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B36 bomber

Definitely cool aircraft, just needs rotors on top and tracked landing gear. Well looks like they threw everything else at it!.
 
That brings back memories . Back in the early 50's my Grandparents lived in our old family home in a village called Blackbourton that was situated next to Brize Norton aerodrome in Oxfordshire . We stayed there as kids every school holiday after we returned from a 2year posting with the RAF to Germany . At that time [I assume Korea ?] Brize was leased to the Americans & they flew B36's & B47's from there . The perimeter fence was at the end of the lane that led into the village from the railway station & we used to stand there for ages watching the planes being prepared on the apron literally feet away It was the most incredible sight watching them taxi away & then take off [especially when you are 6 or 7 years old ] . What you don't see in that film are the huge clouds of black smoke coming from the engines on take off & climb , being the result of unburnt kerosene being pumped out [no reheat in those days] . There was always an aroma of neat jet fuel in the air & it used to settle on the surface of the ponds & becks in a thin oily film . If anything the B47's were more impressive as they had a fantastic amount of lateral wing movement & you could see the wings lifting upward followed by the rest of the 'plane on take off . I feel quite privileged to have lived at a time when such sights could be witnessed up close .
As a postscript , some friends arranged a trip for me earlier this year to visit the village once more after probably 25 years . The base is now an RAF transport facility airfield & we stood in exactly the same spot alongside the perimeter fence at the end of the lane as 70 years ago & this time watched Hercules aircraft on the same apron & still only feet away ! Mike
 
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In the 70's I had a friend who was fanatical about the B36 / RB36. "Six turning and four burning" and "Aluminium cloud" were his favourite expressions. I'd loved to have seen one airborne.
 
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My Dad was Ops Officer at Brize from 66/71 at 10 Squadron AIR support Command VC 10s and I sometimes went to work with him and got rides in the VC10s with him and later as an adult did my Para course there at NO1 PTS and later emplaned there 100s of times. Amazing place and it was always an experience to see all the aircraft landing and taking off although I didnt land in that many.


Andy.
 
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