Not long now...

 Two weeks to go to my Mustang flight - fingers crossed for decent weather...

G-TFSI/TF-51D previously known as Miss Velma, now Contrary Mary and operated by Ultimate Warbird Flights at Sywell Aerodrome.

Neutral Density Filter test...

 Last October I tried a little experiment.

One thing that I found annoying when shooting video on the iPhone was the 'staccato' effect on propellor blur/motion.
The video below shows the difference between the iPhone camera being allowed to adjust settings itself (the Avenger taxiing) and forcing the camera to slow the 'shutter' speed by adding a Neutral Density filter over the lens and using an app to adjust the 'shutter' speed down to produce a more realistic prop blur (the Harvard)...

After checking various online tips for producing better iPhone videos, I got a Neewer 37mm Clip-on ND 2-400 Cellphone Camera Lens Filter Kit (£15) and downloaded the "Pro Camera by Moment" app (£5).
Basically, the ND filter allows you to shoot with slower shutter speeds to get the blur effect - the ideal shutter setting is around twice the FPS and gives a smoother "cinematic" result, i.e. 25FPS and 1/50th shutter speed.

It certainly produces a more natural effect when you compare the two examples...

Some aerial activity in the neighbourhood...

 Today marks the start of the Spitfire experience flights and kind of Aerial Collective from Duxford to overfly my property in PV202 & PT462...

Season Start...

 

Happy 85th Birthday

On 5 March 1936, the prototype Spitfire K5054 took off on its first flight from Eastleigh Aerodrome (later Southampton Airport) with Captain Joseph "Mutt" Summers, chief test pilot for Vickers at the controls.

OTD 76 years ago :: Jolly Duck

Image : Jollyduck.com

 The  USAAF 392BG/578th Sqn (H) B-24 Liberator 42-95241, known as "Jolly Duck", crashed near Zoeterwoude, Netherlands after 37 missions. Her crew all survived the crash, some escaping capture, while others became POWs. One crew member, Waist Gunner S/Sgt John McCormick remained in enemy occupied territory and assisted the Dutch resistance until he was killed in a fire fight with German troops.

I came across this story while watching the gun camera film of the two Spitfires dispatched to strafe the remains of the B-24 a few days after the aircraft crashed. 

https://warbirdskies.blogspot.com/2008/11/dead-duck-shoot.html

Mission report - https://b24.net/MM022245.htm

The John McCormick Story - https://www.b24.net/storiesMcCormick.htm

Pics of her can be found on row four on this page - https://www.b24.net/aircraftPhotos.htm

The Facebook page of  Maarten Havinga, who has spent years researching the crash and the fate of the crew, recovered aircraft parts during digs and is still  recovering artefacts from the area of the crash site...

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1140877619381976

4000 hours +

 Since 2006 I reckon I've topped 4000 hours working in the IWM Film Archive...

Five years ago today...

As the "Saunter Clock" rolls over to 327 days since my last working visit, a brief look back at a visit on the 24th January 2015

Some shots from a 'weekend' visit today…

A new arrival down in Area 51...

Concorde Cockpit...

Slightly different angle on the TSR2...

Avro York "office"...

Comet cockpit...

 

 

 

224 days later...

 ...an RTB (Return To Base) and a saunter around IWM Duxford in a non-working capacity (still WFH).

The "Spitfaux" I 'X4474' is now on show between Hangars 4 and 5. Featured pilot is Sergeant Bernard Jennings 19 Sqn Duxford.

Not a lot happening to be honest apart from the occasional flight of a AT-6D Harvard III G-BGOR/14863 and a couple if GA movements in/out.

Aerial Collective's Spitfire T9 PT462 was parked out and would later go up with a passenger.

Arrivals in another form were some classic cars for the upcoming H&H auction in Airspace. My eye was caught by a pretty little 1961 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint Veloce. Expected price £60-70,000!

Books :: Two Seat Spitfires - The Complete Story

Recommended reading for anyone interested in the history of the Spitfire T9. Written by Greg Davis, John Sanderson and Peter Arnold it covers the development of the Spitfire Trainer by Vickers, with the MkVIII prototype MT818, and later the conversion of surplus MkIXs. Survivors of the original Vickers conversions are featured with in depth histories of each aircraft as well as modern converted aircraft.

