# 75th BoB from Duxford



## Jeff Hunt (Sep 22, 2015)

This will be a photo post for any and all pics taken from the 75th BoB at Duxford.

Lets get the ball rolling with these.













Cheers,

Jeff


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## Airframes (Sep 22, 2015)

A great start Jeff !
I've started to download and sort the 2,800 + pics I took, but for some reason, they've downloaded out of order !
It's going to take me longer than I thought to edit some reasonable shots, but as a taster, and purely a random choice, here's one to be going on with.

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## Wurger (Sep 23, 2015)




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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 23, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Sep 23, 2015)




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## Wayne Little (Sep 23, 2015)

Top shots!


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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 23, 2015)

A wonderful view, this pair of Mk.1a Spitfires sitting on the grass at Duxford. One can only imagine an entire field full of them.












Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Sep 23, 2015)




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## Gnomey (Sep 23, 2015)

Great shots!


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## Vic Balshaw (Sep 23, 2015)

Good pics guy's, looks and seems like you all had a great weekend.


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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 24, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Airframes (Sep 24, 2015)

Good stuff Jeff.
We had a great weekend Vic - just a shame it had to end. 
I'm still sorting mine - it's a real pain as they downloaded out of order, with aerobatic sequences split all over the place !


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## ozhawk40 (Sep 24, 2015)

Great photos - more! (Please)


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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 24, 2015)

ozhawk40 said:


> Great photos - more! (Please)



Oh, okay. Here are a few more. Oh, by the way....it did rain a bit on the Friday!
















Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Sep 24, 2015)




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## Wayne Little (Sep 24, 2015)

Cheers jeff.


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## rochie (Sep 24, 2015)

those are great Jeff


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## Airframes (Sep 24, 2015)

They sure are. I'm about to start posting mine, after b*gg*ring about with the out of order download.


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## Airframes (Sep 24, 2015)

OK, here's the first of mine, in no particular order, due to the out of order download.
The first show some of the Hurricanes and the Blenheim.

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## Crimea_River (Sep 24, 2015)

Still sorting here and will post more shortly. In the meantime, since I had posted this one on the other thread already, I'll just copy it here. 17 Spits made the formation flyover both days. I only wish that the 5 flying Hurricanes went up to join them!


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## Airframes (Sep 24, 2015)

Nice one Andy, and I agree - had the five Hurricanes been in the formation, it would have been even better.

Here's a few more from me, again in no particular order.
The P-40F displayed fairly early in the show, but appeared to be much further out from the crowd line than usual, possibly as a result of changes due to the Shoreham accident, and the fact that there'd been a fatal accident on the M11 Motorway, which is right at the end of the runway, the day before.
Various Harvards were airborne throughout the day, giving pleasure flights, and displaying as part of the '1940 Training' show.

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## Crimea_River (Sep 24, 2015)

Good ones there Terry. The following are a few from the fly-in and practice day on Friday and a few will be repeats of some posted elsewhere.

I met up with Jeff and Jason right from the start, having spotted them in the entrance line in the morning. The day started very damp and, at a few times, was raining pretty hard but later in the day the sun broke out made for some dramatic lighting.

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## Airframes (Sep 24, 2015)

Great stuff Andy.
I think that, on the original show listing, the Yak team were supposed to display on Sunday, but no loss really.


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## Wurger (Sep 24, 2015)




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## Catch22 (Sep 24, 2015)

Great shots guys, would have been quite the experience!


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## Crimea_River (Sep 24, 2015)

Terry, the Yaks did perform on Saturday, though I took no pics of them. I usually use the aerobatic segments to delete all my crap pitures and make room on my card or go for a pee.

Here's a continuation of more from Friday. I also used this day to practice my photo setups, a challenge due to the ever changing conditions.


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## rochie (Sep 24, 2015)

Ok here's the pics I have moved from the other thread.

Hurricanes


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## rochie (Sep 24, 2015)

More Hurricanes


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## rochie (Sep 24, 2015)

Hurricane and Messerschmitt' s


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## Airframes (Sep 24, 2015)

Good stuff, Andy and Karl.
I would have liked to have seen that Max Holst Broussard. There was one based at my Club, until it had a failure of the prop CSU on approach, when the prop sliced through the roof of a Citroen 2CV on the Motorway, amputating one of the arms of the driver in the process, and ended up in a field short of the runway. The hulk stood behind one of the hangars for a number of years.


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## Gnomey (Sep 24, 2015)

Excellent shots guys!


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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 25, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Sep 25, 2015)




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## Airframes (Sep 25, 2015)

Nice ones Jeff, and that's the first time I've seen that Cat with air under its hull for some time.
As I got out of the hospital early (couldn't continue the new meds until an infected insect bite has been cleared by anti-biotics), I should have time later to sort and post some more of my pics.


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## rochie (Sep 25, 2015)

nice ones Jeff

some more of mine


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## Wurger (Sep 25, 2015)

Nice images. 

BTW.. the first attached pic is an invalid attachment. Could you re-attach it ?


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## rochie (Sep 25, 2015)

Wurger said:


> Nice images.
> 
> BTW.. the first attached pic is an invalid attachment. Could you re-attach it ?



already have Sir !

and thanks


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## Wayne Little (Sep 25, 2015)

great pics.


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## Airframes (Sep 25, 2015)

Nice ones Karl - that little Fuji certainly does the job.


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## Crimea_River (Sep 25, 2015)

Yes it does. I'll be sorting my Saturday pis today and should get a few up an a couple of hours.


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## Airframes (Sep 25, 2015)

Looking forward to them Andy ... over !


