George returns

We were lucky enough to see Lancaster G for George at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, back in 2018. It is a genuine WWII veteran with 90 missions to its credit. However it was removed from display in 2021 and placed in storage whilst a new Anzac Hall was being developed. George is being returned on Thursday and the new hall will open next year.

Sikorsky MH60 Nighthawk

Currently the only helicopter in my collection is this just finished MH60.

Manston Air Show cancelled

Although the show plans have basically been approved by the powers that be it seems there is insufficient time available to address possible safety concerns for the show that was scheduled next month and consequently it has been postponed until early June next year. No doubt this will be seen to vindicate a lot of people who suggested it wasn't going to happen in the first place. Ticket refunds are available.

Curtiss P36 sold

It seems that in addition to the recent sale of their Corsair The Fighter Collection have also sold the P36 although, as yet, there us no info on where it is going. I did see it in the hangar last Friday but the last proper outing that I saw was the Shuttleworth show at the end of May.

Sally B - 50 years

Hard to believe that Sally B has been in UK skies 50 years this year, arriving here in 1975. My first sight of her was over Ramsgate in June 1977 and later on the same day when she was parked up at Manston. To celebrate I have chipped in with costs and now have an invite to the Roll of Honour day at Duxford next month. Fingers crossed for the weather as Sally B is scheduled to fly for the guests in the afternoon.

Focke Wulf FW56

This is a Heller kit of the advanced Luftwaffe trainer that first flew in 1933. It was the first aircraft designed from the outset by Kurt Tank.

Duxford 18.7.25

I was heading to an annual camping weekend on Friday and made sure I had enough time to call in to Duxford to check out the latest episode of musical chairs in the Super Hangar since I was there in May and anything else of interest. Most of the aircraft in the super hangar were in different positions but I don't know if further changes are afoot. However, as the rumoured theme of the hangar is to be Cold War I am assuming the the Swordfish and two WWI biplanes will be moved. Elsewhere the Canberra sits out on the jet pan with a move to RAFM awaited. The Comet and Dove are now with the other airliners and the Lysander recently acquired bt TFC from Belgium with a rumoured restoration to airworthy status could be found with the resident flying aircraft collection, at least the fuselage and one wing was anyway. No visible progress on the Beau or CR42 as to be expected but the accident damaged Wildcat was in the Aerial Collective hangar looking in pretty good nick so hopefully it will be in the air again soon.

Merlin Heritage

A trip to a nearby Diy store ended up with this when the wingman asked if I had seen the aero engine across the road outside Hornby Hobbies. I had managed to miss it but parked up and went for a look. This late merlin would have come from an Avro Lincoln and is un full working order and a demo run was only 20 minutes away so we hung around.

Cheviot hills Memorial

There were a number of aircraft crashes in the Cheviot Hills, Northumberland, during WWII often with multiple fatalities. Some years ago a memorial was erected relating to 19 such crashes, including a couple of Luftwaffe aircraft and it has been renovated in more recent times. The memorial is within the Northumberland National Park meaning taht you require a permit to visit in a car and we went to pay our respects a few days ago.