Costing £29.95 + P&P (rates vary)

Available here - https://www.fast-print.net/bookshop/2288/two-seat-spitfires-the-complete-story

2017 :: The Dragon arrives...

 October 2017 saw the permanent arrival at DX of PT462 "The Dragon Spitfire"...

...and eventually a new look.

Overhead...

 PV202 and PT462 operating a two-ship experience  for Aerial Collective customers...

In the air tonight, well this afternoon actually...

 Flypast by Aerial Collectives T9 pair PV202/PT462 today...

Flying Legends at Duxford - no more...

 A message from Nick Grey

"Dear Friends of Flying Legends,
I look at this and the years gone by with immense gratitude for all the wonderful moments we have lived with you our faithful and fanatical community. It is with a heavy heart that we confirm 2019 was the final Flying Legends with our friends at IWM Duxford. We truly hope that our team will find an alternative location to welcome this iconic event and that we will have the privilege of seeing you all again. Thank you for your support and kindness.

Yours sincerely Nick"

Having attended Flying Legends (only missing one or two years) from the first show (and Classic Fighter Air Show before it) as a paying member of the public, then in later years as a working volunteer, this is a real shame to read. 

2020 has turned out to be a pretty dire year in many ways - now one of the bright lights on the horizon of 2021 has been extinguished. Hopefully TFC can find a new venue for Flying Legends... 

Slayer in the sky...

Apache AH Mk1s ZJ194 Slayer 1 and ZJ230 Slayer 2...
Dropped off FR24 around Cranwell...

Over the top...

PBY-5A Miss Pick Up out for a dust off...

Heading north, then a few minutes later back going south...

PL983 NHS Salute

Spitfire PR.XI PL983/G-PRXI on it's Hinchingbrooke Hospital to Witchford Village leg, passing over St. Ives...

Spitfire saunter...

Passing overhead the HQ today, PV202 on a trip out from DX...

Five years ago...

A lifetime (so far) dream was fulfilled this day five years ago - I flew in, and flew, a Spitfire!

Spitfire T9 MJ627 to be precise, from Duxford with Al Pinner as my pilot.

Overhead...

Just transited through going north, Spitfires PR.XI PL983/G-PRXI and LF XVIe TD248/G-OXVI. PL983 wearing it's "Thank U NHS" underside tribute...

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Knife 71...

Pair of Bell CV-22B Ospreys, 05-0028 and 10-0052, 7th Special Operations Squadron, passing by...

Almost overhead...

P-47D Nellie B was doing aeros to the south of Warbirdskies base yesterday, as well as a pass-by the previous day by the newly repainted P-51D G-SHWN, no longer "Shark Mouth" KH774, but now in markings of Don Blakeslee of the 4th FG USAAF.

Didn't manage to get a photo of G-SHWN and her new look had me confused until I read a post by Peter Green/Warbirdapps with a distant shot of it landing back at Duxford.

While I get the importance of the role of the 334th, 335th, and 336th Fighter Squadrons of the 4th Fighter Group based at RAF Debden, and it's achievements (first fighter group to fly combat missions over German airspace, the first to escort bombers over Berlin, and the first selected to escort bombers on shuttle bombing runs landing in Russia) and over a thousand enemy aircraft claimed.  Also Donald Blakeslee started his wartime flying as a member of 401 Sqn RCAF then 133 Eagle Sqn RAF, I'm sad that we have lost the only RAF marked Mustang (IV) flying in the world.

I know paint jobs come and go at the whims of the owners and as the old retort goes, "when you own a warbird you can paint it any colour you want". Hopefully, one day the UK skies will again be the playground of a RAF marked Mustang...

Image ©Warbirdapps/Peter Green 

Just landed...

Just landed on the mat - two prints of ML407 (with/without stripes) by Bertrand Brown (Gaetan Marie). Excellent quality artwork and Bertrand has been very communicative during the whole process. Thoroughly recommend him if you are after a similar profile print of ML407 or any other aircraft profile he has in store.
Now I just have to wait for my local picture framer to reopen...
Had wondered if a double sided frame is an option so I can flip it as the occasion warrants...

Lockdown Lookup...

USAF KC135 wearing a groove in the blue...