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## Airframes (Sep 25, 2015)

I'm still sorting the flying shots, due to the darned things downloading out of order making the job longer.
Meanwhile, here's a few showing some of the 'side show' features, including some of the re-enactment 'camps', and the American Museum, with it's front removed, whilst it undergoes refurb after twenty years. The B-25 has recently been re-painted and hung back up on the ceiling - it was previously in U.S. Navy colours.
There was a pile of steel fabrications in the front of the open building, which looked like they _might_ be extensions to make the building longer, although they might have been newly cleaned and painted frames for the original glass front.
Back with more flying pics soon ............


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## Crimea_River (Sep 25, 2015)

Good ones Terry.

Herewith pics starting with Saturday morning. The day dawned quite foggy with the promise that the fog would lift in the late morning. Once again, this made for some entertaining camera settings.









By the time the flight line walk opened at 10am, the sun began peaking through. As soon as I was on the tarmac, I hung a left and wentt straight for the Blenheim:









I then took a walk down the line and took a pic of every warbird on the line. Perhaps I will post each one, though that may be overkill on this thread.






The lifting fog also enabled some late-comers to make it to the airfield. This FR MkXVIIIe made a beautiful arcing pass which, from a lighting standpoint, would have been great in the southern hemisphere. As it was, the top side was in shadow with the sun and backlit clouds behind the aircraft.






The re-enactors added a period feel to the proceedings, though the Hurricane pilot must have been stealing other pilots' rations! 












The first few individual aircraft shots follow.









More later


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## Wurger (Sep 25, 2015)




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## Airframes (Sep 25, 2015)

Nice shots there Andy. I particularly like the misty Czech Spitfire, and the low-angle Blenheim shots.
That re-enactor in the white flying suit, in the first re-enactor pic, looks rather like Edward Fox !

Here's a selection from Sunday morning, when the light was still a little tricky. 
A view down the flight line from the west, taken from about 1/4 mile away, one of the Rapides providing pleasure flights, and the BBMF departing to do a fly-over of Woburn Abbey.


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## Wurger (Sep 25, 2015)




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## rochie (Sep 25, 2015)

Very nice Andy, with Terry on the Spitfire shot


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## Crimea_River (Sep 25, 2015)

Let's continue our Saturday morning stroll down the flightline:


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## Airframes (Sep 25, 2015)

Great catalogue of Spits and Hurricanes Andy !
I forgot to ask, was the Flight Line Walk as busy on Saturday, as it was on Sunday ? I've never seen so many on the 'air side' before !


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## Crimea_River (Sep 25, 2015)

It looked busier Sunday.


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## Airframes (Sep 25, 2015)

Thanks Andy.


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## Crimea_River (Sep 25, 2015)

Last batch from the flight line walk:


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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 26, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Sep 26, 2015)




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## Crimea_River (Sep 26, 2015)

After the flightline walk on Saturday, I headed over to the "tank bank" on the west side of the airfield to watch the show amongst the great unwashed. Jeff and Jason had their swanky Silver Passes so I didn't see them for the rest of the day. Just when I got to my spot, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight arrived so I obviously did not get the opportunity to see them parked on the flightline. The airshow organizers did a great job of strategically placing a blue outhouse in the background to break up the trees........


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## Wurger (Sep 26, 2015)




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## rochie (Sep 26, 2015)

Those are great pictures gents


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## Crimea_River (Sep 26, 2015)

Cheers Karl. I'll ask everyone to let me know if I'm going overboard here but in the meantime, I'll continue with a more-or-less sequential posting of my airshow pics. From this point on, I'll combine both Saturday and Sunday pics to give all a sense of the show.

The show starts with a simulated attack on the airfield by two Buchons and a Bf-108. A Hurricane and Spitfire are "scrambled" to attack, the Hurricane going after the Taifun and the Spit after the Buchons.


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## rochie (Sep 26, 2015)

That second taifun shot is fantastic Andy !


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## Airframes (Sep 26, 2015)

I agree - great shot, as is the Hurricane and Taifun together.
I'm still sorting mine form the Sunday show into some sort of sequential order, and I'll post more soon.


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## Gnomey (Sep 26, 2015)

Excellent shots guys!


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## Airframes (Sep 26, 2015)

I forgot to add, Andy - you were right about the two Nimrods on Saturday, as seen in your pics. I checked the programme Max left with me, and they were a Mk1 (with tail skid) and MkII, with tail wheel, different wing arrangement etc. Great to see the one flying on Sunday.


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## Crimea_River (Sep 26, 2015)

I remembered seeing them but I didn't get any pics of them in the air, at least that I kept. I though I had some....

Anyway, next in the show was the Blenheim Mk I along with 3 Hurricanes. I did not get a good pic of the Shuttleworth Collection Sea Hurricane pass.


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## Airframes (Sep 26, 2015)

Great shots, especially the Blenheim.
For the benefit of other members, the Hurricane coded 'UP-W', Serial Number R4116, actually fought in the Battle, flying 57 sorties, and I believe gained some victories, when flown by various pilots.
It was discovered in India by Peter Vacher, who brought it back to the UK a few years ago, and completely restored it to genuine WW2 configuration, in the colours it wore during the Battle.


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## Vic Balshaw (Sep 26, 2015)

Great images guys, must have been one hell of a day, you lucky sods!


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## Airframes (Sep 26, 2015)

It was a great day Vic, or, for Andy, Jeff, and his friend Jason, a great two days at the show, plus Friday at 'Arrivals Day' - and then we all went around the Museums at DX on Monday.
Here's a few more from Sunday morning, showing the depth of the crowd in just part of the area where we were located, on the 'Tank Bank', followed by some of the Harvards taking off, and the return of the BBMF from their fly pasts elsewhere.
The final pic, over the heads of the crowd, shows Spitfire MkIIa, P7350 of the BBMF, which actually fought in the Battle, and still has the patches covering three bullet holes. Back in 1982, at Alconbury, I almost got a ride in a T-33 Talon, for letting an 'Aggressor's' F-5 jockey sit in the cockpit of this aircraft, but bad weather prevented it going ahead !

