Duxford 10.2.24

As mentioned below we popped up to Duxford yesterday for the Aerial Spies exhibition but also had a look around the other hangars for a catch up since the Battle of Britain airshow last September. Of note was a new hot air heating system in the hangars which will apparently save IWM £41k a year in heating costs and the hangars were noticeably warmer than previous winter visits. Outside a new kids adventure playground is under construction.

Of course the main purpose of the visit was to check on airframes. The Stephenson hangar was very gloomy but the silver MkXIV Spit was having some minor work. Nothing had changed in the main hangar and a glance in The Forge showed the Firefly project wings under tarps so lets hope that means work on them is done rather than suspended. A Morane Storch was also there which my mate Gaz advised had come from East Fortune.

The TFC fleet was undergoing some winter maintenance as was Sally B and Miss Pick Up and the Walrus was in the hangar again but no obvious work had been done on it. I also got to see the Hawker Tempest for the first time and was lucky that the hangar door was opened later in the after noon for a better, albeit slightly cluttered, view.

Elsewhere there was a gap where the recently departed Typhoon used to sit but the exhibits still need re-positioning as the Sea King is blocking the Buccaneer and the MkI Firefly is hemmed in.

Work continues on the Shackleton in the Conservation hangar and it was interesting to see the work on the He162 which has revealed RAF roundels.

Anyway, some pictures from the visit.