Flying Legends - Duxford 2006

[Ricky]

Hi all,

I went to the Flying Legends Airshow at Duxford on Saturday (08/07/06), which was fantastic. A LOT of Spitfires, almost as many Mustangs (including one P-51 C), 2 Hurricanes, 2 B-17 Flying Fortresses, 3 Corsairs, one of each Grumman ‘Cats’, 2 DC-3s, 3 Bristol Fighters, 2 Catalinas, a P-47, a Gladiator, a B-25, A Seafire, a Sea Fury, a Skyraider, a Polikarov I-15, a Yak-3, a Ju-52, a Bucker Jungmann, a Bf108, 6 Yak-50s doing an aerobatic display, a Buchon pretending to be a Bf109, a Marane D-3801 pretending to be an MS406, a Curtiss Hawk 75… and a few more I forget.
The best part of the whole day was on the drive up, just outside Duxford – suddenly, over the hedge at the side of the road appeared 3 Corsairs, head-on as if on a strafing run (they had just taken off) – wonderful sight, though slightly scary!

And here are the photos that came out well…

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/B-17%20Sally%20B.JPG
The ‘Sally B’

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/B-17%20Pink%20Lady.JPG
The ‘Pink Landy’ – based in France, and fresh from a big overhaul

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/B-25.JPG
B-25 in Dutch colours

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Brisfits.JPG
Slightly blurry – but we are back in 1917! Apparently the first time in many years that 3 Brisfits have taken off together. All are originals…

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Bf108.JPG
Bf-108

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Buchon.JPG
Counterfeit Bf-109!

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Catalinas.JPG
The Catalinas – the rear one is in Dutch colours, and is the oldest Catalina still flying.

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Corsair%20taxiing.JPG
http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Corsair%20taxiing%202.JPG
Two Corsairs – shame about the crowd…

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Hurri.JPG
One of the Hurricanes

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Ju52a.JPG
http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Ju52.JPG
Lufthansa’s Ju52/3

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/MS406.JPG
Sadly this is the best shot I got of the ‘MS406’ – the Hawk 75 pictures did not come out well at all. Apparently the Hawk that flew is the last surviving French aircraft to have fought in the Battle of France.

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Mustang%20and%20B-17.JPG
Mustang & B-17

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Sea%20Fury.JPG
Sea Fury

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Seafire.JPG
Seafire – this flew with the Skyraider, and the very eloquent French commentator described them as ‘the truck and the ballerina’

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Tigercat%20and%20B-17.JPG
Bearcat & B-17 – despite the file name!

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Tigercat.JPG
Tigercat

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Yak3.JPG
Yak-3UPW, with radial engine. This version did not see service in WW2

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Flypast.JPG
The final flypast – what a noise! It is noticeable that the Mustang's Allison Merlin has a much higher-pitched noise than the Spitfire/Hurricane's Rolly Royce Merlin.


And then we looked at a few exhibits:

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Comet.JPG
dH Comet

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Pucara.JPG
Pucara

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/MiG21.JPG
MiG21

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/F-15.JPG
F-15

Before popping in to the American Air Museum

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/American%20Air%20Museum.JPG
This is half of the display – it is basically a big hall built around a B-52 and crammed with American aircraft young & old.

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/A-10.JPG
A-10 Thunderbolt II

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/P-47.JPG
P-47 Thunderbolt

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Avenger.JPG
Avenger – painted up as George Bush senior’s aircraft.

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Blackbird.JPG
Blackbird – gorgeous but menacing…

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/B-24.JPG
B-24 Liberator

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/B-29.JPG
B-29 – the black area at the top right is the B-52’s wing!

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/F-111%20exhaust.JPG
F-111 exhaust pipe – it just seemed like a good picture to take.

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Huey.JPG
A Huey

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Phantom.JPG
Phantom

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Aircraft/Spad.JPG
SPAD


And finally, thanks to my wife, a picture of me enjoying the day:

http://tanksww2f.chollie.co.uk/files/Ricky%20enjoying%20Duxford.JPG

[Double T]

Ricky:
Great photos. Thanks for sharing.
I wish I had been there to see the Bearcat and Tigercat. Awesome.

Tim

[GregP]

Thanks Ricky!

As said above, great pics!

:)

[Lightning]

Hi Ricky,

Thanks for the WONDERFUL photos. I really enjoyed them.