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## at6 (Sep 27, 2015)

Great shots. You can never have too many Hurricanes or Harvards.


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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 27, 2015)

Excellent picture thread to this point. Thanks to Andy, Karl and Terry for their contributions. I am searching through my photos for ones that are different than what the others have posted.



























Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Sep 27, 2015)




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## Wayne Little (Sep 27, 2015)

Excellent shots Guys.


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## rochie (Sep 27, 2015)

few more from me


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## Airframes (Sep 27, 2015)

Nice ones, Jeff and Karl. I would have liked to have seen the Yale flying - I'm guessing it went 'tech' on the Sunday.


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## Crimea_River (Sep 27, 2015)

The Yale was up Friday but scratched Saturday and Sunday. Good ones guys. Karl, I like that second one, a rare topside view which always seemed to be in the distance.


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## rochie (Sep 27, 2015)

Crimea_River said:


> The Yale was up Friday but scratched Saturday and Sunday. Good ones guys. Karl, I like that second one, a rare topside view which always seemed to be in the distance.


yes it was, i had to crop the picture quite a bit to bring the formation forward so it could be seen !

the only limitation of my little Fuji is the 10x zoom


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## rochie (Sep 27, 2015)

some Blenhiem shots from me


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## Airframes (Sep 27, 2015)

Good ones Karl.
When the Blenheim came in closer, it was too close, as I had to rack-back the lens as quick as I could with my knackered hand, just to catch the nose area !
The only reason I can think of that there were no relatively close 'top-side' views of most of the participants at this show, would be one of safety, following any rulings after the Shoreham crash. Banking towards the crowd, in the case of an engine failure or worse, has more chance of putting an aircraft involved into or very close to the crowd, whereas banking away would normally result in the opposite.


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## Airframes (Sep 27, 2015)

A few more of mine, with the Buchons preparing for the 'airfield attack', a Spitfire MkXVIe, and the 'Me108' (Nord). 
When the recently restored Spitfire Mk1a, N3200, took off, it appeared to suddenly drop its starboard wing, as shown in the final, somewhat 'hazy' pic.


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## Wurger (Sep 27, 2015)




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## Crimea_River (Sep 27, 2015)

Pumping the landing gear maybe? Those are nice Terry. Were you shooting at 400 ISO?


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## Airframes (Sep 27, 2015)

That's what I thought Andy, although in the second pic in the sequence, the pilot appears to be looking down and to his left.
And thanks - from memory, yes, I was on 400 ISO, with shutter priority at either 1/250th or 1/320th - I'd have to check the settings. Later, when I broke the remote cable for the pistol grip on the D80, I inadvertently knocked the Image Stabilisation to the 'Off' position, and the settings dial to 'Auto' !
I spotted the changes eventually, but only after taking a further couple of hundred pics - which will be evident by the 'frozen' props when I post them later !


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## Crimea_River (Sep 27, 2015)

Thanks Terry. I did find my pics of the two Nimrods Saturday. The did fly together and here are a few highlights:


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## Airframes (Sep 27, 2015)

Great shots Andy !
Pity they weren't both up on Sunday, but it was nice to see the MkII flying, at least. I've seen it many times at DX, but hadn't seen it fly until this show.


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## Wurger (Sep 27, 2015)




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## rochie (Sep 28, 2015)

Very nice guys


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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 28, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Airframes (Sep 28, 2015)

Good ones Jeff.


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## Wurger (Sep 28, 2015)




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## rochie (Sep 28, 2015)

Very nice, especially the seafire


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## Airframes (Sep 28, 2015)

A few more of the Hurricanes and Sea Hurricane, Buchons and the 'Duxford' Mk1 Spitfire, plus a regal visitor in the form of a RAF V.I.P/Queen's Flight BAe 146. The pods on the rear fuselage prompted some speculative conversation between our group.
Hurricane 'UP-W' is a veteran of the Battle, with a number of 'victories'.


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## Geedee (Sep 28, 2015)

Looks like I missed a great show...and the evening parties as well !.

Awesome set of pics chaps, keep 'em coming !


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## Gnomey (Sep 28, 2015)

Great shots guys!


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## Catch22 (Sep 28, 2015)

Great pics guys!


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## Crimea_River (Sep 28, 2015)

The Hawk 75 was only up Saturday. I did not get a good set of flying pics for this one.


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## Airframes (Sep 28, 2015)

Maybe not a good 'set' Andy, but there's nothing wrong with the ones you did get - great shots.
And yes Gary, you missed a good show and a couple or three very enjoyable pi ... er ... soirees !


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## Crimea_River (Sep 28, 2015)

Thanks Terry. Here's another formation unique to Saturday's show:


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## Airframes (Sep 28, 2015)

Nice !
We saw that from the campsite as they were orbiting to the north west of the airfield - the Typhoon was at a really steep nose-up angle, with its gear lowered, trying to fly slow enough !!
I hadn't realised, until seeing your pic, that the Spit was the Mk.V - in the past when they've done jet/Spit formation, they used the faster PR19 - no wonder the Typhoon was 'struggling' !!


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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 29, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## rochie (Sep 29, 2015)

Good ones Jeff


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## Wurger (Sep 29, 2015)




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## Airframes (Sep 29, 2015)

Nice shots Jeff.


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## Airframes (Sep 29, 2015)

Here's a lot of Blenheim shots, but hey, it's rare, and great to see !


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## Wurger (Sep 29, 2015)




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## Gnomey (Sep 29, 2015)

Excellent shots guys!


