Why me?.. we're just packing things up for the Christmas shutdown at 'The Plant', a busy time for all.The last thing I needed was a letter from the Council advising of a pre-Christmas H&S visit.We're used to this, checking to make sure we're not producing any toxic nasties.This visit, they want to survey The Duck Pond, so I decided a quick tour of inspection might be a good idea.Don't get me wrong!, we're very careful, but occasionally, something ends up down there that galvanizes everyone into a flurry of "eeeerrm, we'll fish it out later".I'd almost finished my tour when I came across THIS!!...I nearly swallowed my face mask.A hundred questions, what,how,when...WHO! I returned to my office for a hot shower and a meeting with Doctor Von Krupp.(behave..the meeting was with DVK, the shower was on my own...unfor,never mind...)Trawling through the years work schedules and project paperwork, the full story emerged, and all my questions had a common answer, "Tailspin"...This was in production earlier in the year, though not one of my priorities.I was more interested in a certain BF-109 at the time.Well I'm sure you all remember that episode, and it's the reason this slipped my mind.The staff had the idea that if I won my 'soapbox derby' against 'Tailspin' this would be a great surprise 'prize'.If I lost, it would be a great consolation 'prize'...win, win...As I prepared my Spitfire 'cockpit racer', 'Tailspin' took this up for a final shakedown.On 'The Duck Pond' at the time was the German aircraft carrier 'Graff Zeppelin", we had permission to sink it as an artificial reef.The opportunity did not escape 'Tailspin' and he decided to 'do the deed'.As the rest of the staff kept me occupied, and with the 1812 Overture blasting out of the P.A system, 'Tailspin' went into action.Banking the plane over, he went into a dive....and discovered the dive brake 'actuators' had not been installed.Plummeting at nearly 300mph, 'Tailspin' wrestled with the controls....now despite all the things I say about him, I always admit, 'Tailspin' is a bloody good pilot, and he nearly pulled it off.However, with the plane almost level, he clipped the water and our Douglas SBD Dauntless joined the submarine fleet.'Tailspin' is no fool (well!) and he knew I'd be 'less than pleased' by this turn of events.Dragging himself from the water he went to see General Manager.When the General had first asked 'Tailspin' to take the Bf-109 D through the experimental 'Time Tunnel', he wasn't to keen, now it seemed a good idea.So there you have it, time marches on and the Dauntless was forgotten.What now?...well I'm toying with the idea of 'raising' this for renovation...but with the Christmas holidays and one thing an another..it'll have to wait.I'm off to the hospital,'Tailspin' should be coming out of theater about now, though he's not going to be 'sitting' for a while and I want my diving boot back......after they've washed it ;-)