Beefsteak 305 Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I've just read about the "Dambusters" mechanism , and there was no mention of them being powered by motor bike engines , I shall have to have a re read and shall publish my findings in the morning. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,592 Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Read in Paul Brickhills book the Dambusters that they used a starter motor from a Mosquito aircraft and connected it to the bomb using a bicycle chain and sprockets, through using the right ratio of gearing they managed to get the bomb to spin backwards at the right speed, things had to be lightweight because of the total weight of bomb and fuel needed to get to the dams and back was critical Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted November 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 I did say it was a rumour Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 Powered by the hydraulic system from the (Removed) top middle turret and bomb bay doors!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,592 Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 Ayup Ian, I thought the release gear was hydraulically operated and the rotation was mechanically operated, no doubt firbeck will come on and tell us it was released by a piece of string supplied by a member of his family !rotfl! Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 Back to the book again.............Sigh !!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Owdtite 2 Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 Any of you bikers recall the 41 club? they used to meet at the Pelican pub in Bilborough, also a guy called 'Beau', he rode a Norton Dominator?? and also Mick Pinder, no bike but very flash leather jacket!!! Both used to frequent the Aspley boys club behind the church on Aspley lane............ I was one of the founder members of the 41 club that used to meet outside the Pelican, will have to rattle the old brain to remember some names though! John Bolstridge was definately a founder member and I went to school with him. My Bikes. Tiger cub. Norton Dominator 99 600cc. Suziki GT 250cc Owdtite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 I was one of the founder members of the 41 club Owdtite. Remember a David Griffiths ( Griff ) ??? a Bilborough lad Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted March 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 don't recall Griff, remember Bo though, at time he lived on Melbourne Rd, I told him of the 650 BSA for sale, far as I know last bike he had? also remember Tony Davenport and Jeff Wheatley and 2 twins, can't recall names but one went out with Val Hopcroft. Later there were Ivett, John Singleton, Big Mick, Big Baz, Tony Tinhead, (sadly killed) Tich, Mick the Noo, some crazy guy who put a steering wheel on his bike! Ammo, Bruce, Ivan,Tubs and many more, used to go on alot of rallies with them Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Owdtite 2 Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 You have just jogged my awful memory with a few names, I recall, Jeff Wheatley, Tony Davenport, Ricky Burton (Lovely 350 BSA Gold Star in racing trim), Trev Dewey, Phil and Audrey Lines......I am sure a few other names will come to me in time. One thing I will never forget is one of the Lads screaming up towards the Pelican on a brand new Honda 305, never saw a Jap bike till that moment, the noise coming from it was beautiful and something I shall never forget...(wish I could remember the lads name tho).Oh happy days!! Owdtite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Limey 242 Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 So what do/did you ride Owdtite? I think I need to bring my list up-to-date! I sold my W650 to a friend (also a brit - but a "southerner"!) and bought myself a 2000 Kawasaki Concours - known in Europe as a GTR1000. Still have the '78 KZ-650 but am trying to keep the miles off it, as it is now somewhat of a "show" bike! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Owdtite 2 Posted March 25, 2010 Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 Hi Limey, Triumph Tiger Cub 200cc brought from Roy Wharton on Radford Rd, fell off doing my test behind the Futurist when asked to do an emergency stop on wet cobbles, think the guy felt sorry for me cos he passed me. Norton Dominator 99 600cc brought from Kingstons on Canal St (rob dog)Kept blowing holes in top of piston whenever it went above the ton. Suzuki 250 GT, first and only Jap bike,like sugar off a shovel after British bikes..6 gears(whats all that about then)..lol Owdtite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted March 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2010 yes remember phil and audrey, did that 350 goldie finish up with Dave Bud? mind you I think johnny sentence has one too? Do you remember Mick Brittle, he also had a 500cc Goldie, (also best guitarist I've ever heard) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
piggy and babs 544 Posted April 18, 2010 Report Share Posted April 18, 2010 Hi Ashley Walking into Beeston this morning who should we bump into John Greenfield and his wife Elaine, Re - your photo on the 10th Feb. Have told him about the forum. He has still got a couple of bikes one of which is a Harley. He went down to the White Hart last week. Val RE JONNY GREENFIELD AND ELAIN SAW THEM YESTERDAY IN WHITE HART, JONNY IN WHEELCHAIR AT THE MOMENT STILL IN HOSPITAL GOT KNOCKED DOWN BY A LORRY SOMEHOW HIS LEFT LEG IN SPLINT AT THE MOMENT CAME OUT FOR SOME FRESH AIR AND WALKED ACROSS TO THE HART. BABS AND PIGGY Quote Link to post Share on other sites
