Lest We Forget

DH Dove VP952

Continuing the theme of departures from Cosford is this De Havilland Dove. Seen here outside at the RAF centenary show in 2018 it was moved last month to Gatwick Aviation Museum. It is a little while since I was last at Gatwick but there are some images of the visit in my galleries section. The Shackleton, which we had a tour of at the time, has since been repainted.

Now at Duxford

The BBMF Lancaster has now arrived at Duxford where it is due to undergo a significant maintenance programme that will keep it off the air show circuit for all of 2026. Presumably it will once again be in the Stephenson hangar so progress can be monitored from the viewing window.

Blackburn Skua

Old Novo kits can't compare to modern fare but some are better than others. This 1/72 Skua wasn't one of the better ones! The canopy was fairly ropey but I already had a Falcon replacement but that highlighted the poor interior so I fabricated a few extra bits. The cylinders in the engine were very spindley so I made a replacement from a couple of old Halifax engines and also added an arrestor hook which wasn't part of the kit. The biggest issue though was the wings. The ailerons looked too shallow so I increased the size and I also added a new leading edge because the wings should extend in front of the cockpit and the kit wings didn't. I made a new exhaust as well and found a better tail wheel in my spares box. Anyway, plenty of filler and sanding later and thus is what I have ended up with. Decals also came from the spares box as the aged kit decals fell apart, naturally.

Stearmans

Much like the Harvards mentioned below there were a number of Stearmans present at the La Fert Alais show and here are a few images from the day.

307 Squadron Memorial

307 Squadron was a Polish Night Fighter Squadron formed at Blackpool in 1940. Initially it operated the Boulton Paul Defiant and spent a short while in the Isle of Man before moving to RAF Exeter and, in August 1941, converting to the Bristol Beaufighter. It was with these aircraft that the squadron shot down 4 of 40 JU88s that were attacking Exter on the night of 3/4 May 1942 and are consequently credited with saving the city from more extensive destruction. Exter Cathedral sustained damage that night although restoration was complete by the early 1950s but a memorial to 307 squadron and this raid can be found within the cathedral.

Beer Bomb Shelter

Not exactly as the name suggests as the 'shelter' is a small building that has a display/exhibition area. However there is a permanent display realting to a WWII incident where the pilot of a badly damaged Ju88 bomber took action to avoid crashing his doomed aircraft in to the town of Beer thereby saving a number of lives. The pilot survived the crash and is consequently considered a hero for his actions. Many years later the wreck was excavated and a large bomb was found and diffused. The bomb has been cleaned and restored and is now on display along with various information boards relating to the mission and it is worth 20 minutes of your time to check it out if in the area.

Another Cosford deparure

This Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer used to be on display at Cosford as soon below but was moved on at the end of July and I gather that it is now properly on display at Hendon instead.

RAF Beer Head

It's still possible to find odd snippets of WW2 aerail heritage stories that perhaps you were unaware of. For instance I have learned that Beer Head was the site of a Chain Low radar station from 1941 that helped the defence of the UK during the Battle of Britain and beyond. The station closed in 1946 and was dismantled but its presence is commemorated ina history panel in a sea front shelter.

Airbus Industries H135

H135 of Devon Air Ambulance caught over Exeter today.

John Martin Maynard

John Martin Maynard lost his life in a Battle of Britain air display in 1951, one of three pilots lost in different displays that day. From official sources: "On 15th September 1951 Harvard T2B KF937 of CFS crashed at RAF St.Athan, Glamorgan, South Wales, during the Battle of Britain Display. The aircraft began a spin at 2500 feet and stopped at about 800 feet from where it went into a steep dive to 300 feet, when recovery action was started. However insufficient height remained to effect a successful recovery and the aircraft mushed into the ground." We came across a memorial plaque to this sad loss in a church at Colyford today.

Beaufighter R2457

Bristol Beaufighter was a night fighter operating out of RAF Exeter and was lost in April 1942 when it crashed in to the sea off Beer Head. Both crew were lost and the body of the pilot was never recovered. 80 years on a memorial was erected in the RBL memorial garden in Beer sea front.

Brookwood Cemetery

Brookwood in Surrey is a Commonwealth War Graves site with sections covering several nations and most branches of the military. Here are some of the Air Force losses including the RAF shelter. If of interest there are more pictures on my general blog here.

Tall in the Saddle

Not seen this former Hangar 11 P51 Mustang a lot over recent years but it has now been sold to a new private owner and will apparently be based at Duxford so I hope to see it more in future. Here it is at Abingdon some while ago.

Keeping busy

I have mentioned a couple of ongoing restoration projects at Midland Air Museum previously. Also receiving attention is their De Havilland Dove which has currently been stripped to bare metal pending a repaint. I'm not sure if a new scheme is being applied but here is the aircraft when I last saw it in 2021.