General Knowledge Quiz

[Calthrop]

I'll offer King James II.
Open Floor if correct.

Your post must have appeared, while I was in the process of making my preceding one ! It was indeed James II -- before he was King; during his elder brother Charles's reign.

Open floor, as per poster's wish.

 

[theageofthetra]

What connects the following.

Sir Bruce Forsyth
Lee Majors
Dame Judy Dench
Kelsey Grammar

 

[TheEdge]

I'm going to swing with famous for being break out characters (at least I can make that work for Dame Judy and Kelsey Grammar)

 

[theageofthetra]

Not that.

 

[deltic1989]

Do they all have waxworks of themselves in Madame Tussaud's?

 

[DaleCooper]

Austin?

Sir Bruce Forsyth - In his autobiography describes an intimate episode in an Austin Seven with his first wife
Lee Majors - Played Steve Austin the Six Million Dollar Man
Dame Judi Dench - Was in the film Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
Kelsey Grammer - Appeared on Saturday Night Light with Mike Myers (Austin Powers)

 

[theageofthetra]

Nothing to do with Austin!

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Sticking with a car connection, do they all drive a Rolls Royce (but not the same one!)?

 

[theageofthetra]

Nothing to do with what they drive. A clue. Paul Nicholas has the same connection

 

[theageofthetra]

Ok one last clue- Denis Waterman could also be in the list.

 

[DaleCooper]

They all sang the theme song for their own programme/film.

 

[theageofthetra]

At last!

Bruce sung the Gen Game theme tune
Lee Majors did the Fall Guy
Judy sung As Time Goes By
Kelsey sung Frasiers
Paul Nicholas did Just Good Friends
Dennis did a few but hest know for Minder.

Your intro..

 

[DaleCooper]

Next question:

What was the "Joan-Eleanor system"?

 

[deltic1989]

A system of communications used by clandestine agents in World War 2.

 

[DaleCooper]

A system of communications used by clandestine agents in World War 2.

You know your stuff, your turn...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan-Eleanor_system

 

[Darren R]

At last!

...
Judy sung As Time Goes By
...

Erm, point of order Mr Chairman, but Joe Fagin sang the title song for "As Time Goes By"...

 

[deltic1989]

You know your stuff, your turn...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan-Eleanor_system

Thank you

Erm, point of order Mr Chairman, but Joe Fagin sang the title song for "As Time Goes By"...

I was fairly convinced it was a bloke, but haven't watched it in a while so didn't say anything.

Anyway.....A question.

What is the oldest aircraft currently in an airworthy state?

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Assuming you are excluding replicas, reconstructions and similar and are looking for an actual physical original ancient airframe that is still flying, I would hazard an initial guess, probably wrong, that it's going to be a Tiger Moth.

 

[deltic1989]

Replicas are excluded, the aircraft I have in mind is to the best of my knowledge as original as it is possible to be.
And unfortunately it isn't a Tiger Moth.

 

[theageofthetra]

Erm, point of order Mr Chairman, but Joe Fagin sang the title song for "As Time Goes By"...

Sorry got the wrong series- she sung the theme tune to A Fine Romance.

 

[theageofthetra]

Re the aircraft- It's at the Shuttleworth collection, think it was a Bleriot but no idea which.

 

[deltic1989]

Re the aircraft- It's at the Shuttleworth collection, think it was a Bleriot but no idea which.

I will clear you for take off with that answer.
It is indeed a Bleriot, an XI to be exact registration G-AANG built in 1909.

 

[theageofthetra]

Keeping the aircraft theme. During the height of the cold war in the 60's the Soviets developed an aircraft which was feared by many in the West. Many years later once one was finally examined it was discovered that the radar system still used outdated valves rather than transistors.

What was the aircraft & why were valves still used?

 

[DaleCooper]

Was it the MIG 25?

Was it because the USSR didn't have transistors capable of operating at radar frequencies in the 1960s?

 

[TheEdge]

MiG 23 maybe?

 

[theageofthetra]

Was it the MIG 25?

Was it because the USSR didn't have transistors capable of operating at radar frequencies in the 1960s?

Correct aircraft but not the reason transistors were not used.

 

[DaleCooper]

Did the high speed of the MIG 25 and consequent aerodynamic heating create temperatures in the airframe that were too great for transistors?

 

[krus_aragon]

I'd suggest it was as a precaution against nuclear attack: valves are less vulnerable to electromagnetic pulses than transistors are.

 

[theageofthetra]

I'd suggest it was as a precaution against nuclear attack: valves are less vulnerable to electromagnetic pulses than transistors are.

Yes that's it. Your Mach 3 floor.

 

[krus_aragon]

Yes that's it. Your Mach 3 floor.

I'm going to be a little too busy to be checking for answers for the foreseeable, so I'll cede the floor.

Dale, as you identified the plane, would you care to pose a question, or do you call an open floor?