Boeing B-29 'Over Exposed' Crash site - Derbyshire UK

Out & About Introduction.

The new "Out and About" section of this blog is going to be dedicated to interesting places in and around the North west of England.  The idea really is to document recent places I have visited and offer a brief potted history and perhaps inspire others to get out there and see for themselves.

The first 'Out and About' entry features a hill top scramble to find the fascinating crash site of an Ill fated American B-29 heavy bomber which crash landed some 70 years ago and still lies in pieces atop a bleak moor in Derbyshire.....

Boeing B-29 Superfortress 'Over Exposed' Crash Site.

RB-29 Recon USAF

The same B-29 'Over Exposed' in action

Tragedy on the Moors 1948

On the morning of November 3rd 1948 an american recon superfortress took off from RAF Scampton in lincolnshire on a routine flight across England to the USAF base at Burtonwood near Warrington, Cheshire.  Carrying a total of 10 crew members and 3 passengers (plus the wages for the base) the B-29 never made the short 86 mile journey across the Pennine hills subsequently raising the alarm when it failed to land in Warrington. Rescue teams were alerted and later that morning the burning carcass of the bomber was spotted high up on the moors at a spot called high shelf stones.
By chance an RAF mountain rescue team were on manouvers a few miles away and went to assist the emergency only to find that all on board had sadly perished in the fire.

Photograph of the wreckage taken by mountain rescue 1948

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress 'Over Exposed'
As the nick name suggests this bomber was in fact an photographic and recon aircraft once used in the gathering of information of early american Atom bomb tests over the atols of the pacific.
It would be a B-29 such as this that would go on to flatten the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima with nuclear bombs in 1945 - the famous B-29 'Enola Gay'

B29 Stats
Wing Span: 141 feet
Length: 99 feet
Height: 29 feet
Speed: 400Mph
Engines: 4 x Wright R-3350s
Power: 2200 Hp per engine
Max gross weight: 141,100 lbs

The Boeing B-29 was a huge 4 engined heavy bomber !


Where is it?

Location: Higher shelf stones, Bleaklow, Derbyshire, England
Coordinates: N53°27.039  W001°51.904
Altitude: 1976 feet asl
Ordnance Survey map: OL1 - The dark peak (peak district)
Nearest Town: Glossop
Nearest parking: lay-by A57 Snake pass near Glossop
Terrain: Peat moorland/Cloughs/Dykes/marshy in places.

'X' marks the spot

*The photo above shows a crude route to the crash site marked on my map. Starting at the bottom (the circle) follow the arrows along the Pennine way trail then take a left off the path, over the rough moorland and acend to the X marker

1. After Taking the A57 'Snake pass' road out of the town of Glossop the road began to rise steadily for a few miles until eventually the road levelled out with large open spaces to both sides of the road.  Along the left hand side of the road began evidence of a rough looking lay-by of sorts which is perhaps the best place to park.  

Section of the Pennine way trail

2. Adjacent to a small pool on the left side of the road is a wooden sign post indicating the Pennine Way trail.  Walking north along the trail (away from the road) the path is a mixture of rough stones and paving slabs. Easy to navigate unless it has been snowing. Looking to the east the rising peak of high shelf stones can be seen. This is the place to head for.

3. The next step would be to leave the Pennine Way and head across the moorland and ascend the mount to the left but finding a suitable place to do a left hand turn would prove to be difficult.
Apparently there is a trail across the moorland but this was never found.
Instead the left turn was made when the hill was along side and the sides of the trail were low enough to climb over. This is perhaps not the best strategy but it worked.

Triangulation point on the summit

4. Navigating the various dykes, groughs and hags can be a tricky and potentially dangerous activity. Unless going completely out of the way it seems impossible to avoid at last two or three of these (sometimes deep) peat ravines. Many if not all are carry water down off the moor in the valley below. In winter time they can be completely covered in snow making them hard to negotiate. Extra care therefore must be taken when making a route across the moor. Its very easy to fall down a hole! Care should also be taken not to damage any of the various heather or mosses which cover the area.

