Eye In The Sky
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Yup, it was commonly referred to as “the bubble”.
Birth of a Giant, the designing and building of the Argus ASW aircraft
- Thread starter Colin Parkinson
- Start date
Yup, it was commonly referred to as “the bubble”.
Halifax Tar
Army.ca Fixture
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I bet that's a cool ride!
Eye In The Sky
Army.ca Legend
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I sat in the seat as a kid and thought it was the coolest thing ever. Not flying though, back then you had to be 16 I think to fly on Family Day.
Weinie
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I heard it could be cold though.
Eye In The Sky
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I never thought of that. Wonder how it was heated and cooled…have to give Dad a call in the next day or two and ask.
According to an ex-colleague who rode there, it could be absolutely terrifying. Easy to simulate though. Find yourself an old Hu69, strap yourself in and then go out over the Atlantic and drop down to where you are just around the spray line at full speed. Now add in head winds and 30 ft. waves along with the associated turbulence. Of course the outside temp. is right around the freezing mark so that bubble is constantly icing up and flaking off. Makes a hell of a noise. And your ride lasts for hours. As the motto says: "There's no life like it!"
Blackadder1916
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While an exhilarating ride in the bubble, occasionally picked things up along the way.
Bird Strikes
Because the Argus operated at low altitudes and in the avian-rich maritime environment, it was susceptible to bird-strike events. Gulls striking the large aircraft in its vulnerable nose and wing leading edge areas could cause a good amount of damage to the aircraft, let alone the crew members who might be in the exposed observation area of the nose. Two such incidences are described here.
Bird Strike on Take-off. On 4 September 1960, Argus 20722 of No. 405 Squadron piloted by W/C C.N. Torontow and co-pilot, F/L D.R. Watson suffered multiple bird strikes during a night take-off from RAF Kinloss in Northern Scotland. The fully glazed, Perspex nose of the aircraft was shattered and the nose compartment was full of dead seagulls, blood, guts and feathers. Additionally, the windscreen was damaged and there were numerous dents in the leading edge of the wings. The pilots and flight engineer managed to get the aircraft airborne long enough to complete one circuit of the airfield before landing safely.
Bird Strike and Personal Injury. On 14 December 1962, Argus 20735 of No. 415 Squadron, piloted by F/L A.F. Farris, was conducting an exercise with a RCN submarine. Flying Officer B.R. Johnson, a radio officer, was in the nose compartment when a seagull penetrated the Perspex and struck Johnson on the left foot, splintering the bone in his left toe. The nose compartment was filled with gale-force frigid air along with the remains of the deceased seagull. The compartment had to be evacuated and sealed off, whereupon the aircraft returned to base as the radio officer required medical attention for his injuries.
Bird Strikes
Because the Argus operated at low altitudes and in the avian-rich maritime environment, it was susceptible to bird-strike events. Gulls striking the large aircraft in its vulnerable nose and wing leading edge areas could cause a good amount of damage to the aircraft, let alone the crew members who might be in the exposed observation area of the nose. Two such incidences are described here.
Bird Strike on Take-off. On 4 September 1960, Argus 20722 of No. 405 Squadron piloted by W/C C.N. Torontow and co-pilot, F/L D.R. Watson suffered multiple bird strikes during a night take-off from RAF Kinloss in Northern Scotland. The fully glazed, Perspex nose of the aircraft was shattered and the nose compartment was full of dead seagulls, blood, guts and feathers. Additionally, the windscreen was damaged and there were numerous dents in the leading edge of the wings. The pilots and flight engineer managed to get the aircraft airborne long enough to complete one circuit of the airfield before landing safely.
Bird Strike and Personal Injury. On 14 December 1962, Argus 20735 of No. 415 Squadron, piloted by F/L A.F. Farris, was conducting an exercise with a RCN submarine. Flying Officer B.R. Johnson, a radio officer, was in the nose compartment when a seagull penetrated the Perspex and struck Johnson on the left foot, splintering the bone in his left toe. The nose compartment was filled with gale-force frigid air along with the remains of the deceased seagull. The compartment had to be evacuated and sealed off, whereupon the aircraft returned to base as the radio officer required medical attention for his injuries.
Colin Parkinson
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Always knew those Sh*thawks were secret communists moles, working hard to take out our ASW assets.