In 1984, I was doing some military training out of Sculthorpe, England. I got a day off, so a buddy and I tried to hitchike to Duxford to see the museum. We just couldn't get a ride, so, after several hours of trying, we had to give it up. I'll always regret having missed it.

It looks like the only thing missing from the show was a P-38 Lightning. Duxford had one,--a P-38J named "California Cutie"--but it crashed at the show about 10 years ago. It was part of Steven Gray's "The Fighter Collection." They never got a replacement.

Regards,
Lightning

P.S.
I finally know what you look like. Now all I have to do is find out where you live and where you park your car! [}:)]

[Ricky]

Thanks guys!

Lightning, if you ever come to the UK go to Duxford. But you will need a couple of days...

Oh, and I park my car over there, next that wooden thing.[^]

[Lightning]

Hi Ricky,

Quoting you:quote:Oh, and I park my car over there, next that wooden thing

Do you mean that funny-looking little shack with the half-moon cut-out on the door and the Sears-Roebuck catalog nailed to the wall? :D

Regards,
Lightning

[Ricky]

quote:Originally posted by Lightning

Do you mean that funny-looking little shack with the half-moon cut-out on the door and the Sears-Roebuck catalog nailed to the wall? :D

Yeah, sorry about that - I'll move my car out the way before you come home from work...[}:)]

[Lightning]

Hi Ricky,

quote:Yeah, sorry about that - I'll move my car out the way before you come home from work...[}:)]

Whew! What a relief! That'll shure take a load off my mind! :D

Regards,
Lightning

[Romantic Technofreak]

Thank you for those great pictures, Ricky! But did you ever consider to edit them before uploading? For example:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/Coridano/584ee80c.jpg

Official contribution of the RT Foundation against Picture Blackout.;)

Regards, RT

[Ricky]

Unfortunately I haven't got any more advanced picture editor than Microsoft Office Picture Manager...[V]

[Romantic Technofreak]

What about downloading XnView? It´s free - and easy to handle...[8)]

Regards, RT

[Kutscha]

More photos to supliment those already posted, by another photogrpher

http://www.screenshotprints.com/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=5&thread_id=2410#20269

[Ricky]

Awesome pics - thanks for the link Kutscha.

[montanamotor]

Aaaah,

whereever something really good is going on - I am not there... I must be cursed!

Great pics, Ricky!

Ok - but next time we need something from the inside, too - like: Duxford seen through the glass-nose of a B 17, or something...

Keep it going, Ricky!

Cheers!

Montanamotor

[Trexx]

How did I miss this post?

WOW! Those are terrific shots, thanks!

Many, many goosebumps!

Ju-52!

...and that Hurricane!

on and on...



A lot of great photos, thanks again.

[Lightning]

Hi All,

I'm glad Trexx brought this posting back into the limelight. It's certainly worth another look.

It's sad that the beautiful P-38J "California Cutie" is no longer with the Duxford collection/show. Quite a while back, it crashed right in front of the crowd during the show. The pilot--"Hoof" Proudfoot--did a low-level slow roll from which he never recovered.

This just reenforces my view that these treasures should not be used for crowd-pleasing aerobatics at air shows. They'll be extinct soon enough. There's no reason to accelerate the process.

I know that Greg will disagree, and I respect his oppinions, so on this subject, we'll just have to disagree respectfully.

Regards,
Lightning

[Trexx]

quote:Originally posted by Lightning

Hi All,

I'm glad Trexx brought this posting back into the limelight. It's certainly worth another look.

It's sad that the beautiful P-38J "California Cutie" is no longer with the Duxford collection/show. Quite a while back, it crashed right in front of the crowd during the show. The pilot--"Hoof" Proudfoot--did a low-level slow roll from which he never recovered.

This just reenforces my view that these treasures should not be used for crowd-pleasing aerobatics at air shows. They'll be extinct soon enough. There's no reason to accelerate the process.

I know that Greg will disagree, and I respect his oppinions, so on this subject, we'll just have to disagree respectfully.

Regards,
Lightning



I think I’ve seen the video of that P-38 crash.
After a low altitude roll, the P-38 continued into an additional roll and the airplane was about 75 feet off the deck. It impacted the ground half way through that second roll, upside down.
The only thing I could think was the pilot had complete disorientation, must of lost track of where the ground was.
I sobbed after viewing it.