onetrack

Kgwilson is correct on the damage that can be inflicted by tornado-like events embedded in storms - which are a totally different event, to just constant strong winds.

Often, "mini-tornadoes" accompany sudden and violent storms, which are usually associated with the approach, or passing, of strong cold fronts. Mini-tornadoes can also suddenly develop from severe thunderstorm conditions in Summer.

I have seen the result of many mini-tornado events. They are usually confined to narrow strips, generally ranging from a couple of hundred metres wide, to half a kilometre wide, and rarely more than about 2 or 3 kms long.

I have seen numbers of substantial farm sheds, and farm machinery, utterly destroyed by these events. I have seen violent destruction of heavy native vegetation, including large trees.

The worst mini-tornado result I have ever seen, was South of Higginsville, W.A. in July 1975. Whilst living on my gold mine at Higginsville, I endured a very frightening July night with a very strong and violent cold front passing through, with sustained winds in the region of 80-110kmh, all night.

In the morning, I drove down the Coolgardie-Norseman Road to Norseman, and about 10kms S of Higginsville, I encountered the result of a mini-tornado that had crossed the highway - that was more like an American, full-size tornado.

The area was native W.A. Goldfields vegetation, with substantial amounts of trees - Gimlet, Goldfields Blackbutt, and other large trees such as Salmon Gums, up to 20-25M high.

A mini-tornado had developed in the front during the night, and it had cut a path of destruction through the trees and native vegetation, that resembled a scene similar to two bulldozers dragging a heavy clearing chain through the countryside.

Large trees were completely twisted off at heights of a metre to two metres off the ground, and virtually all the vegetation was flattened over a width of about 400-500 metres, and for a total distance of about 2 kms.

I have never ever encountered such frightening destruction and the power in a tornado-like event, before or since - but this destructive event indicated what is possible when the right weather conditions prevail.

As KGW says, you need to be alert to such conditions possibly developing, and ensure you and your aircraft are well away from these particularly destructive event/s.

A farmer friends machinery shed, after a mini-tornado hit -

And of course, if you want the evidence of what a full-size tornado can do to aircraft, check out the American tornado that destroyed almost 2/3rds of the U.S.'s SAC heavy bomber fleet of Convair B-36 Peacemakers, at Carswell AFB in 1952.

The B-36's had a wingspan of 70M and were physically bigger than B747's - but the tornado threw dozens of them into piles like kids toys.

A total of 83 of these massive bombers were damaged in the tornado, around 30 of them suffering severe damage that necessitated months of major repairs.

The USAAF no longer risk storm damage to valuable aircraft, they fly them to areas away from the predicted storm paths.

https://theaviationgeekclub.com/remembering-the-1952-carswell-afb-tornado-that-damaged-two-thirds-of-sacs-b-36-force/

CASA will have to double its size and triple the amount of regulations, if the Japs ever reach the stage of a viable flying car. I can't imagine them ever becoming viable, until a fully automated guidance system is part of the design.

...then felt obliged to add ... "When our truly original Chinese light aircraft engines from Banana province, ChongChing, are available in large numbers for low prices, you will see a revolution in the recreational flying industry in Ostlalia, and it will be wholly and solely thanks to our BRI initiative, plus the superhuman efforts of Chairman Jinping and Chairman Dan of Chingtoria, who has now been elevated to a position in the CCP, that is only.......

We are being ripped off mercilessly by both the servos and the oil companies. The historical average profit level for servos was 2 to 3 cents per litre. In recent times it has been 14-18 cents per litre - and up to 30 c.p.l.

I have never seen so many new servos being installed as I have seen in the last 12-18 mths. Even old sites where a servo was ripped out and the site left vacant - they are now building new servos back there again.

The global money is pouring into fuel retailing, because it is vastly more profitable than any other retail operation. Personally, I love the fact that Costco has moved in to Australia, and is into fuel retailing.

At the Perth Airport Costco, the queues for fuel are always huge, and the fuel savings are enormous. The savings are often around 15 to 20 c.p.l.

FlyBoy1960's duty advice is wrong, there definitely is a 5% DUTY (besides GST) on aircraft parts, as Kyle Comms has pointed out, and found the relevant legislation.