5. The easiest way to find the crash site is to find the trig point first. It isn't that hard to find once at the top of the hill. Some really breath taking views can be observed from here.
The crash site is only about 100-200 feet from the summit but it isn't visible.

Scene of devistation

4. From the trig point the crash site is North east down the slope, over a few peat gulleys and the crash will become visible. It covers quite an area!

5. The return journey is much easier to navigate due to the view point from the hill. A light patch of undergrowth can be seen running down the hill and across the moor back to where it meets the Pennine way again. Its not as complicated as it sounds.
on a clear day its easy to see the cars parked by the road side in the distance so heading west then south down the trail again always leads back to the car. (not so useful in bad visibility)

Tangled, mangled remains from the past...

Wheel stantion

one of the four huge propellor engines

Remains of a tyre

The Memorial stone and plaque

Memorial plaque

USAF personnel lost

Captain Landon P. Tanner (pilot)

Captain Harry Stroud (co-pilot)

Technical Sergeant Ralph Fields (Chief engineer)

Sergeant Charles Willbanks (navigator)

Staff Sergeant Gene A. Gartner (radio operator)

David D. Moore (radio operator)

Technical Sergeant Saul R. Banks (camera op)

Sergeant Donald R. Abrogast (camera op)

Sergeant Robert R. Doyle (camera op) 

Private first class William M. Burrows (camera op)

Captain Howard Keel (technical advisor)

Corporal M. Franssen (passenger)

Corporal George Ingram (passenger)

R.I.P. 

Rememberance day poppies festoon the site

Final thoughts
Taking a walk to the top of high shelf stones is both invigorating and emotional. On one hand the complete feeling of peace and being at one with nature and on the other saddened and respectful as you walk through the remaining wreckage of the B-29. It's difficult to put into words.
A highly recommended walk for the reasonably fit.

Kappler Zytron Z400 Hazmat Suit

Kappler Zytron Z400 Chemical Protection Suit

Manufacturer: Kappler
Model: Z400
Style: Z4H428
Country of Origin: USA
Condition: New
Price: £13.00 free shipping
Vendor: Private seller on eBay
Shipped from: UK
Description: Personal Chemical Protection suit

First impressions
I think I have always wanted a real hazmat suit of my own, I'm not quite sure why? Perhaps it's because I have seen so many in the movies over the years.
Due to my recent venture into selling cold war crap it's as good a time as any to buy one for testing with a gas mask.

With my mind set on buying an NBC/Hazmat suit I started searching through the eBay listings looking for a bargain or two.
The auction lots are awash with British army NBC suits and similar but very little in the way of a special coated suit at a good price....Apart from this Kappler Z400

I paid just over £13 for it with free postage which didn't seem too bad for a first purchase.

I had never heard of Kappler before or their suits but a quick search on Google revealed that this US firm was highly regarded as a supplier of quality protective wear.

This Z400 series suit features the Zytron formulated coating which offers protection against a broad range of Chemicals.
It's available in a few different styles including a full helmet version.


What does it protect against?
According to some test results posted on the Kappler site the Z400 suit has been tested against a few nasty things...

Rather than listing every chemical and gas tested against this suit I have left a link below to the Z400 webpage

http://www.kappler.com/index.php/products/zytron400

This suit features a tough zipper which has a protective flap to cover it.
One long piece of sticky tape ensures the flap stays in place.
It feels sturdy enough

The hood part of the suit is elasticated around the edge and offers good head protection.

The inner material can be seen as a white cotton wool looking lining. It's very reminiscent of a standard CSI style boiler suit but with a super coated layer on the outside.

The label inside says it's a 'Disposable' garment and I suppose it is but I can't help thinking that it is strong enough to last out for a while. It's really tough.
The shelf life of the suit is 20+ years according to official data so it can certainly be stored in your shed for a few years I suppose.