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## Crimea_River (Sep 29, 2015)

That's a different batch if shots altogether........

Here's an eclectic grouping:


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## Airframes (Sep 29, 2015)

Nice ones Andy !
That 'Commanche Fighters' Spitfire duo were a joy to watch - just a pity they were displaying with so much else going on at the same time, although the overall effect was good.


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## rochie (Sep 30, 2015)

Nice ones Andy


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## Jeff Hunt (Sep 30, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wayne Little (Sep 30, 2015)

great pics fellas...


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## Airframes (Sep 30, 2015)

Great stuff Jeff - and nicely captured wit the take-off shots.


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## Crimea_River (Sep 30, 2015)

Agreed. I will post more until someone pukes.....


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## rochie (Sep 30, 2015)

Great stuff Jeff, like Andy i have a few more to post yet !


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## Airframes (Sep 30, 2015)

Me too - out of more than 2,800 pics taken, including 'accidental' shots of the ground, sky, car roofs etc, I think I can post lots more until people say "Enough !!".
So here's some to be going on with, showing the end of the Blenheim/Hurricane display, with a Hurricane banking in over the M11 and Duxford village, and the Blenheim taxiing in after landing.
The 'Commanche Fighters' Spitfire Mk1 duo put on a superb, smooth display of formation aerobatics, set to music, and a few from the various sequences are shown here.

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## Crimea_River (Sep 30, 2015)

Lovely shots Terry.


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## Airframes (Sep 30, 2015)

Thanks Andy !


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## Crimea_River (Sep 30, 2015)



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## buffnut453 (Sep 30, 2015)

Terry...those pics at #112 are simply breathtaking! Thank you for sharing.

Andy...same-same for your pic of the Red Arrows and the Spitfires. Lovely photo! 

You guys are making me homesick!


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 1, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 1, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 1, 2015)

Thanks very much Buff - and I agree about Andy's shot of the 'Scampton Darts Team' with the Spits ! If they did it on Sunday, I missed it, as I'd gone to the bog ... er, sorry, toilet, in the tank hall !
beaut shots Jeff, especially the Broussard, and the Hurricane landing.


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## Gnomey (Oct 1, 2015)

Great shots guys!!


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## Crimea_River (Oct 1, 2015)




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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 2, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 2, 2015)




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## Wayne Little (Oct 2, 2015)

great shots!


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## Crimea_River (Oct 2, 2015)

God ones Jeff!


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## Airframes (Oct 2, 2015)

Some nice shots, Andy and Jeff.
Still sorting through mine - I'll post some more later.


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## Airframes (Oct 2, 2015)

Here's a 'job lot' showing the 'Training Aircraft' display. Although perhaps lacking the 'impact' of the 'warbirds', the Tiger Moth, Bucker Jungman (CASA) and Stampe SV4 put on a nice show of formation flying, and some graceful aerobatics, and provided a colourful 'intermission' from the snarl and growl of the fast-flying fighters. I particularly enjoyed the display by the Stampe, as I used to get to fly one occasionally, back in the 1980's.
The Gladiator and P-40 did a couple of fly-pasts in formation, before the 'Gladbag' performed a solo display, showing just how manouverable the last of the RAF's biplane fighters was. A Squadron of Gladiators was operational from Roborough during the Battle, tasked with the defence of naval installations.


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## rochie (Oct 2, 2015)

Good stuff guys, i am off work Sunday so should get a load of mine posted then.


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## Airframes (Oct 2, 2015)

Some more of the Gladiator.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 2, 2015)

Nice ones Terry. I had no good flying shots of the P-40.


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## Airframes (Oct 2, 2015)

Thanks Andy. I got a few of the P-40 in the early display, but had to crop them and enlarge from the center, as they were quite far away. Here's an example.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 3, 2015)

BBMF Parade:


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 3, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wayne Little (Oct 3, 2015)

Excellent pics guys!


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## nuuumannn (Oct 3, 2015)

Excellent images all. Terry, lovely sequence shots of the Glad and Spitties. Keep 'em coming.


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## Wurger (Oct 3, 2015)

Great stuff here.


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## Airframes (Oct 3, 2015)

Great pics, Andy and Jeff, and thanks for the compliments chaps.


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## T Bolt (Oct 3, 2015)

Great shots guys, and keep them coming! Makes me want to go home tonight pull out my DVD of the Battle of Britain.


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## Airframes (Oct 3, 2015)

Although two Hawker Nimrods displayed on the Saturday, the Mk I and the MkII, only the MkII took to the air on the Sunday. In basic terms, the Nimrod is an up-graded, naval version of the Fury.
Here's a selection of 'semi-sequential' shots of the Mk.II, chosen from those taken during a number of passes over the field.


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## Wurger (Oct 3, 2015)

Really great stuff Terry.


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## Airframes (Oct 3, 2015)

Thanks my friend. Lots more still to come !


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## T Bolt (Oct 3, 2015)

Beautiful! The Fury is one of the most graceful biplanes ever made


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## Gnomey (Oct 3, 2015)

Lovely shots guys!


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## nuuumannn (Oct 3, 2015)

Beautifully captured Terry.


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## Airframes (Oct 4, 2015)

Thanks very much, Glenn, Hugh and Grant.
I thought I hadn't taken many of the resident B-17G, 'Sally B', as I already have loads, but it turned out I'd taken loads more !
So here's a few for all those 'Fortress Fans'.


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## Wurger (Oct 4, 2015)




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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 4, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 4, 2015)




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## Crimea_River (Oct 4, 2015)

Rounding out the BBMF Saturday performance under darkening skies:


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## rochie (Oct 4, 2015)

Fantastic


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## nuuumannn (Oct 4, 2015)

How many single seat fighters does the BBMF have now? Two Hurris and three or four Spittys? They should sell off a couple of those Spits and put some other good stuff back in the air, maybe the RAF Museum's Typhoon or even the Defiant!


