«Working on an airfield is vastly different from the confines of a factory workshop. The close contact with the completed product, and the knowledge that was one did, if not done properly, might risk the life of any of the pilots we got to know, induced a form of self-discipline, and of course always, whilst on dayshift, there was flying to watch. Many of our Spitfires were test flown by by service pilots who were resting between operational tour of duties. One I remember vividly – was a Belgian – and as mad as a March Hare. I was in attendance on him one day, and while chatting during a minor engine adjustment by our Rolls-Royce representative, he bet me that even if I stook on the battery trolley-acc, he could still come upon me by surprise and force me to jump down. He did too – after throwing the Spit all over the sky he went low below the hump in the middle of our airfield and I expected him to come powering in from the Pyrotechnics works direction [at High Post], but, cunningly, he went further towards Salisbury along the Woodford Valley, then turned in over Old Sarum and hedge-hopped to finally hurtle in over small woods on my left, and so low that had I not jumped, Im sure the whizzing prop would have decapitated me. When he landed I had to concede that he was the victor, but the final laugh was on him. He reported to the inspector, of vibration in the port wing, and at the Inspectors request I removed the post nose fillet panel to allow him to look inside. As I drew away I noticed a square inch of metal just beyond the first wing nose rib. Lifting it all out I was amazed to find it was eighteen inches long – obviously a riveters bar and weighing all of two or three pounds. Poor old Belgie, he had been throwing the Spit about with this great lump of metal clattering about loose in the wing. The inspector, quite rightly, had all the access covers and wing doors removed, but despite rigorous search with torchlight, and mirrors on sticks, no damage was found. I hope Belgies luck held for the remainder of his wartime flying. The dolly-bar was never claimed by any riveter.» (C.R Russel, 1985, Spitfire Oddessey, My life at Supermarine, p. 111-112).
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 10:49:59 +0000
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