Hatfield Air Show – 20 April 1941

The Germans would be far too proud for that ! I would imagine ‘109’ pair -captured Spitfire in Luftwaffe evaluation markings and maybe a He177 for starters!

What would they have sent? Probably a V2

It does beg the question if a similar senario to the football match in the First World War had occured ! What would they have sent !

German participation was a little thin!

Good job it was. If they had found out and interrupted…….
mmitch

It’s all very well but what was the buffet menu?!

German participation was a little thin!

As I answering a direct question, I dont think I am breaking Forum rules, but just in case I am, I’ll play it safe and say google

Graham M Simons Mosquito

Thank you Graham.

What an interesting list! The D.B.7. Night Fighter and the D.B. 7a. must be the Havoc and Boston, and presumably the Glenn Martin is what we’d know as the Maryland. Grumman in 1941… F4F?

Adrian

Excuse my ignorance GrahamSimons, but where were you quoting yourself from?

As I answering a direct question, I dont think I am breaking Forum rules, but just in case I am, I’ll play it safe and say google

Graham M Simons Mosquito

Excuse my ignorance GrahamSimons, but where were you quoting yourself from? It sounds good.

The Mosquito was W4050, and, if I may be allowed to quote myself,

On 20 April Lord Beaverbrook brought Mr Wynant, the US Ambassador, and General Henry ‘Hap’ Arnold, head of the United States Army Air Corps, together with other high-ranking officers, to see W4050 perform. The show consisted of upward rolls from ground level with one propeller feathered; a circle within the airfield, causing audible vortices at the wing-tips in the tight turns; and flying level at over 400 mph. The display was all the more spectacular for it followed a somewhat sedentary flypast of American lend-lease aircraft all of which appeared pedestrian by comparasion! Six days later General Arnold set off for America with a full set of manufacturer’s drawings in his luggage. As a result of a report submitted by General Arnold, five American aviation companies – Beech, Curtiss-Wright, Fairchild, Fleetwings and Hughes – were asked to evaluate the data brought over from De Havilland. The report issued by Beech Aircraft summed up their views:
*’It appears as though this airplane has sacrificed serviceability, structural strength, ease of construction and flying characteristics in an attempt to use construction material which is not suitable for the manufacture of efficient airplanes.’

Was it the prequel to Flying Legends ! Any of the resident snappers there ?

The Miles Mohawk was not impressed until late-1941 and was little used due to issues with its various Menasco engines (needing several changes of powerplant IIRC), so this would have been the Curtiss fighter.

Presumably the Mohawk was HM503, the impressment guise of G-AEKW. Or on second thoughts more likely the Curtiss P-36 type? Which would be more likely?

Display was performed for American Embassy officials and some peopleresponsible for aircraft production. [ATTACH=CONFIG]224787[/ATTACH]

I had no idea this happened. What a strange thing to do, have an airshow in the middle of a world war.