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## rochie (Oct 5, 2015)

ok here some more of mine.

the trainers


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## Wayne Little (Oct 5, 2015)

Awesome series of pics Guys!


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## rochie (Oct 5, 2015)

Gladiator and P-40


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 5, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## T Bolt (Oct 5, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 5, 2015)

Great pics chaps.
Grant, yes, it's four Spits, two Hurricanes, the Lancaster, Dakota and Chipmunk with the BBMF. Although it would be nice to see both the Typhoon and Defiant in the air, as they are the sole remaining examples, I doubt it would happen, and the Typhoon in particular (currently in Canada on loan for two years) is incomplete, with many 'replicated' parts. I think also that the Defiant, recently restored, would possibly not be airworthy.


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## Gnomey (Oct 5, 2015)

Great shots guys!


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## Wurger (Oct 5, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 5, 2015)

Talking off the BBMF, here they are taking off. In order; Hurricane MkIIc, Spitfire MkIX, Spitfire LF XVI, Hurricane MkIIc, Spitfire MkV and Spitfire MkIIa, the last a veteran of the Battle.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 5, 2015)

A couple more BBMFs and then some Spitfire porn:


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## Airframes (Oct 5, 2015)

Great shots there Andy !
I'll be doing a post later, after some formation shots, listing the Spitfires with a brief history of each one. Unfortunately, the shots were taken when I b*gg*red up the camera settings after trying to fix the remote lead on the pistol grip, accidentally switching off Image Stabilisatrion, and changing from Shutter Priority to Auto, so they all have 'frozen' props !!


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## Crimea_River (Oct 5, 2015)

I can hold off then if you'd like.


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## Airframes (Oct 5, 2015)

No, go ahead Andy. I have to sort a few more yet, before I get to posting the individual Spitfire shots. No doubt we'll all be posting pics of the same aircraft anyway, but with different angles etc, so it's all good stuff.


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## Wurger (Oct 6, 2015)




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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 6, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wayne Little (Oct 6, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 6, 2015)

Nice ones Jeff - love the misty Spitfire shots.


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## Airframes (Oct 6, 2015)

Here's a few of some of the other 'acts' from Sunday's show.
Not really my 'thing', but the RAF Chinook put on an impressive show of silliness, the pilot throwing the big machine around in some incredible moves.
The vintage gliders, from WW2, represented the work done, by gliders, in establishing if they could be detected by RDF (RADAR), in case the Germans used gliders in an assault as a spearhead for the invasion. They were towed out over the Channel and released, with the experimental unit at Worth Matravers attempting to plot their progress.
The Calidus gyro copter recalled the experimental work done at Duxford during the war, with the Cierva machine (shown in the final photo), and this display showed just how far things have come since then - extremely agile and impressive - I want one !


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## rochie (Oct 6, 2015)

Nicely captured Jeff/Terry.

The Chinook was very impressive, though i reckon the guy flying it trained on a wessex !


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## Airframes (Oct 6, 2015)

Well he didn't actually crash it, at least !


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## Crimea_River (Oct 6, 2015)

Brilliant snaps Terry!


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## Wayne Little (Oct 7, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 7, 2015)

Thanks chaps.
A few of the BBMF formation - it seems I didn't take many of them.


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## Wurger (Oct 7, 2015)




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## Gnomey (Oct 7, 2015)

Excellent shots guys!


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 8, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 8, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 8, 2015)

More good ones Jeff.
Just had the Newsletter e-mail from IWM Duxford. The crowd at the show was 40,000. It seemed mush bigger, more like 100,000 +, but they must know from the ticket sales, which were advance sale only.


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## rochie (Oct 8, 2015)

That last picture is magic Jeff !


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 9, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 9, 2015)




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## T Bolt (Oct 9, 2015)

Great shots Jeff


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## Airframes (Oct 9, 2015)

They certainly are !
I'll try to post some more later tonight - with them being out of order, sorting and editing is a nightmare - bl**dy Windows 7 !!!


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## Gnomey (Oct 9, 2015)

Great shots guys!


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## Airframes (Oct 9, 2015)

I knew I must have some more of the BBMF somewhere in the 2,800+ pics I'd taken, and I was right - they were hiding in the mess of the out of sequence download.
Unfortunately, these were taken following a slight mishap, when I damaged the remote control cable from my pistol grip to the camera and, in trying to fix it, inadvertently switched off the Image Stabilisation, and knocked the settings dial from 'Shutter Priority' to 'Auto' - fortunately, this was noticed later, but by then the show was almost over. So these shots have 'frozen' props, and aren't as sharp as they could be.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 9, 2015)

Beauties!


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 10, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 10, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 10, 2015)

Nice ones Jeff.


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## Airframes (Oct 10, 2015)

As we grabbed a spot on the banking of the Land Warfare Hall soon after arriving on Sunday, I didn't get many ground shots, concentrating on the airborne opportunities, including a few atmospheric shots (aka 'Arty Farty Stuff'!!).
Here's the highlight of the show, with the massed Spitfire/Seafire formation. 
After a few circuits, the formation of 17 aircraft eventually split, with a wild 'tail chase' zooming past at low level from right to left, climbing in an arc to the south of the field, whilst a second, line astern element, screamed past in the opposite direction, providing a kaleidoscopic blur of elliptical wings criss-crossing the sky - just madly breathtaking !
I'll post those I managed to just about catch passing each other, in the next installment.
Obviously, the climbing arc of fighters were some distance away as they turned for another pass, making photography tricky, in as much as they were specs in the sky if one attempted to capture the entire formation, but I'll try to post some pics of this later, to give an impression of the spectacle. Meanwhile, these pics might go some way to demonstrate the fantastic sight and sound of all those 'Spits' doing their thing !
Oh, and I forgot to mention, this formation did not include the BBMF's four Spitfires, which displayed separately with the Flight's Hurricanes, shown earlier.