Import Duties WERE supposed to be dropped when the GST came in, then the Govt decided some duties had to stay.

I've done my share of importing, and been reamed mercilessly for charges, fees, duties, and GST, just like every other person who imports. It's like a big luscious pie, and everyone has to have their finger in it.

Anything built in Europe has huge, hidden "European taxes" associated with it. I'm sure anytime we buy European, we're financing the Europeans pensions on a huge scale.

I see no reason to not support locally made. We have a very good local light aircraft industry, Jabiru has worldwide respect, and the beauty of buying local, is not only does your money stay here, you can get prompt product support.

I can recall talking to an old Dutch businessman, a pump engineer, in the early 1990's, who endured WW2 as a youngster in the Netherlands.

He told us how they would watch the bombers go overhead from the fields, they would appear to fill the entire sky. They'd appear in the morning, and go back in the afternoon.

Obviously, this was later in the War, after D-Day, when the Americans had huge bomber numbers available and the Luftwaffe was becoming feeble.

Many sites speak of 1000-bomber raids, but the British were only able to sustain 1 x 1000 bomber raid - on Cologne in 1942.

But the Americans sustained numerous 1000-bomber raids. The sight of a sky almost totally filled with bombers must have been overwhelming, particularly for a young person.

Of 7377 Lancasters produced, 3932 were lost in the War - more than 53% of them. And we must never forget the more than 55,000 brave Lancaster crews, who died in them.

You never empty ashes directly into an airstream. You cast out a container that is arranged to open, once clear of the airflow around the aircraft. That can't be too hard to engineer.

Here is a relevant crashworthiness comparison of the various materials. Note that fire is not even considered in the article below.

Not only are the composite materials more flammable, the smoke from burning composite materials, is quite toxic.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1687814018794080

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Bridge_Airport

....to again look like something that women would want to frequent. However, the women that turn up to frequent the Downside Hall, are not your usual breed of women. They belong to that curious group known as......

Mothguy is correct. This particular Northrop Gamma 2G of Cochran's went through three major engine alterations.

Initially fitted with a Curtiss Conqueror V12 (V-1750), this engine proved troublesome, and constantly overheated, and had supercharger problems.

The Curtiss was replaced with a 14 cylinder P&W Twin Wasp during Cochran's ownership. I personally believe the original engine made for superb aircraft lines, but it was not a successful engine.

During Howard Hughes lease period, he re-engined the aircraft with a 9 cylinder Wright Cyclone (SGR-1820-G5), specifically to win the long-distance speed race from L.A. to N.Y.

Cochran did not sell the Gamma 2G to Hughes and she recovered it from him at the end of his lease period - and the Wright Cyclone was removed and the Twin Wasp was again re-installed, in April 1936.

Oddly, the Wright Cyclone installed by Hughes was not certified, due to its newness, and the Gamma with this engine was never approved for flight by the U.S. Dept of Commerce.

Sadly, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair in a landing accident in July 1936, and was written off.

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/northrop-gamma-2g/

Student Pilot - Correct on the ladies ID, her often mis-spelt name is Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran, famous businesswoman and aviatrix of renown. The first woman to break the sound barrier in an aircraft.

As regards the aircraft ID - sorry, not even remotely correct, try again.

Old K - Not really a friend of Howard Hughes - but he did lease the aircraft from her after much badgering, with an option to purchase. Not one of Howard Hughes toys, but he greatly desired the aircraft.

Kasper - Sorry, not correct on the aircraft ID. Do you really suffer from misogyny that much, that you'd completely dismiss a famous aviatrix as unworthy of even being identified?

If you like to think you can understand every version of English, I defy anyone to get a good handle on the Highland Scottish dialect.

Download "Da Tree Peerie Grice" story from the site below (illustrated PDF format) and see how you go with a common childrens fable in the Highland dialect.

I'll make this one a little harder. Extra points if you tell us the girls name. (You can enlarge the photo by clicking on it).

Don't forget, these are the same people who pronounce "nuclear" as "noo-kal-ear", and aluminium as "aloo-min-um".

I guess, despite the accents and local terminology and differing pronunciations, we can at least usually understand each other. But I had a Scot, a parts interpreter, on the phone the other day - and I couldna' unnerstan' the laddie!

