Happened to notice this -

http://www.duxford-update.info/

That is the basic URL, then you use the navigation buttons on the left to go to 'News and Links' then scroll about 2/3 the way down (just before the pongos section) there are 2 pics of the spit I mentioned previously.

P.

Folks,

P2:

Thanks for the link. There are some lovely birds there. They even have an Aircobra and a Bearcat. And the Bearcat (the successor to the Hellcat), never saw action in WW2.

Tell me, and after recent BoB events I should be an expert, how the heck did that Spit get into that embarrassing predicament without even bending her props?

More importantly what nutter put a 5 blade prop on a mk8 spit.! Perhaps when the plastic spit was donated they kept the original and swapped it for something else. Or it was the only one they have with a bent blade. It'll prolly reappear next year and I'll ask...

P.

One blade was bent back btw.

P.

JRT,

No! I meant we got ten quid extra each! We don't play for peanuts y'know...

We have been hired to play for the Annual Nordic and Hell's Angels Biker Gang Concert, whatever that might be.

The venue is somewhere near the Greater Manchester Serious Recreational Injuries Accident and Emergency Unit. Sounds like a jolly family event and we have pitched our programme accordingly by listing a selection of Rolf Harris, Jimmy Osmond, and Shirley Temple hits.
Our agent says he will be unable to attend but will be along later. Pity...he'll miss all the fun.

Folks,

P2:

Right you are at that. OK. How did she bend just one blade then? If you can make plastic Spitfires you can jolly well make plastic propellers.

Dux:

A tenner to each of you!!! Does the Greater Derbyshire Itinerant Musicians, Song Writers and Steamfitters union know about this? Lucky sods. Let me see now, 10 quid at the present rate of exchange.. what would that be in US dollars... Good Lord, that's quite a bit really.

LOL! I was not even aware that the Hell's Angels even had a Derbyshire branch. They're a very nice bunch of lads who like to tool around the countryside on their bikes doing good deeds and attending revival services when they can find one. Just in case, I'd be sure to wear my asbestos britches to that one. You could get a rather warm reception.

BTW, your crack team of PR and Mkt. experts at Kanwee Floggem and Howe have come up with another winning suggestion. Why not call the band 'Jerry Attricks and the Knee Tremblers'? That has a nice seasoned ring to it. Yes, it might require poor Neville to sign his autographs differently but that is, I believe, a minor concession to fame and fortune.

Folks,

Prevailing upon Dux for another Olga story has not produced a single word. I'm unworthy to write an Olga Saga myself so we will call this just another Dux Tale.

Practiced Hands
By: JRT
HWH Continued WOV
Page: 558
7.29.08

Practiced hands caressed the smooth wooden stock of the accurized 7.62mm Model 1891/30 Mosin-Nagant also known as the m91/30 bolt action Soviet sniper’s rifle.

It was fitted with the older four-power PE telescopic sight. The Soviets had benefited from the purchase of the Zeiss Optical Company in the 1930s. After the start of the war 3.5 power PU scopes had also come into service but Olga always preferred the 4-power scope. She certainly knew how to use it. The plan was to have Olga parachuted into Berchestgarten by the Brits where she would assassinate Hitler. Olga was not especially keen on the idea as no thought seemed to have been given to her means of escape. Suicide missions did not appeal much to Olga. Yet she was a patriot.

As she shouldered the weapon and cranked a 7.62 round into the cold, blue chamber, a determined Olga meant to make the most of it. This was a round that came from a special run of ammunition brought to frigid Murmansk by a musk oxen team and hand-chosen Siberian drivers. From there it had, by special request of Stalin himself, crossed the North Atlantic by British submarine and eventually it had found its way into the hands of the Soviet Union’s champion markswoman, none other than Olga herself.

Yes, she would make the most of it, she thought as she found her target through the telescopic sight and let out her breath. Slowly she inhaled again and then she held her breath. Both eyes remained open. Her finger slowly tightened on the trigger....