One great feature of this suit is its reinforced seams. Totally air tight and waterproof.

I believe the material is folded and heat sealed along the seams making this suit very hard-wearing. 

Testing

I don't plan on chucking battery acid over myself in a feeble attempt at a functionality test, No chance, instead I'm going to take Kappler and the customer testimonials on their word about how effective this suit is. 

As for wearing the suit its really easy to put on.

Just unzip the front and step into it. 

This version of the Z400 has elasticated ankles, wrists and hood which means that a pair of gloves and overboots are also required to be completely protected.

Mobility inside the suit is very good. Plenty of room to move about without feeling baggy.

The size of my Z400 suit was medium with a maximum height size of 5ft 8"  - Just right for me.

Every part of the suit seemed to fit quite well. 

Why would you want one of these?

Well if you are a prepped type then a good cheap suit could be a great addition to your SHTF arsenal. 

Others may buy it for protection for a specific shitty job you have to do. They certainly seem a useful thing to have in the house. 

Rating: ✅✅✅✅✅ 5 out of 5

You cant knock the Z400 for the money, it's terrific value compared to other comparable suits. Preppers take note!

LAIX Tactical Survival Pen Review

Tactical Survival Pen

This pen could save your life!

Price: £1.20 free postage
Manufacturer: LAIX
Model: B2-H
Serial Number: 102786
Description: Heavy duty tactical pen / window punch
Length: 15.5cm
Width: 2cm
Weight:  can't be bothered to weigh it ...Heavy!
Materials: Anodised Aluminium Alloy / Carbide tip

Obscure alphanumerics on the side

First impressions
A survival/tactical pen?!
I got some tactical flashlights in the cupboard here but never heard of a tactical pen?
On first glance I thought these guys were taking the piss but it turns out they do exist and are considered 'Tactical'

Infact these pens have been on the market for some time now (2-3 years?) and they are not a new innovative product - Im just a little late to the party.

Looking around ebay the prices vary wildly. £2 - £30.
I consider this example then to be at the very lowest price mark in the grand scheme of things.

Research would suggest that there are roughly 10 different designs of Tactical Survival pen although that could be wildly under estimated.
The B-2H seems to be one of the more popular styles on eBay but the prices once again are all over the place.

The day I stumbled across this specimen when when I was buying up emergency blankets and keyring saws to sell to mates.
Amongst the Paracord and whistles in the survival listings came a barrage of these pens with low auction starting prices.
Starting at 99p and numerous in listings there seemed enough to go around for everyone. - I got mine for £.1.20 in the end.
Now I'm wondering if the seller has shot himself in the foot letting them all go at under two quid! Especially when I have seen the same pens for a tenner each!?


The pen is constructed from good quality aluminium alloy it would seem.
It's quite heavy, feels solid and looks well made.

The Business end

This pen is so well made that it actually feels indestructible!
It's the most substantial pen I have ever used. Its massive in comparison to normal ball points,  It's hard to write stuff because it's so heavy. Drop it on a table by mistake and it's sounds like you've dropped a brick.

I can't see a way that this pen can be destroyed? (now there's a challenge!)
Aside from the ink cartridge running out this pen will probably be still here and functional in a hundred years time.

 The standard Parker pen arrangement inside

Why is it 'Tactical'? 
I'm not sure. However this pen does feature a toughened window punch at one end. Presumably for when you need to break a window.
Another use for the hammer end could be for fending off assailants? Though I wouldn't condone the use of this pen on anyone's head.
Other than a window punch it's hard to find anything else 'Tactical' or 'functional' on the pen other than the actual ball point bit that writes.



A Carbide tipped window punch?
Whether this pen has a tough carbide tip or not remains to be seen.  It's probably an eBay myth.

I have seen something on the very end which is a different colour metal to the rest of the window punch but as I'm not a metallurgist I wouldn't like to say.