This, despite my mother being Scottish!! She was always surprised that people would still say, "Oh, you're Scottish", as soon as she spoke, even after she'd been living in Australia for 60 years.

....get over the fact that Cappy formerly used firearms magazines to reach orgasm. "It's a 'Boys-From-the-Bush' thing", nodded Turbo sagely, "You have to think about how little they have to entertain and educate themselves, in those backwoods places like Wagga and Kapooka. You know, they think that pocket billiards is a National sport in those regions, and you ought to see what they........

....to find one of these mystical Flying Same Tractors, which had been reported by the local highly superstitious natives. "I'm convinced I saw a Flying Same Tractor!", said one Heremoana, when he was interviewed by a local news crew.

"You couldn't have!", stated the cameraman loudly, "That kind of thing only happens in Victoria! - well-known now, as the land of the Flying Pigs, and the State of Lockdown, where everyone is treated like a Barwon Prison inmate!"

Meantimes, Cappy was still hanging around and leaning on the letterbox, anxiously waiting for the postie to deliver his latest copy of "World Famous Tractors produced by Chairman Jinping", to add to his huge collection of "Tractors of Chairman Mao" magazines.

It was a little-known fact that Cappy was a secret admirer of Chairman Dan, and was hoping there would soon be a magazine issue headed, "Famous Victorian Tractors produced under Chairman Dan". Unfortunately for Cappy, living in the State of Largely Chinese-owned Housing and Property, he was totally unaware that Victorian Tractor production had ceased long ago, when the International Harvester tractor factories in Geelong and Port Melbourne shut down in 1986.

However, thanks to living in the State of Time Warp and Permanent Corruption, Cappy was totally unaware of what was happening in the rest of Australia, let alone the rest of the World. In fact, he was convinced the Vietnam War was still running, and no-one could convince him otherwise. Then came the day......

Use glycerine. It's not only a good lubricant, it's an excellent rubber preservative.

.....Onetrack - "The NES has sunk so low (AVREF), these pathetic contributors are actually talking about, and showing pictures of - tractors! - instead of aircraft! It has become obvious the Giant Jedi Rat is a plant for the CCP, as part of the Thousand Talents programme - which programme is now concentrating on steadily and insidiously subverting a band of happy aviation enthusiasts, into lovers of RED CHINESE TRACTORS!"

"While there are some aircraft that have been considered to be little better than "tractors of the sky", this is no reason to pervasively subvert the Wreck Fly-in site into a TRACTOR forum!!", Onetrack moaned.

"I actually came here to get a break from talking tractors on other forums! Now the Giant Jedi Rat has fallen under the influence of a huge Red Chinese Tractor, and forgotten all about his aviation (AVREF) roots!"

"I think I know what we can do with The Rat, to break him out of his slow descent into Chinese-speak and his growing love for Red Chinese Tractors", said Hi-Ho. "It won't be a pretty sight, but these types of subversion manias need some savage treatment, and we'll have to start with.....

Ooops, they glossed over the chopper crashing onto its side on the test.

The haircuts and the hairstyles!! OMG!!

And the lack of safety procedures, and not a skerrick of hi-viz in sight, anywhere!!?

How did all those people survive into old age??

They are running joyflights, and their Facebook page shows joyflight photos as recently as 08/08/20.

https://www.perthjoyflights.com.au/ct4a-air-trainer/

The weather isn't looking too promising for the next few days, for the South-Eastern and Eastern parts of Australia.

There's a massive pool of freezing polar air in a low pressure system and associated cold front, making its way rapidly NE, from directly below the Bight.

This polar air mass is predicted to bring very cold conditions to those areas, and snow to the snow-prone areas of the East, around the weekend and into next week.

http://satview.bom.gov.au/

.....I voted Labor once!" - after which confession he looked like he'd just been told his death sentence had been revoked.

"I falsified my logbook once!", (avref) admitted Cappy, looking at the ground shamefully. "Just once?", cried Turbo. "We all know your logbook has been falsified more than a truckies logbook!"

"That's not true!", spluttered Cappy, "You know I only did it just the once, simply because......