Duxford Friday 22nd March:
The forecast for this weekend is for icy temperatures, strong winds and driving snow. Updates might be a little slow for a day or two.
Here’s something new with a Duxford connection, to 1/72 scale from Oxford Diecast:
Duxford Tuesday 19th March:
Today’s entertainment was provided by TFC, with some engine runs from ‘Snafu’ and a test/practice display flight from the Hawk 75:
Another photo has come to light from the Duxford event on 24-8-75, showing the whole group of aircraft. Sally B was not flown due to lack of crew, and the P-51 was the static ‘Big Beautiful Doll’.
Thanks to Steve Carter for providing the picture, which is a scan of a print of a slide, hence the poor quality. Its origin is uncertain, but may be another of Mark Miller’s photos.
Last week we managed to pin down a recently scanned pic of the Tallichet B-24J N94459 to a Duxford event in August 1975. More information has arrived from Mark Miller, who witnessed the evening formation flight of the B-24 with five BBMF aircraft (plus Ormond Haydon-Baillie tagging along). The day was Sunday August 24th, just before the Liberator’s return to the USA. These scans are the best I could get, although they fail to do justice to Mark’s original slides:
Duxford Sunday 17th March:
Lots of activity in Hangar 2(N) today, with both the Catalina and B-17 nearing completion of Winter maintenance. Sally B now has her chin turret refitted, the turret fairing was added today. New tyres have been fitted, and lunchtime saw the all important retraction tests.
The TFC Spitfire FR.XIVE on maintenance:
I was lucky enough to catch today’s public preview of the new ‘Historic Duxford’ exhibition. The old Watch Office building in front of Hangar 3 has been transformed into new exhibition space. Together with a Heritage Trail featuring significant points around the airfield, the story of Duxford as a military station between 1918 and 1961 is related, both with traditional displays of historic objects, and cutting edge audio-visual presentations designed to appeal to all ages.
Today was a one-off preview, the exhibit will open on March 28th, just before the Easter weekend. Highlights to look for include a re-creation of the Watch Office from the late 30s, plenty of wonderful details:
Personal stories are featured strongly, and my eye kept going back to the cases containing (amongst other items), George ‘Grumpy’ Unwin’s medals, Douglas Bader’s uniform and a 78th FG flight jacket belonging to Lawrence Casey. Plus, you can try on RAF uniforms and learn to salute!
There is a lot of interesting background on the IWM ‘Historic Duxford’ blog at:
Duxford 16th March 1975:
Here are a few recently scanned pictures taken on this very day in 1975, a significant day in the story of Duxford. This was the day that N17TE, the B-17G that is now ‘Sally B’ arrived for the beginning of a 38 year residence.
Parked alongside is the Sea Fury FB.11 G-AGHB still marked as CF-CHB/WH589 flown by Ormond Haydon-Baillie. Unlike several other Sea Furies flying today, this is the real WH589, still flying today as Unlimited Racer ‘Furias’ (although now a composite airframe). Man and machine both played a huge part in the origins of Duxford and the whole UK warbird movement.
Featured recently, the Tallichet B-24 N94459 during her Duxford stop:
The Comet 2 had only arrived two months previously:
Not yet on the UK register, Varsity WJ945:
All pics from the Tony Clarke Collection.
Duxford Friday 15th March:
First, many thanks to Fred Taylor for permission to post this spooky shot of the BBMF Hurricane PZ865 taxying yesterday morning. You don’t get a second chance at a picture like this:
The HAC Hurricane returned from its Northolt Nightshoot duties at 1000 this morning:
The Hurricane was standing in for Spitfire LF.Vb BM597, currently uncowled in Hangar 3:
In Hangar 5, Spitfire I R6915 is receiving much needed attention around the tail unit which is presently removed:
The British Antarctic Survey Twin Otter VP-FAZ departed on a survey mission (to the Arctic for a change) but should be back in a few weeks. Hopefully when it returns it will be a little otter.
Another ‘anniversary’ today. On March 13th 1982, Vulcan B.2 XJ824 was delivered to IWM at Duxford. Not surprisingly, Duxman was there to record the arrival:
I’m pretty sure the B-24 shot is from the same event as these following shots. There’s a Hurricane rudder on the far right which matches the photo of PZ865.
However, I can’t work out the location on the airfield, and I don’t know of a 1975 Duxford event which featured 5 BBMF aircraft. There are also no barriers to be seen.
It is not the event on June 29th 1975 (Big Beautiful Doll is in the wrong place), and the B-24 departed 27th August. So, what’s the date?
Duxford Tuesday 12th March:
Very cold weather again, but the TFC Wildcat had an appointment with the fuel bowser, and was later seen being weighed. All good signs of progress.
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