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## Crimea_River (Oct 10, 2015)

Nicely captured Terry.


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## Wurger (Oct 11, 2015)

Yep..


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 11, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff

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## Airframes (Oct 11, 2015)

Good ones Jeff - I like the Messerschmitt line-up, and the final pic in particular.


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## rochie (Oct 11, 2015)

I agree those are fantastic, Jeff.

Should get time to post some more of mine later !


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## Airframes (Oct 11, 2015)

Spitfire play time !

These were caught (only just !) during the cross-overs of the Spitfire tail chases. The last shot confirms that this pilot, at least, enjoyed himself !
I'll post pics of the individual Spits and their brief histories later.


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## rochie (Oct 11, 2015)

Nice ones, shame about the camera settings !


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## Airframes (Oct 11, 2015)

Yeah, if it had still been on 'Shutter Priority', they would have been better, without the 'frozen' props.


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## Crimea_River (Oct 11, 2015)

Nice ones Terry. I didn't think to try and get cross-over shots like that. Next time!

Here are a few formation pics from the Saturday show:


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## Airframes (Oct 11, 2015)

Good ones Andy.
I hadn't actually tried to get he cross overs, they just sort of happened, although the second one I could see coming, and tried, but missed, to get both Spits fully in the frame.


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## Gnomey (Oct 11, 2015)

Excellent shots guys!


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 12, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wayne Little (Oct 12, 2015)

Fantastic pics!!


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## Crimea_River (Oct 12, 2015)

More Spitties from Saturday:


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## Wurger (Oct 13, 2015)




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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 13, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Airframes (Oct 13, 2015)

Great shots Andy and Jeff. I'm lagging behind a bit - been in bed with a nasty old for two days - so i'll catch up soon.


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## Wurger (Oct 13, 2015)




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## Gnomey (Oct 13, 2015)

Lovely shots guys!


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## Crimea_River (Oct 13, 2015)

Been in bed with a "nasty old" what Terry? Not that I want to pry......


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 14, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 14, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 14, 2015)

Great shots Jeff.
Andy, it seems I'm typing the same as I'm talking - by dose id so ruddy due to did old ..............


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## Airframes (Oct 14, 2015)

Whilst I'm still sorting the histories and relevant photos of the Spitfires and Hurricanes, here's a few of the 'Scampton Darts Team', aka The Red Arrows, the official RAF Aerobatic Team, who closed the show.
Personally, given the occasion, and after the drama and 'impact' of the mass Spitfire melee, I think they should have opened the show, rather than close it. Whilst it was good, it wasn't the best display I've seen from this World-renowned team, who did a fairly short, 'low' display.
I didn't take many of their display, and as can be seen, I didn't try very hard either !


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## Crimea_River (Oct 15, 2015)

Good ones Terry, and I agree about the schedule.


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## Wayne Little (Oct 15, 2015)

Fantastic!


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 15, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## rochie (Oct 15, 2015)

Great shot fellas, struggling to find the time to add the rest of mine, but will get there in the end.


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## Vic Balshaw (Oct 15, 2015)

Just done me a catch-up run through. My oh my what a great day. Roll on July 2017.


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## Airframes (Oct 15, 2015)

Great shots Jeff, I like the moody Spitfire against the clouds.


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## Gnomey (Oct 15, 2015)

Great shots guys!


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## Wayne Little (Oct 16, 2015)

keep 'em coming...


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 16, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Airframes (Oct 16, 2015)

More good ones Jeff.
I'll try to catch up and post some more when I've had a kip !


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## Gnomey (Oct 17, 2015)

Excellent shots Jeff!


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 17, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wayne Little (Oct 17, 2015)

Great stuff!


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## Airframes (Oct 17, 2015)

*The Spitfires.*

Apart from the four Spitfires (and two Hurricanes) of the BBMF, there were a further *seventeen* Spitfires and Seafires, of various Marks, which displayed, in pairs, and in a mass formation and a re-creation of a 'scramble'. Many of these saw action in World War 2, and some have victory claims.
In my next few posts here, I'll try to illustrate each one, with a brief history of each where known.
To start off, I'll begin with the Mark 1's.

*Spitfire Mk1, N3200. *

Possibly the most amazing example on display, N3200 was built in 1939, and is one of only two Mark 1's restored to complete, authentic, period condition (the other being P9374).
It arrived on 19 Squadron, at RAF Duxford, on 19th April, 1940. During the Dunkirk evacuation, N3200 flew it's first, and only, operational sortie when, on the morning of the 26th, Sqn. Ldr. Geoffrey Stephenson flew it, leading an Offensive Patrol over the Dunkirk beaches, where they ran into 21 Ju87s, escorted by 30 Me 109s. After shooting down a Ju-87, Stephenson was himself shot down, and crash-landed on the beach at Sangatte, near Calais.
P/O Watson also failed to return from this patrol.
Stephenson was captured, and spent the rest of the war as a PoW, including being incarcerated in Colditz castle, where he was part of the team that designed the famous Colditz glider.
The Spitfire gradually sank under the sand on Sangatte beach, until, in the early 1980's, with the shifting sands, she began to re-appear, and was eventually recovered in 1986, and later returned to the UK.
From 2007, she was painstakingly restored to original condition by Historic Flying Limited, and the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford, her original base, and made her first post-restoration flight, at Duxford, on 26th March, 2014.
On 9th July, 2015, it's American owner Thomas Kaplan, very generously donated the Spitfire to the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, where she now wears her original markings, plus the IWM logo and the name 'Duxford', on her nose, in the style later adopted, by 19 Sqn, on 'presentation' Spitfires.

