Reigate B-17 Memorial

I was at Reigate Hill today to pay respects to the crew of this B-17 which came to grief on 19th March 1945. The aircraft had been on a mission to Plauen oil refinery on the German/Czech border and was returning to Grafton  Underwood in Northants. The weather was extremely poor and descending in low cloud the Fortress hit tree tops and exploded on the ground, sadly killing all on board. There remains a gap in the tree line where the aircraft came in.

Today there is a memorial on the site in the form of carved oak B17 wing tips spaced the exact distance apart of the real aircraft. A small info board and memorial bench are also in place.

It was poignant to visit today as it was  a damp misty morning without too many people about and limited visibility in to the distance and gazing at the gap in the trees brought home what had taken place. RIP all.

Spitfire - Evolution of an Icon

 As we have some time off over the festive season and there is a new exhibition 'Spitfire - Evolution of an Icon' at Duxford it seemed like a good excuse to head north for the final time this year for a look around my favourite museum. The Spitfire exhibition is 12 marks ranging from 1 to 22 in the conservation area of the super hangar. There is nothing that we have not seen before as all of the Spits seem to be based at Duxford but it is a nice idea to put them on display together. The only real let down was the TFC Mk22 which is in bits as it has been for years and adds nothing to the display but was probably easier than trying to re-position the museum 24 from the main hangar.

A stroll around the rest of the site showed nothing much has changed since my last visit in October and all of the air show regulars are tucked up for winter. Anyway, here are some snaps from today.

Revell B25

Probably close on 40 years ago I built a 1/48 scale B25 Mitchell. It seemed a nice enough kit but I ended up butchering the insides a bit to get some weight in it so it would stand on the tricycle undercarriage then my Dad damaged it as soon as it was finished then 2 or 3 years later it was damaged again in a house move. I repainted it eventually but then the cockpit canopy was damaged and since then it has gradually been neglected. The easy option, and probably the cheaper option, would have been to replace it but instead I bought some new glazing, new cockpit interior and fresh decals and still neglected it for a good while. However a few months back I finally decided to rebuild it. Probably not the most accurate version out there but getting it looking OK again has given a certain satisfaction.

Aeroventure Doncaster

This museum is situated on the former RAF Doncaster. There are several exhibits outside, some under restoration, and a hangar which is pretty full leaving limited scope for uncluttered pictures but there are some interesting displays. There are several other buildings with additional display items including life on the home front in WWII amongst others. The staff are pretty friendly and I would recommend a visit.

More pictures in the museums gallery.

Avro Heritage Museum

As we were around an hour away in a holiday cottage we trundled over to the museum today - it is only open at weekends presently.

To quote from the museum website:

"The Avro Heritage Museum preserves the legacy of Alliott Verdon-Roe and his company A.V. Roe & Co (Avro). Located on the former Woodford Aerodrome near Stockport in Cheshire, the site saw the production of famous aircraft including the Lancaster, Vulcan, Nimrod and BAe 146.

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The Avro Heritage Museum is packed with fascinating exhibits and is home to the only example of an all-white Vulcan bomber. There are many activities on offer and things to do to keep all ages entertained. The Museum has a café on site which offers light refreshments and fantastic views of the mighty Vulcan bomber as it stands proudly outside.

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The Museum is entirely self-funded, relying on admission fees as its main source of income and staffed by passionate volunteers, many of whom worked at Chadderton and Woodford."

The Vulcan is the star attraction although, at some point in the future, the Avro Shackleton currently at the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, will be joining the collection. The museum currently has only a couple of full sized aircraft together with some aircraft sections including a replica Lancaster fuselage fitted out with original equipment and mainly documents the history of Avro through to its merger with Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s. To get the most out of the museum you do need to be interested in reading the information displayed but it is never the less a interesting place for any enthusiast.

Duxford

 Heading north with a little time to spare we popped in to Duxford for a bite to eat and to check if anything was happening. A lot of activity around a couple of Stearman biplanes turned out to be some film shooting relative to the next Mission Impossible film and a certain Tom Cruise was in one of the Stearmans. Always worth stopping at DX!