 The aluminium is quite thick in places

Warning! Not to be worn in the pocket of your best keks
I found out the hard way that this pen is a dangerous thing even when it's doing nothing!
During the past few weeks I thought I might put the pen to the test and use it as it was advertised - for every day carry use.
I used this pen extensively on a daily basis keeping it in my trouser pocket when I didn't need it.
Nowhere in the advertising did it say 'might shred your pockets'
After a short time I noticed that the edge of my pocket became frayed and the stitching had come loose in places.
To make matters worse I found that this pen had bore itself a hole through the bottom lining of the pocket causing the lose of loose change.  My best work trousers were wrecked. - thanks to the tactical pen!.

Why is it doing that?
Continually using this pen day in and day out can really make a mess of your clothing
The reason for this hard wearing is down to primarily to a few key elements:

• Knurled side bits - really rough on the inside of pockets
• Pen Clip - very stiff, very tough. this clip alone has caused a hole in a T-Shirt 
• Knurled side bits and pen clip combined - when these two get together you can kiss goodbye to your best Armani's.

The machining on this thing is excellent to be fair

For everyday carrying in your civilian clothes.. forget it!

Unless that is, you have a good Taylor to stitch your clothes back up

What is it like as a Pen?

Bloody awful would best describe the writing experience with this pen.

The sheer extra weight and lack of grip at the front can cause this pen to slip out of your hands quite literally.

If you can get it under control then the width of the pen becomes the problem. No, I don't like it. it may use it to write stuff in an emergency.situation perhaps. 

As a cheap gimmicky gadget then I would say it's worth getting one if only for the looks you get from people.

I don't think I would have paid anymore than the two quid for it when I look back. It's not worth it - to me anyway.

Rating: ✅✅✅ 3 out of 5
Does anyone really need one of these things tearing a hole in their pocket?  For EDC it's awkward, cumbersome and totally unnecessary - However for an indestructible pen its pretty cool and the cost was virtually nothing.
Preppers love this kind of stuff and for that purpose it's ideal.
Not worth paying more than £2 for though.

Gerber GDC Hook Knife Review

Aphoristic Does Bush Craft


Gerber GDC Hook Knife 

Price: 50p
Manufacturer: Gerber (supposedly)
Model: GDC Hook Knife
Shipped From: China
Vendor: Seller libinbin2018 via ebay

First Impressions

I'm still trying to perfect my emergency/SHTF go box. Looking around for any little gizmo or gadget to add to or replace stuff in the box. I saw these popping their heads up every few days and wondered if I should pull the trigger.

Doing a little research revealed that Gerber seem to have discontinued this item, I'm not sure when though. Original pricing was around the £10 mark from online outdoor stores.

I managed to win two separate lots costing 50p and 60p respectively. The first lot arrived the other day in a plain yellow envelope.

Inside the envelope was a little white cardboard box containing the knife and nothing else.

On first inspection we find a rather nicely made knife within a safety sheath.  The blade appears to be made from a piece of coated steel although I'm not 100% sure of that. It's tough and well machined.

The sheath is made from a single piece of tough ABS plastic and features a click lock for holding the knife in place.

There isn't much more to it than that. It's simple in design.

Product code on the back

A genuine Gerber?

Nope!

I think this plain white box was the biggest giveaway as to this items true origin. Gerber never shipped the hook knife in a plain box with a Chinese sticker on it! The original knife was packaged in a small square black box. Another slight omission by the counterfeiters was the lack of a silver split ring through the top hole in the sheath. The original knife does have a ring.

Another little fakery faux pas for those paying attention is the difference in the Gerber logo font. Check out the photo below to compare.  The low price of 50p is another clue to this products shady past. Online stores were selling these for anything up to £10.00 each .....not 50p

Unless the genuine Gerber knife is made from Titanium or Platinum then I reckon this fake will be equally as good and made from similat stuff. That's my guess.

An Authentic Gerber GDC Hook Knife

Testing:
Despite having a dubious pedigree this knife works surprisingly well.
Cutting through a piece of paracord was quick and simple. The knife blade is incredibly sharp meaning you don't have to apply too much pressure when cutting.