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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 17, 2015)

Excellent information and much appreciated.

Jeff


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## fubar57 (Oct 17, 2015)

Lordy.....how have I missed this thread. Some very nice shots here gentlemen.




Geo


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 18, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## rochie (Oct 18, 2015)

Nice ones Jeff


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## rochie (Oct 18, 2015)

ok have time to post mine.


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## rochie (Oct 18, 2015)

BBMF


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## rochie (Oct 18, 2015)

red arrows and BBMF


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## Crimea_River (Oct 18, 2015)

Good ones Karl. Terry, good info and thanks for taking the time to look up and post the info. I need to get back into sorting and posting my remaining pics, and then start on my Hendon thread.


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## Airframes (Oct 18, 2015)

Some cracking pics there Karl. I missed the BBMF with the 'Reds' when I went to the toilet ! Best part of their display, probably !
Thanks Jeff and Andy, another Spitfire info post to follow.


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## Airframes (Oct 18, 2015)

*The Spitfires.*

*Spitfire Mk1a, X4650.*

With it's first flight on 23 October, 1940, X4650 joined 54 Squadron at RAF Catterick, north Yorkshire. However, on a training flight when piloted by Sgt. Howard Squire, the aircraft collided with that of his Flight Commander, the Battle of Britain 'ace' Alan Deere !
Squire had been told to stick close, but got _too_ close, with the Spitfire's prop hitting the tail of Deere's aircraft, when they were both at 12,000 feet. Both pilots survived, but the aircraft were lost.
With the droughts of the very hot summer of 1976, the remains of X4650 came to the surface. Acquired by Peter Monk in 1995, the long job of restoration work soon commenced. The first flight was in March 2012, from Biggin Hill, and the aircraft is now one of two Mk1s owned by Commanche Fighters, of Houston, Texas, and carries the markings it wore in 1940.

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## Night Fighter Nut (Oct 18, 2015)

Dude!.. Those are some fantastic shots....


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## Airframes (Oct 19, 2015)

*The Spitfires.*

*Spitfire Mk1a, AR213.*

The second of the Mk1's owned by Comanche Fighters, AR213 was built by Westland in 1941, and went to 57 OTU at Hawarden, near Chester, where it became the personal aircraft of James 'Ginger' Lacey, the Battle of Britain ace Sgt pilot, now a Flight Lieutenant on a 'rest' tour as an instructor.
Service with 53 OTU followed, until the aircraft was struck off charge in 1945.
After being purchased by Group Captain Alan Wheeler, the Spitfire was in storage for many years until, in 1968, it was restored to flying condition for the BoB movie.
If my memory is correct, following disposal after the filming, it was then owned and flown by the Hon Patrick Lindsay, and was, at that time, the only Mk1 flying in the World. A regular airshow performer, the aircraft was eventually grounded in 2003, but returned to the air in 2007.
Now painted in the colours of P7308, XR-D, it represents the aircraft flown by American ace, Pilot Officer William R Dunn, of 71 (Eagle) Squadron, RAF.

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## Wayne Little (Oct 19, 2015)

Sweet!!


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## Airframes (Oct 19, 2015)

*The Spitfires.*

*Spitfire MkVb, BM597.*

This MkV entered service in May 1942, with 315 (Polish) Sqn, RAF, at Woodvale, near Southport, Lancashire. In September of the same year, it moved across the airfield to join another Polish unit, 317 Sqn. Its operational career ended in February 1943, following a landing accident and, after being repaired, it was allocated to Vickers Armstrong, then stored until joining 58 OTU.
Retired in 1945, BM597 became an instructional airframe at RAF St. Athan, before eventually being relegated to gate guard duties.
In 1967, it was used to make the master moulds for the fibre-glass replica Spitfires for the BoB movie, before returning to gate guard duties once again. It's final location in this guise was at RAF Church Fenton, in north Yorkshire, from where it was eventually sold in 1989.
The aircraft was acquired by the Historic Aircraft Collection at Duxford in 1993, and restored to its original specification, and now flies in the colours of 317 (Polish) Squadron, RAF.


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 19, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## rochie (Oct 19, 2015)

good stuff

last few of mine before i start on the spitfires.


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## Airframes (Oct 19, 2015)

Good stuff, Jeff and Karl.


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## Tracker (Oct 19, 2015)

Great work Guys!
Even thought I could not make it, having your pictures almost makes up for not being there in person. Excellent effort on all your work.


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 20, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Airframes (Oct 20, 2015)

Good stuff Jeff.
Thanks Track, glad our pics help top cover the event - and great to see you back.


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## Wurger (Oct 20, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 20, 2015)

*The Spitfires.*

*Spitfire Mk.LFVb, EP120.*

This 'clipped wing' LF.V was delivered to 501 Squadron, RAF, in 1942, when it shot down seven German aircraft. Following an accident, it was repaired and served with 19 Sqn, then based in Cornwall, and later with 402 Sqn, RCAF.
It was later allocated to an OTU (Operational Training Unit), then served some time as a ground instructional airframe, and various 'postings' as a gate guardian.
In 1968, EP120 was used as a 'static' aircraft in the BoB movie, before returning to gate guard duties at RAF Wattisham. Eventually stored at RAF St. Athan, the Spitfire was purchased by The Fighter Collection (Duxford) in 1991, and was restored, making it's first post-restoration flight in 1995.
Now in the colours of 402 Sqn, RCAF, EP120 has appeared in three movies, as well as being a favourite at airshows.