piggy and babs 544 Posted April 18, 2010 Report Share Posted April 18, 2010 not THE Val is it? (puts on tin helmet) ex Ruddington? lol Haven't seen John and Elaine since White Hart reunion I organised at The Beechdale (sounds odd I know but at time not welcome at the Hart) HI ASH ARE YOU THINKING OF BIG VAL DONT KNOW IF YOU KNOW BUT SHE WAS KILLED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO OUT ON HER BIKE BABS AND PIGGY Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted April 18, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2010 Dave, sent you a private email, please get in touch, ."6 gears(whats all that about then)..lol Owdtite." Well I guess just marketing, bit like the 5 speed Royal Oilfields, certainly not "needed" if I remember correctly both the suzuki and Enfields faster in next to top gears? I had to laugh when Benelli brought out the 4 cylinder 250, after that Kawasaki adverised the S1 or whatever later 250 then called as "still the only 3 cylinder 250cc"? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OLDACE 196 Posted April 27, 2010 Report Share Posted April 27, 2010 Dave, sent you a private email, please get in touch, ."6 gears(whats all that about then)..lol Owdtite." Well I guess just marketing, bit like the 5 speed Royal Oilfields, certainly not "needed" if I remember correctly both the suzuki and Enfields faster in next to top gears? I had to laugh when Benelli brought out the 4 cylinder 250, after that Kawasaki adverised the S1 or whatever later 250 then called as "still the only 3 cylinder 250cc"? I had an R/E Continental 5 speed in 1963, the 5th gear was very high, the speedo showed a ton once when going down the hill on the A614 about a couple of miles from the White Post. The only other Enfield I had was a Meteor Minor 500cc. Thrashed it mercilessly, never let me down. So here are my bikes, those I can remember. 1959 250cc Panther Mod 35. 1961 350cc Matchless G3H. 1962 650cc AJS Mod 31 1963 250cc R/Enfield Continental 1962 500cc Triumph Speed Twin. 1961 650cc Triumph T110 1965 650cc Triumph T120 Bonneville 1960 350cc Jawa 1959 600cc Matchless G11 Combination 1959 500cc R/Enfield Meteor Minor 1929 500cc Ariel Mod H with Swallow Launch Sidecar. 1958 1000cc Ariel Square Four in Featherbed Frame. 1960 500cc BSA A7SS Cafe Racer. 1959 198cc Francis Barnet Falcon. 1956 198cc DMW Mod 29? 1954 250cc BSA C11 1983 350cc Jawa Combination. 1958 650cc BSA Golden Flash. As you can see I was a British Bike fan, I sold the Golden Flash 5 years ago, and now use 4 wheels. Ashley you now know who I am. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted April 27, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2010 Yes indeed! I was right with my guess, sent you a pm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Limey 242 Posted April 27, 2010 Report Share Posted April 27, 2010 ..."6 gears(whats all that about then)..lol...if I remember correctly both the suzuki and Enfields faster in next to top gears? You will find that even cars with 5 (or 6) -speeds will typically go faster in 4th. 5th/6th are almost always overdriven gears designed for economy, not speed and the engine simply cannot generate enough power at lower RPMs to make the car/bike go faster. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 27, 2010 Report Share Posted April 27, 2010 I used to drive a Transit van with a switch on the gear knob, you went up through the first 4 gears as normal and then were supposed to drop back down to 3rd and throw the switch, this worked OK sometimes and overdrive kicked in fine , you were then supposed to change up into 4th for the second gear of overdrive, only downsides were, if you had a load on the back (Which you did 99% of the time) you lost speed as if you were going up a 45 degree slope, and occasionally it didn't engage and you'd be driving up the M1 screaming the taters out of it after you'd dropped it down to 3rd at 60 MPH!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Limey 242 Posted April 27, 2010 Report Share Posted April 27, 2010 Yes indeed! I was right with my guess, sent you a pm Ain't this site brilliant? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
deegee99 0 Posted April 29, 2010 Report Share Posted April 29, 2010 Does anyone remember the tiny corner custom bike shop in the Meadows, might have been Kirby Street, had an Ariel Square Four chopper in the window? I can clearly recall pressing my nose up against the window to look at its classic old skool looks. Think Boothbys Batteries was on the corner or very near it on Arkwright Street. Over the road at one time was a place that did fibreglass bits, seem to remember there being a gp sidecar mould in the window. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OLDACE 196 Posted April 30, 2010 Report Share Posted April 30, 2010 The fibre glass firm was Brierley-Smith, they made tanks fairings etc, they also made a jetski, it was in Macton Motors on Arkwright Street in early 1963. It may have been a prototype, but it was way ahead of it's time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
denshaw 2,871 Posted May 1, 2010 Report Share Posted May 1, 2010 The Ariel Square Four was on Kirkwhite street, some shop near Bruce Grove. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
deegee99 0 Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Ah, thanks guys, they were troubling me Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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