British universal carrier of 52nd Reconnaissance Regiment moving at speed over rough ground , Scotland, November 1942.

At high speed

.. Please put a penny in the old man's hat ...  Gunner Jack Ward, 9th Regiment, Medium Artillery (Royal Artillery) displays the star turns in his battery's Christmas dinner, December, 1944.  I may not be around much in the next week (Lonestar celebrates !) so I would like to take this opportunity to wish everbody In Here (even Lonestar) a very Happy Christmas, and a prosperous New Year.  With very best regards, JR.

Christmas is coming and the Goose is getting fat,

A combination of a Willy MB Jeep, a rotaplane, and some creative design, the Rotabuggy was assembled by helicopter pioneer Raul Hafner. Better known as the Blitz Buggy by Hafner, it was an experimental aircraft that evolved from the other “Rota concepts” (the Rota Tank and the Rotachute). Despite looking absolutely ridiculous and almost cartoon-like, the Rotabuggy successfully went airborne, reaching gliding speeds of 45 mph in its first trial, in 1943. It flew at 65 mph for 10 minutes in 1944. It was also surprisingly sturdy, withstanding falls from 7 ft. without experiencing damage. Despite being an engineering success and deemed to be “highly satisfactory,” the Rotabuggy was overlooked and phased out by the introduction of the more sensible Waco Hadrian glider. A replica can be found in the Museum of Army Flying, in Stockbridge.

