IWM Duxford

[Gully]

Spent a day at Duxford over the Easter weekend. Thought I'd share a few photos...

Viscount


Shackleton



Victor K1A


XJ824 dominates AirSpace


Mosquito


Concorde 101




Lightning F1


AirSpace...


Avro Canada CF100


Canberra


Spitfire TA805


Mustang


Spitfire PL344


Me109


Buccaneer


Gannet


Nimrod


Javelin



Spitfire BM597



Hurricane Z5140


Hurricane & Spitfire + WW1 Hanger: v.nice!


VC10 (for SM!) with Trident in the background


Phantom


B29


B17 & C47


Grumman Avenger


A10 Thunderbolt


The lovely (and much missed) Sally B


Hope you enjoyed! Went to Hendon as well, but I can't face photobucket for another few days...

Cheers,

Gully

[Dan4th]

Thanks, Gully.......

Passed through 'em 2wice and there's
SO MUCH I'll go back through another
few times....

It's the little stuff in there that makes
them really GOOD!

Dan4th

[Wedgy]

And THANKS for sharing

That is an amazing collection of photos - must get there one day!!!

[RLN]

Thanks Gully. I haven't been for a while - must go soon.

[Mayfly]

Do you know the latest on Sally B Gully?

I know she was grounded the whole of last season with an engine failure & they were looking forward to her returning to the display scene this year. I think I read though they have had to drop the engine again as there were problems with it?

[Gully]

Do you know the latest on Sally B Gully?

I know she was grounded the whole of last season with an engine failure & they were looking forward to her returning to the display scene this year. I think I read though they have had to drop the engine again as there were problems with it?

They're still having problems. She was sat there in the rain with only 3 engines and her wingtips removed .

I understand from one of the volunteers that the Preservation Society needs to source yet another engine and the 2009 season is looking difficult for them. Their website's not up to date.

I know a few years ago they were struggling with increasing insurance costs: hopefully, this long period of unserviceablity will not affect their premiums further.

Gully

[Saracenman]

Gully - thanks for those BRILLIANT pics - especially the mighty Ten

really good to see Victor B1/K1 inside - the only B1 left and was beginning to look a little worrying the last time i went - and THAT was ten years ago!

Comet's looking fab too in the BOAC livery

i really think that Duxford is one of the best collections in the world - what a shame they can't all fly though

personally, I'd LOVE to see the Javelin up and about

sm

[Mayfly]

Gully - thanks for those BRILLIANT pics - especially the mighty Ten

really good to see Victor B1/K1 inside - the only B1 left and was beginning to look a little worrying the last time i went - and THAT was ten years ago!

Comet's looking fab too in the BOAC livery

i really think that Duxford is one of the best collections in the world - what a shame they can't all fly though

personally, I'd LOVE to see the Javelin up and about

sm

yeah so would I

[Gully]

The Javelin's one of my favourites too! Okay, so it wasn't a particularly successful aeroplane (the Gloster Dragmaster!), but aesthetically I think it's stunning! And it's HUGE, by comparison to it's nearby contemporary: the beautiful Hunter.

We were lucky to be invited on a "behind the barriers" tour of Hangers 3 & 4 at Duxford by one of the volunteers, so here are a few more of their Javelin from angles you don't ordinarily get...






Regarding the Victor 1A, it sat outside until quite recently (30 years in all weathers!), but from what I understand is now "drying out" / stabilising prior to conservation (or possible restoration). Only issue is the Typhoon that's supposed to be arriving w/c 20th April is coming in kit form and they need hanger space to reassemble the pieces...

Cheers,

Gully

[IanM]

Regarding the Victor 1A, it sat outside until quite recently (30 years in all weathers!), but from what I understand is now "drying out" / stabilising prior to conservation (or possible restoration).

Apparently it was painted to quite a high standard but then someone decided to make it a gloss finish by covering it in varnish which then reacted badly with the paint making it look shabby.

Good to see it inside though.

[Gully]

Regarding the Victor 1A, it sat outside until quite recently (30 years in all weathers!), but from what I understand is now "drying out" / stabilising prior to conservation (or possible restoration).

Apparently it was painted to quite a high standard but then someone decided to make it a gloss finish by covering it in varnish which then reacted badly with the paint making it look shabby.

Good to see it inside though.

Definitely a bit shabby, and no sign of that gloss finish now...





Gully

[Saracenman]

shame there are no Victor B2/K2s still around with the proper wingspan (the B2's wings were clipped for tanker conversion, to reduce drag)

judging by the not-so-tactical colour-scheme, i assume that the Javelin is an ex A&AEE/ETPS Boscombe Down a/c isn't it? would that therefore make it the last Javelin that ever flew?

sm

[Gully]

judging by the not-so-tactical colour-scheme, i assume that the Javelin is an ex A&AEE/ETPS Boscombe Down a/c isn't it? would that therefore make it the last Javelin that ever flew?

sm

Yep - Duxford's Javelin was the last of the type to fly. The following is from Thunder & Lightnings:

Built as an FAW.7 and seeing service with 5, 25 and 33 Squadrons, XH897 was converted to an FAW.9 and used by the A&AEE for various purposes, mostly chase and calibration duties whereby it would fly alongside newer types so their airspeed indicators could be accurately calibrated against a known target. In this way it helped out on the Shorts SC.9, Concorde and MRCA (Tornado) projects. This was the last Javelin to fly, its final flight being on 24th January 1975, landing at Duxford to join what was the newly established Imperial War Museum collection there.

The Javelin was also the last operational aircraft to be based at Duxford prior to its closure in 1961.

Gully

[RLN]

Why are aeroplanes with a T tail so attractive?

[Mayfly]

they are aren't they, all but one the bloody butt ugly [IMHO] Astor

[Saracenman]

Victor and VC10

QED!

[Mayfly]

dont understand SM we are agreeing with you ?????????

[Pujgnie]

The Victor looks like it has been sent to the 'naughty corner'

[Mackrick]

Thanks for sharing the photos with us all Gully. Its been years since I last visited Duxford so I feel a trip coming on again...