The ex-Slovak MiG-21 seems to have vanished. It was stored in a HAS at Boscombe Down, but doesn’t seem to have moved to Old Sarum with the rest of the collection from there.

No, the OW one is a static, unflyable mock-up

I really don’t understand the complaints about Hendon being hard to find and and difficult to reach. It is close to the M25, and just off the M1, A1 and North Circular. It is also an easy walk (or short cab ride for those unable to walk far) from Colindale Tube station, and is well signposted from the tube station and A1.

I compare that with some of the other major collections I have visited. The Swedish AF Museum is in the centre of the country, a fair drive from most of the major cities. Le Bourget is a faff to get to by public transport (RER then bus), as is Vigna di Valle (train from Rome, then a cab if you’re lucky, if not, a fair walk). Krakow is an easy cab ride from the centre. Dubendorf I did by car, so can’t comment on its accessibility by public transport. The major US Museums (Dayton, Pensacola) are well off the beaten track in terms of major tourist destinations and require a special visit to a relatively remote location. The Washington museums of the NASM are reasonably accessible and in a major tourist destination. The Ottawa Museum is a way out of the centre, but on a bus route.

The point being, Hendon is certainly as accessible as other major collections, and more so than most.

Perhaps, just to bring things up to date, they might like to include some of the Taliban reenactors who are doing the rounds and were recently sighted at an event at Muckleburgh, riding around in the back of a pick-up truck, towels on their heads and brandishing their toy Kalashnikovs. I wonder if they include simulated beheadings in their repertoire?

If you want to have a successful event, you need to attract people with something different. Quite frankly, one V-12 chugging away looks and sounds pretty much like another, as does one round engine to another.

I’ve seen some great engines running on stands, mainly in the US, that to me really had that ‘wow factor’ by being something different. For example, a Gnome rotary, a Liberty, an Anzani, and, most memorable of all, a V-1 pulsejet. Another memorable engine was the early jet that was run at Flying Legends about 5 years ago. I’d travel a fair way to see (and hear) things like that close-up. A bunch of Merlins, Griffons and Leonides would not provide sufficient attraction to tempt me beyond my front door. The Napier Lion that has been run at some events is very nice though!

A shame the DH.86 and the Percival Q6 got away, but the percentage of survivors over the intervening 55 years is quite impressive.

I think the next oldest jet still flying (for now) is the Classic Air Force Meteor T7. Hopefully before too much longer the Paul Allen Me262 and the Planes of Fame P-59 will be vying for the accolade of the oldest jet still flying.