That is an excellent rebuild/recreation of a Stirling cockpit congratulations to you and the Stirling Project team 12jaguar. I have a copy of Michael J. Bowyer’s ‘The Stirling Story’ which has a list of every Stirling built and it’s final fate, I remember two or three listed as ditched or crashed into lakes or rivers, one of them was carrying troops would this render it a war grave and not to be touched or disturbed if there were fatalities? It would be good if this ‘well known’ one or another were discovered in a condition similar to N2980-The Loch Ness Wellington. . .

I am on the side of leaving her ‘as is’ for now having only visited ‘E.K.’ two days ago. While it would be wonderful to see NX611 back up in the air again, I hope the Panton brothers and their families and supporters could afford the restoration costs and what is the current situation with insurance on historic aircraft post 9/11? The team that operate ‘Sally B’ have experienced a few problems in recent years in these respects. Having just flown on one of the last passenger DC3 flights I think the possibility of flying in her under sounds a little too ‘good to be true’ but I’d love to be proved wrong!
It was ironic that when NX611 flew into Scampton in 1967 for the Dambusters reunion she either inspired or shamed the RAF into getting PA474 flying again when she was outside at Waddington destined to go to Hendon, and then after she flew again airshow bookings dwindled away for NX611 which led to her going on the gate at Scampton. Would something similar happen now if we were lucky enough to have a choice of two? Yes, the MOD pay for a large part of BBMF’s operating costs but they had to sell one of the Spits to rebuild LF363. . . .

My condolencies Lisa, back in 1985 I was invited to choose a book as a school prize to be awarded to me. I picked ‘British Military Aircraft’ by the great man, and I still have it over twenty years later, this and all his other books will help to keep a little bit of him alive. . . .

I too was lucky enough to fly on the Dakota from Southend on Sunday, no real problem with the security check just put everything in the tray and passed through, unfortunately it is something that is not going to go away now, as Newforest says try Stansted and LAX too if you want ‘the treatment’ as I have! Ironically once we were up the cockpit door was open for most of the flight which is probably unique in this day and age until July 16th.:(
The flights were originally meant to depart from Biggin Hill until Bromley Council refused to issue a permit for them on the grounds of noise, while there waiting for the courtesey coach to take us up to Southend I watched a Cessna Citation plus another bizjet taxi out and take off making far more noise doing so! Maybe I should have booked under the name B. Ecclestone. . . . . . 😀

Hi Graeme just checked in ‘The Dambusters Raid’ by John Sweetman and he mentions the spotlights were fitted in the front camera slot and in the rear of the bomb bay, some modification was made as it was found the rear spotlight’s lens was becoming streaked with oil, presumably from the hydraulic motor that spun the mine. Also the lights were moved/faired in so they were not so visible.
In ‘Lancaster Squadrons 1942-43’ there is another picture of ED817 in flight showing the ‘Boozer’ type aerial, and a ground shot of ED825 which does not have it, but does have the ventral single 0.303. This Lanc was flown on the raid as due to damage to ED933 in a practice run which could not be repaired in time, it was flown from Boscombe Down to Scampton as a ‘ground reserve’ aircraft, and taken on the raid by Flt Lt Joe McCarthy after his aircraft, ED923 was found to have a coolant leak, ironically ED825 had no spotlights as there was no time to fit them!

Can anyone remember Concordes display at DX about 20 years ago.
With a full compliment of passengers, he flew very low down the runway, stood it on it’s tail and applied full reheat, climbing into a wingover, I thought he was going to barrell roll it, the noise made the Vulcan sound like a pussycat.
On the other hand I was on a cross channel ferry to Cherbourg when the captain warned us that Concorde was approaching and to be prepared for the sonic boom. You could see it coming from miles away but the actual noise was no greater than a double pistol shot.

Wasn’t at DX for that but I do remember as a lad living in the village next to Brands Hatch, seeing one of the BA Concorde’s display from a flat roof on the front of my parents house over Brands at an early ’80’s Formula 1 GP when part of the day was a flying display which always had some fine aircraft flying. I remember it did a low n’ slow pass over the circuit (and village!) with U/C, nose and flaps down and engines wound open! I could feel the whole house trembling, fortunately the NIMBY’s weren’t buying properties next to racing circuits, airfield/airports, church bell towers etc. and petitioning to close/stop them like they do now. On family holidays in Cornwall a regular bit of evening entertainment was hearing the kitchen window ‘flex’ when the sonic boom occured!

Excellent post TEXANTOMCAT, I too think Peter Vacher and the restoration team did a fantastic job on R4118, flicked through the book once in a shop and the photo taken when Mr Vacher first saw the airframe showed it was fairly bad then, to rescue it in an even worst state years later and with his team rebuild it as comprehensively as they did. Ironic to think there are more flying Hurricanes now than fifty years ago.
While on the subject, I read an article in Flypast a few years back about a chap who was building ‘the most authentic static Hurricane in existence’ with genuine 1940 first aid pack and all, he had the fuselage in his conservatory! It was a Russian recovered airframe that had been a ‘P**** (I forget the whole serial) serialled Battle Of Britain veteran with a combat kill ( A Bf110) before being rebuilt and sent to Russia with a different serial. The chap rebuilding it manged to acquire the ‘dog kennel’ fairing from Shuttleworth’s Z7105 which needed a new one for it’s rebuild to airworthiness, a fine example of a ‘flyer’ helping a ‘static’. Does anyone know if he finished it or where it ended up would have needed more room for the wings etc.