Gasometers are hit for six
Are gasometers redundant?
Telescopic gasholders were designed in the 1820s to store gas produced by burning coal. The first working example was built in leeds in 1824, and its steellatticed descendants began to dominate skylines throughout Britain from the middle of the 19th century.
They would rise as gas was produced and fall as it was used during the day.
With the move to natural gas and the creation of a national grid network, gasometers were rendered redundant.
Most have been dismantled but some have been listed, such as Gasholder No 1 at the oval in south london, famous as the backdrop to surrey and england cricket matches. When completed in 1879, it was the largest in the world.
Britain’s last working gasholder, at Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, was decommissioned in 2012.
T. Randle, Chesterfield, Derbys. Gas is stored at high pressure in the pipeline making up the gas grid. There are small stations around the country where the high pressure gas is reduced to a lower pressure for use.
in 1970, i was part of a team at British steel in corby who designed a testing machine for the 20 in high pressure pipe used in the grid. Ultrasonic probes scanned it in a spiral pattern.
Versions of this machine are still in use worldwide, mechanically the same, but with up-to-date electronics.
Chris Gunn, Kettering, Northants.
Were Barack Obama adverts inserted into video games in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election campaign?
THe 2008 campaign was dubbed the Facebook election as Barack obama became the first politician to harness the power of the internet.
He even managed to get the attention of teenagers playing video games. The obama campaign bought a month of billboard ads in popular games such as Burnout paradise, Madden 09, Nascar 09, NHl 09 and skate.
While whizzing around a virtual track, gamers were confronted with billboards featuring the presidential candidate explaining that ‘early voting has begun’ and to ‘vote for change’.
obama’s campaign saw him gain almost 70 per cent of the vote among under-25s and romp to victory over Republican candidate John Mccain.
Jonathan Walters, Bury, Lancs.
What happened to the aircraft after the filming of 633 Squadron?
THe 1964 film 633 squadron was based on a 1956 novel by Frederick e. smith and was filmed at RaF Bovingdon and MGM Borehamwood studios.
eleven Mosquito airframes were sourced for the production by the film’s technical adviser, Group captain T. G. ‘Hamish’ Mahaddie. Used as high- speed target tugs at exeter airport and flown by civilian pilots, they were the last Mosquitoes in RaF service and were retired two months before filming.
Five were airworthy, three were destroyed in simulated crashes and the others were used for studio work and ground scenes.
The Mosquitos sRs712, Rs709, Ta639, Ta719 and TW117 are in non-airworthy condition in various museums. collector Kermit Weeks in the U.s. hopes to restore Mosquito B.35 Rs712 to flying condition.
The nose of Mosquito B.35 TJ118, used for cockpit scenes in the film, can be seen at the D. H. aircraft Heritage centre at london colney. T. 3 TV959, which appeared in a dismantled state in the film, was bought by the imperial War
Museum and then the Fighter collection at Duxford, cambridgeshire.
it was sold to avspecs in New Zealand, who restored it. operated by the Flying Heritage collection in seattle, it is the only Mosquito used in 633 squadron which is airworthy.
in 1968, oakmont productions made the low-budget film Mosquito squadron at RaF Bovingdon using two of the airworthy Mosquitoes, Rs712 and Rs709, from 633 squadron.
it also used RR299 and Ta634, which had not been in the earlier film, B.35 Ta719 in a static role and the nose of TJ118 for cockpit scenes.
Rs709 was sold to the UsaF Museum in Dayton, ohio, while RR299 was a display aircraft for British aerospace until it was destroyed in a fatal crash in July 1996. Ta719 was restored to static condition and can be seen at the imperial War Museum, Duxford.
Ta634 never flew after the making of Mosquito squadron and can be seen at the D. H. aircraft Heritage centre in london colney.
Ta642 and Ta724 (both Type B.35) were destroyed in 1963.
The other two survivors from 633 squadron are T3. TW117, which is in the Bodo Museum in Norway, and B.35 Ta639, which can be seen at the RaF cosford museum.
Dr Colin M. Barron, author of Planes On Film, Dunblane, Stirlingshire.