I can't see any reason why this knife would be crap in an emergency situation. It's strong, tough and plenty capable.




Rating: ✅✅✅✅✅  5 out of 5 
Despite appearing to be a knockoff, this hook knife is super value for money. The blade is sharp enough to slice through a seat belt and chop through paracord, what more do you want? A useful addition to any keyring.

Military Sighting Compass Review

Aphoristic Does Bush Craft 


Fake Meridian Prismatic Sighting Compass

Price: £3.00 winning bid usually go for £5-£7
Manufacturer: unknown
Model: unknown (K&R Meridian copy)
Description: Military Prismatic sighting Compass
Features: lensatic sighting, side ruler,  glow in the dark dial, spirit level, neck lanyard, marching line. Hard outer case.
Vendor: Seller bestbuy266
Shipped From: UK
What's in the packet?: Compass, neck lanyard,  comprehensive instruction booklet and green nylon carry pouch

For something so cheap it is well presented

First Impressions
I have been looking at these metal framed compasses for a while now and thought I might pull the trigger once a reasonably priced one came along. Lucky for me a UK based firm had this counterfeit Meridian up on auction with a low starting price. The normal ebay price of this model varies from £6 to £10 with free shipping so bagging this one for £3 in the end seemed an achievement.
After a couple of days the compass arrived nicely packaged.
Inside the main postal cardboard box was a rather crap looking retail box. It looked awful. Not the best first impression.
Thankfully a rather nice green pouch slipped out which felt like it had a bit of weight to it.  Inside the nylon pouch was the metal compass and a handy instruction manual.


The Real Meridian

Precision made in Germany by Kasper & Richter the original Meridian was a rugged Prism sighting compass with an appealing appearance and a strong reputation for its quality and reliability. These days it seems that this original model may have been discontinued? The K&R website makes no mention but instead promotes the improved Meridian Pro. This update features a side fitted inclination thing? 

Here is a link to the website Meridian Pro

In terms of looks then my fake copy isn't that far off the real thing. Taking a second look and a few little differences can be noticed but its not a big deal.  Lol I wager the bezel on the real Meridian isn't made from plastic!

In terms of the materials used for this cheap compass I'm in no doubt that it's cheap monkey metal being used here. It's not awful. It's just a little rough and the seni-pro paint job doesn't help the situation either. It doesn't feel very chip resistant?
So it's not like a real Meridian in that respect. Well I knew this from the start and for the £3 I paid it would be daft to expect anything else. Overall considering the build quality and the materials used I would say that this compass should be durable enough for most situations. I'm referring to the outside case here and not the cheap plastic bits on the inside.  Notably cheap plastic can be seen on the silver Bezel. A solid aluminium Bezel would have been nice to be honest but thats the deal.

Testing
Although I haven't taken this thing on any kind of orienteering excersize yet I have had the chance to play around a bit with it.
The most important test for this compass is the ability to find true north on the dial. Sitting it side by side with my other known working compasses it can certainly find true north. The amount of time it takes to get there is another matter. It can take a few seconds....no matter though as long as it gets there!

Using the lens sight to pin down a coordinate is easy to do. Just look through the little hole but make sure it's level when you do it. This feature could be useful.

The little spirit level works OK. An absolute essential part of taking an accurate reading of course. Nothing bad to report there.

Not bad for a fake

Overall then a good working compass. The build quality seems worth a lot more than £3. It's likely to be hard wearing apart from the flimsy plastic bezel. Worth a punt anyway.

It even has the side ruler like the Meridian!

Rating: ✅✅✅✅4 out of 5
A fully working Meridian rip-off for £3 is a bargain and no mistake. This thing will guide you to wherever you are going...... reliably. No one will know the difference 😁

The eBay Magnesium Fire Striker Scam

Aphoristic Does Bush Craft

Ebay Magnesium Fire Striker Scam

Which kit offers the best value for money?

