Bronco poppy

Bronco serendipity...

While reading one of the latest posts in the Duxford Diary 2017, I happened to look up the OV10 Bronco Demo Teams website to read about the poppy livery it is wearing this year. A couple of minutes later it flew over just to the west of the house!

Too slow to get a shot on it's first flypast but managed to catch it as it flew back to DX at 1743hrs…

1940? What Ho Wingco!….

Something evocative about stepping out through the front door of the Officers Mess at Duxford after your lunch to hear (then glimpse) a Spitfire doing a low level 'beat up' of the airfield followed by a victory roll...

Not sure which Spitfire it was but PV202 was parked up at the M11 end (with NH341) and looked like she had recently been up…

NH341 - another two seater to 'notch up'?

For it's brief time on 411(Grizzly Bear) Sqn RCAF, from 22 June 1944 to 2 July 1944, I've possibly viewed the gun camera footage of Spitfire LFIXe, now converted to a T9, NH341 G-CICK - in particular while being flown by Flt Lt Trainor :-


On 28/6/44 at 1300hrs flying Spitfire attacking an Me109 and at 2000hrs attacking Fw190 (pilot recorded as "Trainor")

On 29/6/44 at 1630hrs attacking ground targets and Me109 (this clip is allocated to "F/Lt Rainor" 411 Sqn, though is probably an error by the person making up title card) 

On 30/6/44 at 2130hrs attacking an Me109.

Having viewed the footage of MJ627 bagging a 109 prior to my flight, maybe I need to add NH341 to my 'logbook'...

The real deal...

When I posted about the last edition to the "hangar" I didn't realise that an aircraft in the same markings would be flying down under…

http://www.raptoraviation.com.au

Miss Pick Up

With the finer weather comes the chance of seeing more on my post nosebag saunters…

A Monday visit for a change...

Called in to sort out some paperwork and took a stroll around - not had the opportunity to do my post lunch saunters recently.

SM520 was getting ready to go aloft…

A RN Lynx called in for some fuel - for the last time in RN service?

2.III.17 - Two sides of "Wacky Wabbit"...

Caught the tail end of Wacky Wabbit being put through it's paces in a clear blue, late afternoon, sky over Duxford.

Duxford snapshots 16/2/17

Tony Cooper - RIP

Just read the news about the passing of Tony Cooper. I had the privilege of meeting him at his home to present him with his gun camera film on DVD. He was thrilled to see it and sat reminiscing about his sorties and the fellow pilots as their names appeared on the title cards. He'd laid on a very nice lunch for myself and Terry Arlow and chatted away about his wartime exploits.
An absolute gentleman and I was honoured to have had the opportunity of spending a brief afternoon in his company…

RIP Sir…

Random Revisit № 8 :: What was in Hangar 3 a decade ago?

With Duxford's occupants being in hibernation for a while longer here is a brief revisit to some photos taken ten years ago in hangar 3...

Merry Christmas...

Just Jane to fly?

With the BBMF Lancaster now in it's winter quarters, news from Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre that NX611 is heading towards an airworthy future -

The winter of 2016/17 will see some major works carried out on Avro Lancaster NX611 'Just Jane' to make huge steps forwards in the project to restore her to airworthy condition.

"This is the biggest news for NX611's restoration in the last 20 years"- Andrew Panton

Following the application for our A8-23 approval with the CAA we are now able to attend to some of NX611's future needs and address the long list of work we need to do to make her airworthy once more.

"The goal of "Just Jane" becoming only the third airworthy Lancaster in the world feels closer than ever before" - Andrew Panton

This winter will see a complete strip and re-paint of the aircraft which will facilitate an assessment of the aircraft's aluminium skin and permit any problems encountered to be resolved.

Could the possibility of having three Lancasters in formation become a reality at some point in the future?
Let's hope so...

 

Hangar panos

The BBMF Lancaster has some stickers applied to the fuselage since last week - Spitfire T9 PV202 was keeping PA474 company today. Again, reflection in the glass makes getting a clear shot a bit of a chore!
B-17 "Sally B" was manoeuvred into the north side of H2 for her hibernation and "Miss Pick Up" is also in there.

Another of PA474

Another shot of PA474 - taken with a wide angle lens (other photo was taken on iPhone) - bit of reflection from the light entering the Observation Room which could do with some blackout blinds on the glass doors!

Elsewhere...

Autumnal colours adorn the front of the Officers Mess at Duxford.

And my eye was drawn to this piece of classic Automobilia Americana…
1953 Chrysler New Yorker Town & Country Wagon

PA474 from viewing room

Took the opportunity post 'nosebag' to wander over to the "Stephenson Hangar" to check out the new resident. 

Just before heading over I caught the tail end of a spirited display by Richard Grace in the Mk XIV Spitfire MV268. Its last as a Duxford resident?...

HAC Sopwith Pup

While pup-sitting at the Meet The Fighters air show at Duxford had a chat with one of the HAC personnel. He made a passing comment about how it would look even better with Lord Flashheart stood next to it.
I mentioned that there were WWI aviator re-enactors 'deployed' near to the hangar base next to "The Workshop/Wing Co Joe's" and if he asked them they'd probably jump at the chance to pose next to the Pup.
Off he strolled and sometime later returned with some members of The Dawn Patrol. The 'aviator' 2nd from the right was a pretty good substitute for "Flash"!!!

Photo - Jon Higgins HAC

ML407 landing mishap...

Confirmation of The Grace Spitfire ML407 suffering a landing 'mishap' have been confirmed by Carolyn Grace with the social media post -

Here's hoping for a swift return to the air...

A slightly sunnier Duxford...

Sunday morning broke with blue skies and the prospect of ideal air show weather after a washed out Saturday.

After a coffee to kickstart my day, a quick stroll around before going out to the flight line…

Spent the morning watching over the HAC's Sopwith Pup N6161

The upside of the previous day being washed out was that the Great War Display Team had twice the amount of pyrotechnics to get rid of during their display! There were some pretty loud bangs as a result - wonder if residents of surrounding properties were writing letters of complaint as they went off?…

Highlight of the day for myself was the 14 Spitfire flypast and subsequent tail chase - wonderful sight and sound!

Duxford

Today and some H2 shuffling...