Four hundred yards away if it was an inch, a slightly tipsy Dux was just offering the new HWH beermaid another glassful of Château Thames Embankment Vin. several hours ago. They were finishing off a sumptuous if late picnic lunch that had been spread out upon an army mule blanket beside the lovely farm pond behind Farmer Drubbin’s big, red barn.

There was a sudden explosion as the magnum of wine erupted into millions of razor-sharp shards. This was quickly followed by the report of the rifle. By the time either heard the rifle’s report, Dux was disappearing headfirst into a rather shallow and muddier part of Drubbin’s pond and the poor beermaid was just hitching up her britches and rounding the far corner of the big, red barn.

From 400 yards away came a fiendish, triumphant laugh as Dux’s flailing arms and more 7.62 mm bullets began blasting the otherwise calm waters of Drubbin’s pond high into the air.

A mile away stretched out comfortably in his hammock behind HWH Hall JRT heard the reports and wondered if Dux was fishing with grenades again.

Gentlemen,

JRT,

My heart leapt with joy when I just logged-on and saw a post by our founder, SNAFU. Then it sank like one of Olga's sponge cakes when I sadly realized that I had pressed the 'first page' number by mistake...

LOL! Why must Olga always be on hand to interfere with any of our new barmaids like that? Everyone knows that any such interfering is to be done by me. OK, by you as well I suppose...

Folks,

Dux:

Hell hath no fury like Olga scorned, to paraphrase someone who wrote quite a bit better than I do.

Perhaps it is my Yankee aftershave lotion or maybe it is my penchant for Red Coon chewin' terbaccy but Olga never was partial to me. I would naturally prefer to claim it was due to my clean living and good personal hygiene however you and C51 would never allow such a bald-faced lie to go un-challenged.

Spittt......Splatt! I say, please move that brass spittoon a might closer if you don't mind Old Man. I'm having a bit of trouble seeing the photo of Goering painted in the center.

Spittt...ping... Thanks Pal. That was another bullseye.

Folks,

It has been over a week now since I darkened these doors or typed even a single letter of the alphabet. As was expected, and as it should be, no one has noticed.

It is even longer since our august pal Dux staggered in and took a nap in his private over-stuffed chair placed respectfully in the farthest corner of the HWH officers bar. I would begin to worry were it not for the fact that I'm sure that he is away playing a gig somewhere or just sleeping the last one off in some Derbyshire constable's slammer. He'll soon pop in as thirsty as ever.

Of course there is the slight chance that he has been shot down, however, I saw Olga yesterday (from a safe distance). She always hears of these things before I do and she was not wearing black.

I've not done much with BoB this past week for various reasons. Therefore there are neither exciting stories to tell nor are there any truthful ones. I did fly a quick mission in MiG Alley a few moments ago and obviously I survived to tell about it. Navigation has always been a common complaint about MA. I have finally learned how to RTB without too much trouble. Today I flew the F51 and managed to shoot down 2 Yaks that blundered into the empty space that I was shooting toward. Too bad for them. There will be two empty chairs in the mess across the Yalu. They both blew up. There were no chutes. The advantageous use of throttle and flaps make quite a big difference when MiG hunting.

Our Canadian pal C51 recently mentioned in an e-mail that he had a hankering to fly the P51D but alas he had no sim that modeled that particular aircraft. I recommended MA (because of the F51) which I understand can be found and downloaded for free somewhere on the net. The needed patches are said to be obtainable for free as well. Jane's WW2 Fighters is also a good one for flying the P51 but that might be difficult to find. Perhaps there are other newer titles? Isn't the P51 modeled and flyable in IL2 Dux? I think C51 has that sim.

I have always wondered why neither the Rowan boys nor the BDG wizards modeled a scramble scenario into the original version of BoB. That is classic BoB stuff you know. Perhaps that is corrected in WOV? Is it Dux? Anyone?