FL2018 :: some pics...

Went on Saturday and some new 'faces' on the flight line to add to the gallery...
Fiat CR-42 outside at last, four Buchons recreating the scene at Duxford 50 years ago, P-51 "Trusty Rusty" with "Contrary Mary/Miss Velma"...
Did chuckle at the old Feuerwehr vehicle repurposed as a fish and chip van - maybe they needed to include a German schnellimbiss menu?...

No apologies for the "BuchonFest" - White 9, Red 11, Yellow 7 and Yellow 10 - flying an attack on Duxford with Spitfires scrambled to fight them off...

More pics to follow -

Saunter :: 12.VII.18

Run up to Flying Legends 2018 and activity levels at DX are increasing...
In the order they were taken.

On this day...

As the UK marks the Centenary of the RAF, here is how S/L John Niven DFC* OC 485 (NZ) Sqn and his friends spent the day...

July 10 1944 - Spitfire IXB NH321 - Bomber Close Escort - 1.40 - Close escort - front of 200 Lancasters 18000’ - No Ball at Nucourt. 10/10 target area. No fun. Climb through icy cloud

Saunter :: 2.VII.18

Oddity on the flight line today...

What if... #2

Latest Flypast has an article about the Spitfire Type 508/509 otherwise known as the T8/T9 two seat trainer.

It touched very briefly on a possible Griffon powered Mk18 low back two seater (Type 518) but nothing came of it probably due to lack of interest more than anything?

As we have a couple of MkXVIs in various forms of restoration wondered what a low back two seater (a Type 516?), would look like...

Saunter :: 26.VI.18

"Nellie" and "The Dragon" soaking up the rays today...

22.VI.18 :: BBMF Spitfire Mk LFIXe MK356 flypast National Memorial Arboretum

15.VI.18 :: Sunny afternoon saunter...

Choice :- sit in traffic for an hour or two or watch the late afternoon activity over Duxford...

The afternoon turned out quite a treat - 7 different Spitfires, (MkVc EE602, FR XIV MV268, Mk IX TD314, T9s - PT462, ML407, PV202), Thunderbolt, Hurricane (and Mk1a N3200 doing passes for the photography class)...

6.VI.18 :: Hangarage Reportage

Little stroll around this afternoon - Nellie in H3 and the Runway Control Truck that appeared for the May airshow is still 'on display'...

74 years ago S/L John Niven DFC*, OC 485 (NZ) Squadron, spent the day flying Spitfire MkIXB MK862 on "Beachhead Patrol" - his logbook entries for the day...

05.35 First day fighters on patrol. Cloud over coast 7/10 1500' & hazy. Our troops approaching shore for first landing. Warships bombarding shore & Le Havre. Patrolled out to sea. No flak, no Huns.
10.35 Weather improved slightly. Landings made in St.Aubin area. Transports & tanks ashore. Heavy shelling from ships. Patrolled 1-6000'. No air activity.
18.50 Weather over beaches very clear with high cloud. Masses of bombers heading inland. Many gliders on ground near Bavent. Terrific bombing SE Caen. (Badly knocked about) On way home passed glider train stretching from Le Havre - 10 m. S Worthing.

And remembering Tony Cooper who I met and who recently passed away. 
On D-Day, 6th June 1944,Tony Cooper’s logbook shows that he flew twice. No 64 Squadron was tasked with providing ‘Low Beach Cover’ over the American assault. The Squadron ORB records that Cooper was allocated his personal Spitfire BM327, ‘SH-F’, for both sorties. He took off at 0430 hours for his first sortie of the day, as part of a 13 aircraft formation, providing “Fighter Cover for Utah Beach” and landed back after a total of 2 hours and 40 minutes airborne (the first hour recorded as night flying). The naval barrage was so intense that it was not safe to be over the coast and the Wing Leader withdrew the formation to a safer distance. Cooper’s remarks in his logbook give an interesting picture of the confusion that reigned and suggest that the invasion stripes, so painstakingly painted on by the ground crew, were not entirely effective: “Navy shelling coast defences – first landing made by the troops at 0620 hours. Nearly shot down by a Thunderbolt – Spitfire in front actually was – Another Spit hit by naval shell and blew up – General Brock’s benefit!”

On the evening of 6th June Tony flew his aircraft on another sortie over the invasion beaches, taking off at 2200 hours, this time tasked with, “Fighter Cover for Omaha Beach”. His comments in his logbook against this sortie read, “Hun bombers attacked invasion fleet – tremendous return fire from ships – one bomber destroyed.” He landed back at ten minutes past midnight – almost 18 hours after his first take-off that day – logging two hours and five minutes of night flying. When asked about night landings in the Spitfire on the short, temporary runways at Deanland, which were lit only by ‘goose-neck’ flares, Tony says, “I remember them well, with reasonably controlled terror, especially when it was raining!”
(Source: SimplySpitfire)

Revisit :: 13.VII.08

Ten years ago and Flying Legends featured this beast...