Whilst checking over my survival gear the other day I noticed something rather amusing.
During one of my ebay shopping sprees I had purchased two different type of Magnesium Fire Striker/Fire Steel kits.
The first one acquired was a short 2-3 inch rod + striker, the second being a much longer 5-6 inch rod + striker. The longer of the two was much thicker in diameter and overall seemed more substantial.
Both rods cost roughly about the same which meant that the larger of the two seemed a much better proposition and great value for money.

The short rod + striker arrived first and worked well under testing. I was quite easy to make a fire.
It seems good quality and likely to last for a long time.

The extra long rod + striker arrived eventually and all was good until it came the time to test it.
Despite my best efforts I could not get any sparks what-so-ever. It was a little bit strange? Was this just a steel rod in disguise?

Can you see it? 

Turning the rod over revealed something rather bizarre.
Instead of the whole bar being made from a single piece of Magnesium like the shorter one, we get a full steel bar with a much thinner bead of Magnesium cut into a channel down one side?! The cheeky beggars!

Magnesium Rod is set in a channel

To be fair, the rod and striker do work provided your run the striker directly in one particular place.  The only problem with this is wear and tear over time. With only one side of the rod being used for striking, it won't be long before it's worn away. 

Bad design. Must try harder lads!

When the actual surface area of Magnesium is measured on both size rods it's the smaller one which has the most material and is the more versatile.
Simply wrapping a thin Magnesium rod in a steel bar is a blatant fraud imo.
There is no need to build a rod + striker kit like this - other than to fox the general public into thinking they are getting more.
It's amusing to say the least.

There's a lesson to be learned here I'm sure.

My Paracord Project Part 1

Aphoristic Does Bush Craft

From left to right we have

1. Solomon knot Karabiner Lanyard
2. Simple solomon knot Cross
3. Camouflage Solomon knot Survival Bracelet
4. "Boxed-in" Solomon Survival Bracelet
5. Fishtail belly knot survival bracelet
6. Two colour Mini Solomon bracelet
7. Small box knot keyring
8. Large box knot keyring
9. Large Solomon knot cross

With paracord being so cheap these days I thought I might buy a load and make some interesting stuff with it.
Making paracord items has been said to be quite therapeutic and stress relieving so I was curious.
After a few hours and a few YouTube videos I managed to knock up a few items - this post represents what I have made so far.
Rather than showing step by step instructions on making each knot I thought it would be easier to post a link to the actual videos I watched to learn the knots. These guys are professionals and make a better video that I could ever muster. So under each knot design will be the how-to link to make one yourself.

Over the past few weeks I had slowly been building a small stock pile of coloured cord. Rather than buying huge 100 feet lengths of each colour I went for the smaller 7 feet lengths which can be bought for as little as 11p each.
Despite being shipped from the sun kissed pacific island of vanuatu, the quality of this paracord isnt exactly the best it has to be said. It's a little thinner than what I'm used to, a bit like shoe laces but it's strong and usable none-the-less.
Armed with a few colours and a few ideas I set to work on my little projects.

Box Knot Keyring

This fancy looking knot is a little tricky to get started but once it's completed, it looks really nice. The keyring is optional

How to make video below

'Boxed-In" Knot

This knot is a striking variation on the Solomon/Cobra. With an little twist here and there it's quite easy to make a nice looking alternative.

How to make video below

Solomon Knot

This has to be the easiest knot to learn. It's really simple and only takes a view minutes to master. Most survival bracelets from eBay will feature this basic knot. It's easy to knock up a bracelet in 5 minutes once mastered.

How to make video below

Fishtail Belly Knot

Out of all the different knots I tried, the fishtail Belly was the most intricate. It's not difficult by any means, but it did require a little more work. I actually like this knot more than the others

How to video below

So this is as far as I have got with the Paracord weaving.
I plan on trying a few more different styles once my next batch of paracord arrives.