"Main Point" (Archive 21).Main Point Newsletter Archived 6th May 2009.
The Early Days at Halton (Photo Album).
This new Album will soon be ready to add to the Website. So please contact me if you would like to add to the collection of photographs. Thanks to those 74th Entry members who have already sent me photographs.
For Those Who Weren't There: A 2001 Reunion Photo.
I was looking for a big bonnie colour photo for this edition of the newsletter but unfortunately had to use this one instead. Ken Pearn sent me this photograph of a group of youthful ex 74th members taken at the 2001 triennial 22nd September.
The photograph may also be of interest to ex 74th Entry who are visiting our Website for the first time and havn't seen these lads for over fifty years.
Names L to R:- Dave Dyer (Inst) - Lenny Lenaghan (Arm) - Dave Neal (Arm) - Dane Telfer (Eng) Digger Davis (Inst) - Mick Hodson (Eng) - Traff Pearn (A/F) - Ken Pearn (Inst) - "Mothballs Napthen (Arm) Dinghy Dovner (A/F) - Laurie Bowes (Arm). Bern (Taff) Goodenough behind the camera.
Thanks Ken.
A Nuclear Powered Aircraft - 1956.
Just as the 74th Entry Aircraft Apprentices were graduating from RAF Halton the first (and last) nuclear powered aircraft was being planned (sounds like a good idea). I Wonder whatever happened to it?
B-36 (Peacemaker?) Intercontinental Bomber.
During the mid fifties the Convair company had a contract to develop an airframe for a nuclear-powered aircraft. By 1956 they had adapted a B-36 (Peacemaker) intercontinental bomber to fly with a nuclear reactor on board. Peacemaker seems a splendid name for a bomber? From the photograph the vapour trails from the six pusher engines on this plane, designated the N13-36H, indicate its great altitude during a typical test flight.
Radiation Symbol on the Fin Says it All!
On these flights the reactor did not power the aircraft, but was used solely to obtain a wide variety of data on airborne nuclear reactor operation. The NB-36H had its own special colour scheme (seen above in black and white) to distinguish it from the conventional B-36. This consisted of a dark blue nose and an orange radiation symbol on its gigantic fin. The fuselage airscoops which can be seen aft of the wing are to cool the reactor.
How's about servicing that one lads?
But, all joking aside, there are such things as Nuclear Submarines. So why not aircraft?
Question about Ralph Bloom.
Photo (from Jim Scovell): Jim Scovell and Ralph Bloom.
Peter Raby sent the following info. about an ex 74th apprentice Ralph Bloom. Was he Engines? Any further information?
"In the Graduation List there appears to be a typo. The apprentices who were re-coursed to the 75th states that R.Bloom was Airframes. This can't be right as he was in Block 11, Room 3 which would make him Engines.
"Incidentally, I last saw Ralph Bloom between the years 1963 - 1967 when he had been, I think, invalided out of the service due to having a broken neck. He was working in the Atlanta Service Station near RAF Benson. His father was on The Queens Flight so he presumably was living with his parents.
Pete Raby (Eng)"
Our 74th Entry Website is Googled Again!
Once again we received an email from a random internet user who found us via Google. The site seems to be a useful source of info about all things aeronautical. The following is a copy of an email from Douglas Ord who found us during his Google search for the Fairy Delta aircraft. It actually comes at the top of the Google list for the aircraft.
Email from Douglas Ord: Fairy Delta FD. 2.
"Hi Joe,
I came across your web site today as I had very little to do at work and Googled FAIRY DELTA to my surprise there was your site.
"Briefly then here is my tale.
In 1964 I left school to start an apprenticeship at Rolls Royce Ltd at Barnoldswick in Yorkshire. After a short period in the training school we were all sent to different Depts to begin learning a trade. I was lucky enough to go to the Test Beds where I would assist the fitters on assembling and testing engines. These would be Derwents and Avons.
"One day as we had prepared an Avon on its mountings and were ready to light it up having retreated into the control room we had a visit from the forman who said he would be the one to start the afterburner once the engine was running.
"My job was to count the gallons of fuel being used over a given time. That was that until later we were told this particular engine was the one that flew Peter Twiss in the Fairy Delta and broke the 1000 mph barrier.
"Photographs of us in the test beds were published in the Rolls Roycce News. I wish I could get a copy. Nice to share my very fond memories with you.
"From,
Doug Ord age almost 70 and still in F/T work at Heathrow (not very exciting)."
[editor] Thanks for the email Doug. The page found by Google can be found at
http://74th.co.uk/aircraft/deltawings.html
Joe Bosher (74th).