Bucker Jungmann

At warmer times of the year you can often see something of interest in the air at Duxford doing an air test or practising a routine but on an overcast day in February I wasn't expecting anything. However this Bucker Jungmann was parked on the field and I noticed that a few pre-flight checks were being carried out and, sure enough, it took to the skies and did a short display routine which was an off season bonus. A second bonus was the aircraft being returned to the hangar which was the reason why the door was open giving a better view of the Tempest in my previous post.

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 , albet 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.

Spies in the Skies

This is the name given to a temporary exhibition in the front of the Duxford super hangar, running for a couple of months form 27th December. The exhibition highlights the work of photo reconnaisance aircraft in WWII and showcases a Westland Lysander, Lockheed Electra 12A, two Spitfire PRXIs, a Spitfire XIV and a replica Spitfire 1G along with examples of the aerial phootographhs taken. It was an interesting display and made a good excuse for an early season visit to the museum.

Saved?

The last remaining Blackburn Beverley was under threat of being scrapped following the closure of its home at Fort Paull. A rescue plan was put in place which was to see the aircraft moved to Yorkshire to be fitted out as holiday accommodation. This got no further than the aircraft being dismantled but not moved due to the costs involved. Now, however, Solway Aviation Museum have stepped in with a plan to move the aircraft north to their Carlisle based site for reassembly and restoration. Funds are still required and an appeal has been launched but it sounds more encouraging. Hopefully it can get back to looking as it was when I last saw it alnost 10 years ago.

Hangar collapse

There has been an ongoing saga about Hangar 3 at Old Sarum for a few years. This is a WWI hangar that is listed but has been left to fall in to a state of disrepair amidst a planning campaign to develop the airfield including the addition of housing. Sadly storm Isha last weekend caused its collapse.There are calls for it to ve fully restored but it remains to be seen if it actually happens.

Here it is a few years ago not looking pristine but at least in one piece.

Sywell Air Show

This is a new event on the calendar this and is sounding like a successor to Flying Legends. Only time will tell but a decent aircraft line up gas been announced and us being added to so I have taken advantage of the early bird discount and got tickets for the Saturday.

Heading north

This Jaguar, a long term resident of Cosford and caught here about 5 years ago, was dismantled last month and moved to a new home at RAF Lossiemouth.

Spitfire sold

Spitfire MkIX SL633, which had a minor landing accident back in the summer, has been sold and will start a new life in Australia. I believe that the only time I have seen this aircraft was at Flying Legends back in 2015 when I took this shot.

Duxford departure

The fourth Eurofighter Typhoon prototype, which has been on display at Duxford since 2009 has now moved on. It's disposal had been rumoured with small panels having been removed some while ago. The airframe was dismantled last month and moved to RAF Cosford where it will be used for ground instructional purposes.

Newark Canberra to be scrapped

Canberra PR7 WH971, which has been on display at Newark Air Museum since 1998, is likely to be scrapped next year. The airframe is on loan to the museum and the owners are responsible for its upkeep. The loan actually came to an end last year and the Canberra needs significant repairs which are beyond the capability of the museum to deal with and, as no alternatives have been proposed, scrapping after stripping for parts, seems the inevitable outcome.

Here is the aircraft in 2016 when I last saw it - marked as WH972.

Flying Legends cancelled (again)

After a 3 year hiatus Flying Legends returned in the summer this year although because its new Churh Fenton location was so much further away I was unable to attend. It seems like the new venue was a one off as the 2024 event has already been called off😕

Off to the USA

Apparently Contrary Mary or Miss Velma as she was for many years has now been sold and will have a new home in America. Seems a shame but there should be a couple of new Mustangs on the show circuit next year.

Junkers JU88 C-2

I posted some pictures of a completed 88 a few weeks ago. That was an A-1 bomber version of the Luftwaffe twin, this is cannon equiped fighter. It started life as the old Airfix A-4 many years ago and I bought an after market C-2 conversion kit which sat on the shelf for a long time. I have at last completed the task which involved quite a bit of surgery and tweaking, especially joining the new engine nacelles to tge wings, but here it is finished.