could loop the Walrus but a pilot would only do it once. The bilge water flying around the insides of the aircraft was a sure deterent.

grizzlymc wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 2:10 pm Look at the bloody thing. Compare it with the floatplanes everyone else had.

We had floatplanes, Shark, Roc, Swordfish, Seafox, Albacore and Spitfire. The Walrus was just better at ASR.

Buff Orpington wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 5:04 pm

. The unsurpassable Whirlwind HAR Mk 10. Best job of my life.

The first bearer of that name was IMHO the best-looking aircraft of WWII.
Seriously, you can find Merlins for Fairey Battles and Boulton Paul Defiants, but not for Whirlwinds? Practically sabotage, that is.

Norman D. Landings wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 7:22 pm

Buff Orpington wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 5:04 pm

. The unsurpassable Whirlwind HAR Mk 10. Best job of my life.

The first bearer of that name was IMHO the best-looking aircraft of WWII.
Seriously, you can find Merlins for Fairey Battles and Boulton Paul Defiants, but not for Whirlwinds? Practically sabotage, that is.

I'm not sue the structure of Whirlwind could take the extra power of Merlins.

BaronVonWreckedoften wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 1:30 pm

RMD wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 12:17 pm The Albermarle was probably the main British paratroop-dropper in Normandy, with Whitleys a close second. Thanks to Hollywood everyone thinks it was all Dakotas...

Did they modify the Whitley at any point, as I recall seeing photos of guys "de-planing" via a hole in the floor? The slipstream could catch you awkwardly and you could knock yourself out by hitting your chin on the rim of the exit. It was known as "ringing the bell" I believe.

Yes, they had a hole to jump through (and the Albermarle an aluminium chute to slide down).

Etranger wrote: ↑Sat Sep 26, 2020 1:44 pm I love the Walrus, such an anachronistic design. Just call them Shagbats...

When I took over the Air Cadets in Pembroke Dock, they had 'A', 'B' and 'Training' Flights, which was not only boring, it also gave an inferiority complex to 'B' Flight... We were based right in the heart of old RAF Pembroke Dock and the squadron had been there since June 1941. The cadets during WW2 had even participated in re-arming and re-fuelling the aircraft (I always maintained that the squadron should have had the Battle of the Atlantic battle honour ). So to link with the squadron's heritage I renamed them 'Sunderland', 'Catalina' and 'Walrus' Flights (Walrus being the trainer - I could also have opted for 'Fokker'). Needless to say, it wasn't long before Walrus Flight was being referred to as the 'Shagbats'...

If you're into Sunderlands, Whirlwinds and Typhoons, just have a read of this website, dedicated to Wg Cdr Reggie Baker DSO DFC*: http://www.eregbaker.info/

Reggie Baker started out flying Sunderlands and becoming an 'ace' in the anti-submarine role, then went on to command Whirlwinds and finally a wing of Typhoons, before being killed near Carpiquet Airfield in Normandy. It's a truly incredible story and his attack on the 'Munsterland' in Cherbourg Harbour served as one of the inspirations for the attack on the Death Star in Star Wars.