Being reported here http://www.air-shows.org.uk/ that Miss Velma that force landed at the end of last year’s Flying Legends air show will be appearing at this year’s event in July. Seems like a remarkable and most welcome turnaround.
Guy
By: Mayhem Marshy - 10th April 2018 at 07:34
MV now confirmed on the Flying Legends 2018 website participation list
By: CAF-UK - 4th April 2018 at 11:59
I for one will be sad to see the Miss Velma scheme go as I corresponded almost daily with Frank Birtciel before, during and after Operation Bolero II to keep him in the loop on progress, but glad we have the Mustang back on the circuit.
Also had the pleasure of meeting him and Velma in 2008. Frank sadly passed away in late 2015 but I have a wonderful memento to remind me of that time
cheers
Chris
By: scotavia - 4th April 2018 at 09:33
They flew directly over my home near Aviemore…above the cloud !!!!!…I could hear them…
By: paulmcmillan - 4th April 2018 at 07:24
Seeing AFAIK FB206 ID was based around the Wing remains ex tangmere then using MV wings would not make much sense !
By: R4118 - 4th April 2018 at 06:32
JohnTerrell…….
It seems like I am wrong then! Thankyou for correcting me! The Facebook world isn’t always right after all then! :’D
By: JohnTerrell - 4th April 2018 at 01:14
I did a little looking around on Facebook last night and it seems that MVs wings will go into making a former RAF Mustang III FB206 airworthy again
According to the discussion I’ve seen, that’s not the case. Of course little remains of the original FB206, and the project is progressing as a new-build aircraft at Pacific Fighters (like “Impatient Virgin” and “Berlin Express” before), however with potentially a few parts from the original FB206 being included. According to John Muszala Jr (Pacific Fighters), the wing from “Miss Velma” won’t be used or converted for use in the build of this B-model/Mustang III FB206.
By: Bob - 3rd April 2018 at 21:38
Berlin Express almost followed the same route as MV – slightly to the east of me though…
Having a big white arrow and “DX” painted on the house roof may have helped… 😀
By: Archer - 3rd April 2018 at 20:14
It was nicknamed ‘Operation Bolero II’. The original operation Bolero was the programme that saw various US built fighters and bombers flying across the North Atlantic to fight in the European theatre. ‘Glacier Girl’ was part of that but ended up on the Greenland icecap along with the rest of the P-38s and the B-17s in her flight. The plan was for her to finally complete that journey and end up in the UK. Only Miss Velma completed this second journey though, Glacier Girl ran into engine trouble just after take off from Goose Bay.
Last summer, P-51 ‘Berlin Express’ used this same set of droptanks for its flight to Duxford.
By: WillL - 3rd April 2018 at 18:49
because the ‘Glacier Girl’ P-38 was supposed to be flying over with it but didn’t make it all the way. I believe it had a fault and turned back at Greenland
By: hampden98 - 3rd April 2018 at 18:47
Why does Miss Velma have a P51 and P38 image on it’s drop tank?
By: R4118 - 3rd April 2018 at 07:15
I did a little looking around on Facebook last night and it seems that MVs wings will go into making a former RAF Mustang III FB206 airworthy again
By: Bob - 2nd April 2018 at 23:54
Good to hear of her pending return – have a bit of a soft spot for MV – followed her progress in 2007 across the pond in Op Bolero II and Ed Shipley was kind enough to fly over my house on the final stage into Duxford after a couple of days weathered in, in my old home town of Wick…
By: JohnTerrell - 2nd April 2018 at 22:34
Yeah, the set of wings it has now had already been fully restored by Pacific Fighters a while back, and the damaged wings from “Miss Velma” are now at Pacific Fighters to be rebuilt/go into another future project (the “MV” airframe itself doesn’t have a real provenance, as the wing and fuselage were built new from scratch beginning in the late 90’s/early 2000’s). The underside scoop/doghouse section was very well mangled (not sure which shop has/is rebuilding that – there are a few different shops that have a lot of experience building/restoring them). Aero Trader makes the plexiglass for TF canopies (as it did for “MV” before) – like “Berlin Express”, which also had a newly-made Malcolm plexiglass canopy in its restoration (the one that shattered last year), they just have to be made again (if there isn’t already an extra ready to use).
Here are a couple photos of the doghouse section, taken in early January, illustrating some of the damage:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/50393882@N00/28068950889/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/50393882@N00/28068950389/
“Miss Helen” should be back to flying again not too long now – the horizontal tail plane having been completely rebuilt by AirCorps Aviation.
By: R4118 - 2nd April 2018 at 21:17
She’s had a complete new set of wings! Fighter Rebuilders had a set for a project and have taken Miss Velma wings for repair I assume to use on the project! The motor was stopped before she landed so there wouldn’t have been a lot of damage I dont think!
Any other damage was underside scoop and other panel works and the canopy got smashed I believe when the pilot jettisoned it
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April 2, 2018 at 9:11 pm