Why the secrecy over Legends?

There is another new press release on the IWM site:

“Flying Legends Air Show sees rare Airacobra return to Duxford after 66 years

The Fighter Collection (TFC), which presents the Flying Legends Airshow at Duxford in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum (IWM), has just announced that the American Fighter, Bell P-39Q Airacobra, one of only two flying examples left in the world, is to make its airshow flying debut at Flying Legends 2004. The appearance of this unique fighter, on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July, completes a circle as it arrives from New York, repeating a journey the type first made to Duxford in the summer of 1941 from Buffalo, New York. This is the first time this aircraft has been seen in the UK since the 1940s.

Aahh…New York… :rolleyes:
Funnily enough after I posted that I’d be amazed that it would get here on time assuming it would be shipped from Long Beach, I thought, it would be quicker to truck it across the USA and ship from New Jersey area…..

And what have they done…….. 😀

No doubt Mr Hinton will be driving it at Leg-Ends….. 😎

If you look hard enough its here somewhere…. Great site too…

http://user.tninet.se/~ytm843e/tempest.htm

Jimmy

On the subject of secrets…. I read somewhere on the net that the ‘secret’ restoration of a Hawker Tempest 2 is very near completion. ‘somewhere’ in the uk…
it went on to suggest legends could be a possibility… ??

A friend, ex-fitter, was posted to a Yank Squadron who were told they couldn’t use their P39’s so were converted to Spitfires at High Ercall (?). When I mentioned that a P39 would be at Legends, he said ‘Not flying presumably’. When I said it was, his response was ‘Pilot deserves a bloody medal’. Apparently another friend of his had flown them at some point and was none to impressed.

Something along those lines, anyway. Conversation was a week or so ago.

There is another new press release on the IWM site:

“Flying Legends Air Show sees rare Airacobra return to Duxford after 66 years

The Fighter Collection (TFC), which presents the Flying Legends Airshow at Duxford in conjunction with the Imperial War Museum (IWM), has just announced that the American Fighter, Bell P-39Q Airacobra, one of only two flying examples left in the world, is to make its airshow flying debut at Flying Legends 2004. The appearance of this unique fighter, on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July, completes a circle as it arrives from New York, repeating a journey the type first made to Duxford in the summer of 1941 from Buffalo, New York. This is the first time this aircraft has been seen in the UK since the 1940s.

The Bell P-39Q first flew in 1938 and the RAF, impressed with its range of new and unique features, ordered a batch that was assigned to 601 Squadron at Duxford in 1941. Deliveries were halted after the attack on Pearl Harbour and the aircraft were re-designated and re-directed to American Fighter operations in the South Pacific.
This particular aircraft, Brooklyn Bum 2nd, so called by her pilot, a Brooklyn Dodgers baseball team fan, was discovered in the 1970s by enthusiasts who had travelled to New Guinea to find World War II aircraft for restoration.

Initially the aircraft was partially restored for static display but, after being acquired by TFC in 1994, it has undergone a complete restoration at Fighter Rebuilders in California and, following thousands of hours of restoration, made its first test flight on June 17 this year.

TFC’s Jane Larcombe says “we are really excited that this unique Warbird will make its public debut at Flying Legends. The aircraft has made a long journey to be with us, and we are delighted to welcome it back to Duxford.”

Over sixty aircraft are expected to take part in Flying Legends 2004 which takes place on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 July, each day culminating in the fantastic mass flypast finale”

I think you could be right allthough at only 4k I couldn’t blow it up big enough to be sure, the topography looks about right, lots of green fields, saltmarsh and MUD !
Always lovely to see and hear you go over, Mrs Whalebone says it is the only thing that is sure to get me out of the chair with any speed of a weekend !

Look closely at my Avtar Whalebone, I think Rowhedge may be under there somewhere.

I saw a very nice Mustang this evening, unfortunately it was on the ground, however it’s owner let me fly his Stearman, so can’t be that bad I guess.

“Snnhhh Snnhhh” sniffing the air ‘I smell no 109’s’ in my locality but just a minute, could this be why I get a flyby by well known Mustang on a regular basis ? And I thought it was just because it was me and I live where I do, ah well.

This may require another thread but do you not think that the quest for knowledge has spoilt the anticipation factor at airshows?

I have been going to shows since the late 60’s (am now fortunate to run my own) but until the WWW came into being you never knew what you would see at a airshow. Would you not rather turn up at a show and see something stunning that you had no knowledge of before hand? Surely this is half the excitement? Or would you like to know exactly what happens at a given time for the whole day.

There are pros and cons for each argument but it would be nice to get a feel for general opinion as we organisers do get slagged off for things that don’t appear or were never likely to appear in the first instance.

Over to you……………….. :rolleyes:

how would i go about locating the projects as i have a passion for messerschmitts and would love to see one (apart from the Buchon) in British Skys preferabley a G-2 named oh i dont nknow, Black Six, well no harm in dreaming

has anybody heard anything about the BF 109s in Colchester or there locations as I live there and wish to offer my services as my work experience was at Duxford in September 03 on the DH Mosquito TT. 35

Craig is still working on the 109 projects in the Colchester area, one is progressing very well although I’ve not seen it for a little while.

id like to correct the matter about a certain P-39, she had a 15-20 minute flight. also the RNHF Sea Fury Should be flying relatively soon as well as RAC contingent my main concern is Princess Elizabeth but we cant have everything. has anybody heard anything about the BF 109s in Colchester or there locations as I live there and wish to offer my services as my work experience was at Duxford in September 03 on the DH Mosquito TT. 35

Snapper I will have to come and say hello to Mr Stewart after you kindly introduced me last year great bloke 🙂

As somebody who knows what’s coming, all i can say is that it will be worth the wait…..even for you lot!

Legends is a great show no matter what aircraft attend and there is no show like it anywhere so people enjoy it and not moan about what attends and flies etc theres more inportant things than that in life.

I’ll be there all 3 days. As you are all champing at the bit, I shall give you the following confirmed bookings for Flying legends:

S/Ldr LWF (Pinkie) Stark DFC* AFC
F/Lt Sir Alec (Joe) Atkinson KCB DFC
F/Lt James Stewart DFC
Brigade-Generaal Albert Laforce
F/O Allen Billam
F/Sgt Tom Kerr

This is in addition to S/Ldr Ronnie Sheward DFC and F/LtDavid Ince DFC who shall both pop in.

This will be at the ABAAV stand, which is mostly 609 Sqdn chaps. Some others will no doubt be avaialable elsewhere.

As to aircraft, well, wait and see.

I’ll be going Friday, Saturday & Sunday regardless of the participation list.

However, if the list were to be published right now, it would make a boring friday afternoon at work pass much quicker!! 😀

Lets all wait and see i am sure the show will be worth the wait 🙂

I think Mr. Greys concerns stretch rather wider than what is being said on here (although you have a point – a lot of rubbish has been written).

I suspect the real reason is that a lot of the possible content is even now still “To be confirmed”.

For example: TFC P-39, RAC’s Spitfire and Buchon haven’t flown yet, RNHF Sea Fury? etc, etc.