Lovely spring afternoon today, and what should be gracing the skies at work?
Not my photo, as I didn't have a camera, but first time back in the air after a landing incident last Dec.
All fixed now, watched him do a series of slow turns etc, a couple of stalls, then he worked it up into some barrel rolls and finished with an Immelmann. Nice to watch, better to hear.
Fantastic! Where are you, chopper?
A long way from the UK! At Ardmore, in NZ. Quite a few warbirds live there, P-40s, P-51D, the usual Harvards, a PBY Catalina etc.
I keep meaning to take some photos, but they live on the "other" side of the airfield, and it's a long way around.
Good way to make a Spitfire ugly - lengthen the fuselage and bung another cockpit in.
best.
noise.
ever.
I sat next to a bloke at dinner a few weeks back who's job was restoring Spitfires (mostly for millionaires and billionaires as they go for over £1m each) and he was a really interesting bloke to talk to. What a great job. They scour the world for the original parts for each one, getting guns from museums etc. Apparently it takes several years to restore each one and the eventual owners come around from time to time and are like excited little boys once they get inside the hanger. 
Was Doug flying again?
Third time lucky for him... I can't wait for Classic Fighters next Easter
No, I don't beleive it was Doug flying, but yes, his plane.
I would kill* for a ride in one of those...
(*not sure what I'd kill, but you get the idea)
The sound of a merlin = stirring in my loins!
My Dad flew these in anger and I have some of his flight logs, which make interesting reading...
remember seeing this plane advertised up for auction
love the sound of them
What is the appeal?
Why does everyone get hung up about the sound of the Merlin??
Please explain - after all, rational analysis would suggest it's just a bunch of aluminium and steel, much the same as any other vehicle. Is it the same as some folks getting excited about steam trains?
What is the appeal?
Why does everyone get hung up about the sound of the Merlin??
Please explain
If you have to ask you'll never get it but clearly you have no soul.
FiL flew everything from Helldivers to Mirages, including Seafires, but always called it "le Spit" Rated it the best plane he ever flew.
If you have to ask you'll never get it but clearly you have no soul.
Quite the opposite - I know, but I don't know why, if that makes sense??
Fantastic, I'm a total fan, I use to work next to a flying Spitfire here in southern Sweden, even got to sit in the cockpit, the owner owns the Swedish version of Halfords and is very rich. He also has a flying Mustang. Used to make my day watching it roar about the skies, stunning to watch and hear.
Unfortunately the Spitfire crashed a couple of weeks back killing the pilot, RIP, really unlucky as the plane is hardly damaged: Spitfire crash in Norway
There was a drag-tractor equipped with a merlin at the North Somerset show this year, running on alcohol.
My 6 old daughter was totally awestruck as it roared past her. All she could say was WOW!
She didn't react like that to any of the other equally loud tractors going past.
I still love this clip Careful soundtrack is not worksafe
rational analysis would point out that Brian Blessed is just an animated pile of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, calcium, iron and carbon atoms.
he's still awesome though
^^^ Maybe so, but in an ellesse sweatshirt, come on 
I also like the sound of the BRM racing car - it is 1.5 liters and has 16 cylinders. Sounded as good as a Spitfire, plus you got gear changes and big changes in revs as it lapped the track.
We used to hear it when racing / testing at Silverstone. The whole pits would stop what they were doing and stand on the wall to watch and listen. Its quite an experience.
ignore me already posted...
& D type jags, the le mans 'vettes are pretty cool too
What is the appeal?Why does everyone get hung up about the sound of the Merlin??
Because they sound like they're a living thing. I saw a Mk IX being given some stick at Duxford ten years ago and the noise was out of this world, with the throttle open and the supercharger on full boost as the plane was banked into a climbing turn was something I won't forget in a hurry.
friend got maried last weekend. He is in the RAF and had a friend do a display over the back of the vanu in a spitfire.
First time i have had one fly close over me and i have to say the sound is amazing. Again i have no idea what makes it amazing but it was.
For me the noise comes down to the amount of moving parts that are all going roundy roundy uppy downy at the same time and the sheer harmony that it creates. IMO no other engine on earth sounds that good!!
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