To all readers and contributors - thanks for your interest during 2014...

Duxford :: 17.XII.14 :: Peek inside...

Etta Jeanne II has swapped over with the F-15

F-15 is now in the 'spray booth'...

Peek inside H2 North...

Ditto...

TSR 2 Panorama

iPhone TSR 2 pano "stitched" together from two images...

Blenheim engine run

Slightly higher quality version of the engine run today… And true to form, once I'd returned north side, she went out for a trundle up and down the taxiway!

Duxford :: 19.XI.14 :: Rolled out for lunch

Hangar additions...

With Christmas fast approaching I was asked the question I dread, "What do you want for Christmas?".  Not needing two front teeth yet, I racked the old grey matter and after some pondering hit upon the idea of adding to the Mustang III I got earlier in the year. 

So back onto the pooter and after some thought I opted for two more HobbyMaster products. The Spitfire is a MkIXb, MK320 VL-F, of RAF No 322 (Dutch) Squadron (a squadron that John Niven flew with in his wartime career) and the P-51D Mustang “Petie 2nd” was the mount of John C Meyer, C.O 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group and a 24 victory US 8th Air Force ‘Ace’ (a USAF pilot friend spent a lot of his time flying in the 325nd SOG/7th SOS and they had a close affinity with the Blue Nosed Bastards Of Bodney).

So, all I need now is a "Terence Tug" to drag them out, when I need to sweep the hangar floor...

Duxford :: 9.XI.14 :: Remembrance Sunday

Part of the short display from Spitfire Mk IX TD314 for the many visitors at DX today…

Brokeback Mustang…

Several visitors were overheard asking why on earth are they going to sling it from the ceiling…

I nearly replied "Cos it Must 'ang"...

From the poppy fields of Flanders to Afghanistan...

They went with songs to the battle, they were young.

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them.

Duxford :: 5.XI.14 :: get those slings ready...

Duxford :: 1.XI.14 :: "Etta Jeanne II"...

With the unveiling last Thursday of the former Lambeth Road P-51D, "Big Beautiful Doll", in it's new scheme as P-51K 44-11631 (as flown from Duxford by the 82nd FG, 78th FG in 1944-45), it now carries the name "Etta Jeanne II", which was the mount of Lt Col Huie Lamb of the 82nd FS. Lamb, an Ace with 61 missions, was the guest of honour at the unveiling.

Now rolled back into H5, and awaiting preparation for stringing up from the inside of the AAM, I popped down to catch it in some form of normal setting before it was too late!  

Seems that the paint finish meets with the approval of a lot of people….

"Photo-report" of the event and photos of the aircraft outside can be found here…

And how it may look soon?….

Nice to see the recently repainted B-17 "Mary Alice" looking like it never had a respray…

…How long has it been back in AAM?

Duxford :: 29.X.14 :: Movers, shakers & pokers...

Some of the contents of H3 were aired briefly to allow the HAC Hurricane "Z5140" to be repositioned. Amazing how many people feel the urge to poke and prod aircraft when they are parked in the open during these moves. Engine cowlings off a Hurricane? No worries, just poke around the engine and wiggle the odd part that looks 'wiggleable'…

Who needs Gremlins when the great British public are nearby!…

Concorde has given birth!...

Don't worry, words were 'had' with the u/t Gremlins about fiddling with airworthy aircraft...

Duxford :: 22.X.14

Caught "Frankie" being towed out for a trip down to "Area 51"...

Duxford :: 15.X.14 :: Shuffle...

Didn't "do it", but a small memento...

Duxford :: 8.X.14

Classic cars aplenty today as HH Auctions hit the museum. Quite liked this Jag...

Hangar shuffles took place with Sally B getting shoved into the north side of H2 for the winter.

One image of the contents of H3 while the doors were open - MH424 looking a bit tatty round the edges - maybe one day she'll be as pristine as the others in the hangar?…

Duxford :: 1.X.14 :: Through a different lens...

Just a selection of shots taken on the new Apple "BendiPhone" 6 while walking off my lunch. Images original size and, apart from the odd tweak for 'shadow' and 'highlight' in a couple, are pretty much as they came out of the phone. The camera is 8 megapixel and while not up to the 12, 16 and even 41mp (Nokia Lumia 1020) ones in some other brands it's certainly an improvement on the images from the iPhone 3G that I have been using since 2008!

Vulcan Video… XH558 over Wyton.

A little video I'd shot yesterday on one of it's passes….

Vulcan over Wyton :: 25.IX.14

On it's "Cold War Tour - 2014", XH558 included RAF Wyton as one of it's waypoints - would have been silly not to try and catch a glimpse of the old bird! From the cars and people stationed around the local roads many others thought the same!!

No room at the Inn….

Left home at 7.25am to go to Duxford for today's show (normally 25 minute trip). Spent the next 1½ hours parked at various points on the final mile of the M11(S) hard shoulder approaching the J10/A505 exit. 

Once off the M11 and on the approach road to DX, traffic was flowing a bit easier, but by the time I could see the entrance to the "Meadow" car park, they closed it and announced that only way in now was by foot or Park & Ride.

With word that only a limited number of tickets were available through the main visitor entrance, and seeing the P&R buses arriving pretty much crammed to overflowing, I decided to head back home.
(Trumpington P&R was declared full/closed on the local radio at about 11.30…)

I will stake out my windbreak against the garden fence, fill it with folding chairs, make myself a watery coffee and watch for anything flying around the local area!

I may strike lucky and catch a glimpse of the 2Lancs returning to base…

Duxford :: 12.IX.14 :: Airshow Friday

With the prospect of the Sunday being packed to overflowing (or closed due to over demand more like) I took a trip in today for a wander around.

Spitfire HF MkIXe TD314 departs for practice display.

On return she was producing puffs of black...

…and as soon as the wheels were on terra firma,
the engine was cut and the aircraft coasted to a halt.

German registered T-6 D-FUKK took off for a DA practice...

…that was interrupted by the arrival of Hunter T7 WV372

Approach to the AAM...

TFC's Curtiss P-40F Warhawk went up for some practice.

Aircraft removed from H3 for access...

Knee pads on...