I think quite a few FAA types had these, certianlly the Grumman Martlet.

Just back from Hendon. I felt like meeting a ex girlfriend who you once loved very much and after several years you meet again and you are massively disappointed and long for the past. 

I must have been to Hendon 30+ times over 43 years and it gets less exciting each time. Quiet when I got there just after 10, but busy by 11. I largely avoided Hangar 1, it is not a museum really. Hangar 6 (Grahame-White) was a good as ever and thankfully quiet. I still love to wonder how the Fe2b and Gunbus ever flew let alone fought a war! Hangar 5 still seems half empty and just full of screens. They could really do with at least a Tucano and a Puma in here. 

Of the original hangars there are still small pieces of pleasure to be found. In a small area near the entrance is a lonely cabinet that contains some legendary trophies. Although not RAF linked here is the original Hendon aerial derby trophy from 1919, the MacRobertson and Schlesinger  race trophies plus several others, all priceless. The area that detailed Hendon’s history has gone, galleries are still empty. The EH101 has mostly gone, still some bits around like the tail rotor. That leaves a big gap ad there is a big gap in front of the Lanc  as the cafe has gone from that area. The bomber hall has improved since my last visit. In some ways anyway. The entire exhibition that covered the USAAF has sadly gone. Now very little exhibition material about Bomber Command and WW2.

It feels like the museum is being sanitized of anything that related to wars and conflict. The aircraft are largely in great condition and nicely displayed, they just mostly lack context. For instance some still have the display boards from the 80’s/90’s that are much more detailed. The new boards are dumbed down with little aircraft history. I want to know which squadrons, and where, they served. But I am a geek after all.

Rob

I think it is all relative to personal experience. I have a friend in his late 80’s who says no airshow could ever match the closing stages of WW2. Then again he relates tails of the early Battle of Britain displays and some truely dangerous flying. For me it would be the late 70’s to the mid 90’s. Biggin Hill was THE greatest civil show during the late 70’s period. Warbirds were still very rare and Biggin brought them together. It was far easier to get  Vulcan, or Lightning for a display than a Spitfire. By the 90’s though Biggin had lost lots of interest for me.

Of course the fall of the Berlin Wall made a massive diffrence with types we could only dream of. Thirty years later we are back in that state. To see Migs, Sukhois etc, plus the final years of F-104’s etc, along with newly retired mil jets and new warbirds was very exciting. Plus there were plenty of non airshow spotting, just without the modern day tech. For the pinnacle of those years I would say 89-95ish.

Interesting one, and a bit of sleuthing found ….from https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/pdfs/comperswift.pdf

S33/2 Regd G-ACDS [CofR 4177] 13.2.33 to Mark Antony Lacayo, Hooton [Comper Sales Manager; regd as nominee]. CofA 3839 issued 5.4.33. Dd Evreux 28.2.33 and operated in France in UK marks. Crashed in France and regn cld 1.34. Rebuilt and regd FAOTP [CofR 4612] 4.3.36 to Aero Club de l’Eure, Evreaux. Regd 1.39 to Lucien Jules Francois Lecoq, Guyancourt. Reportedly flown by Lecoq to Marchwood, nr Southampton early 12.42; Lecoq [not as sometimes reported a German-sponsored agent] and attempted to join RAF but detained in Camp 020 instead. Allocated to unidentified ATC unit 8.3.43; probably locally and reportedly abandoned and partly buried after WWII. [Lecoq was repatriated after D-Day and given Hawk k Trainer N3802/F-BCDU in compensation in 1949

Avion Ancien I had heard something about classic cars before but not aircraft. I think there was a case of a car type that only say 10 were built but ownswers claimed a total of 12! There are hundreds of vintage light (particually Cubs) aircraft flying with major components from other aircraft and even registered with wrong C/N’s. Foe most authorities it is not a real issue as long as the aircraft is as it should be and safe.  Of course in legal ownership terms that would be a real grey area, would the real TV959 stand up. Personally the real TV959 is the remains that were at the IWM. The airworthy example is N959TV, it is a fully airworthy Mossie and that is all that matters, just like almost every warbird now flying. How many all wood 80 year old aircraft are still flying in original condition without a rebuild?

Plane base shows 12437 last noted Roanoke 2019 (obviously not many people been spotting in the states since then), 149790 was sold for scrap at Tucson 2008.

Saw him on Flight radar, looks like Yeovilton to North Weald and back. Not seen it yet myself.

It is like a Jodel version of conjoined twins. I think a French name like Michelle…listern very carefully..