(NOTE: the 'ground' shot was taken at 'Flying Legends' last year.)

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## rochie (Oct 20, 2015)

Good stuff Terry, this one will be the subject for my recently purchased Airfix Spitfire Vb kit !


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## Airframes (Oct 20, 2015)

It was nearly the subject for my 1/32nd scale Spit !!


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## Wayne Little (Oct 21, 2015)

Great pics Terry!


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 21, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 21, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 21, 2015)

great shots Jeff, especially the Spitfire start-up.


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## Gnomey (Oct 21, 2015)

Great shots guys!


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## Airframes (Oct 21, 2015)

A quick diversion from the Spitfire info, with some shots I've been messing about with, to give a 'period feel'.


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## rochie (Oct 21, 2015)

Very nice Dogsbody


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## Airframes (Oct 21, 2015)

Cheers Karl.


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## Airframes (Oct 21, 2015)

*The Spitfires.*

*Spitfire Mk.IXe, RR232.*

This is a relative newcomer to the airshow circuit, and certainly the first time I've seen it 'live'. It wasn't listed in the pre-show info, nor was it included in the show programme, and I'm assuming it was a 'stand-in' for the Rolls Royce owned, ex-BBMF PR.19, PS853, which, although listed as performing, wasn't at the show.
Originally built in 1944, this Spitfire spent most of it's life in South Africa. Martin Phillips discovered the fuselage, engine and other parts in a back garden in Woking, Surrey, when he was looking for a Spitfire to buy, and purchased the remains for £70,000.
A wing was rescued from a hedgerow near Exeter, and a 13 year long restoration to flying condition commenced, the aircraft making it's first flight from Filton, Bristol, on the day the airport closed, in December 2012, with Bill Perrins at the controls.

Note that the photos were taken at the time I'd accidentally knocked the camera controls to 'Auto', rather than shutter priority (and also knocked off the image stabilisation !), hence the 'frozen' prop !


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## Crimea_River (Oct 21, 2015)

Good stuff guys. Been really busty and am getting a bit behind.


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## Airframes (Oct 22, 2015)

Been busty eh? And who's behind have you ... er, never mind !


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## Airframes (Oct 22, 2015)

*The Spitfires.*

*Spitfire LF MkIXe, SL633.*

One of the last to be built at CBAF (Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory), this Spitfire was delivered to 312 (Czech) Squadron, RAF, at Manston, in 1945.
This Squadron was one of three Czech Spitfire squadrons in the RAF and, at the end of the war in Europe, they flew their Spitfires to Prague, where they were assigned to the Czechoslovakian Air Force, with SL633, coded JT-10, becoming the personal mount of Flight Lieutenant Karel Posta in 1946. 
Following the Communist take-over of Czechoslovakia in 1948, the aircraft, in parts and crated, left the country and went to join the Israeli Air Force, where it flew on recce ops until damaged in a wheels-up landing in 1954.
After being repaired, SL633 then went to Burma, although there are no records of its service in that country. The Spitfire was recovered in 1999, with restoration work commencing in 2007, and it's first post-restoration flight being in 2010.
Operated by the Historic Flight Foundation, SL633 wears the colours and markings originally carried when serving in (then) Czechoslovakia, with the codes JT-10.


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## Wurger (Oct 22, 2015)




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## Crimea_River (Oct 22, 2015)

OK! I've been busty and you've been in bed with a nasty old somebody. Now we're even!


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## T Bolt (Oct 23, 2015)

Great info on the spitfires Terry. And I have to agree with you about the Spitfire start up very cool picture Jeff.


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 23, 2015)

Sorry for missing yesterday.

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 23, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 23, 2015)

Cracking shots Jeff !
Yep, I guess we're even now Andy, surely .....
Thanks Glenn - more Spitfire info to come, and then the Hurricanes.


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## Airframes (Oct 23, 2015)

*The Spitfires.*

*Spitfire MkIX, MH434.*

Probably the World's most well-known Spitfire, MH434 was built at CBAF in 1943, with it's first test-flight in early August, at the hands of the legendary Alex Henshaw. By the 27th of the same month, with 222 Sqn, RAF, it had already claimed a FW190 destroyed, and another damaged, in the St. Omer area, France.
Whilst with this Squadron, MH434 downed a number of enemy aircraft, and served briefly with 350 Sqn, before returning to 222 Sqn.
Having completed over 80 operational sorties, she was retired in March 1945.
Her operational life was far from over however, as she went to the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1947, serving with 322 Sqn in the Dutch East Indies, on ground attack operations, before a crash-landing at Semarag, Java.
Repaired in 1953, the Spitfire flew again in Holland, before another move, this time to the Belgian Air Force, first at a training unit at Koksijde, and then with 13 Wing at Brustem.
Put up for sale, the Spitfire was purchased by Tim Davies in 1956, and flown purely for pleasure. I'm fairly sure that during this period, in the early 1960's, MH434, then in a civilian colour scheme, was the first ever Spitfire I saw flying, at Church Fenton.
With the search on for suitable aircraft for the planned BoB movie in November 1967, Grp Cpt Hamish Mahaddie purchased her, on behalf of Spitfire Productions, for use in the movie, which was completed in 1968, and first screened in 1969 (I well remember the North East Premier, in Newcastle!).
At the end of filming, Mahaddie's private 'Air Force' was sold off, and MH434 was then acquired by Sir Adrian Squires, Chairman of Cathay Pacific airlines, who flew it for many years, wearing his initials, AC-S, as code letters. During this period, the Spitfire appeared in a number of movies and TV shows, including 'A Bridge to Far' (low flying above the boy on a bicycle - see 'still' from movie below).
Eventually put up for auction in 1983, MH434 was then purchased by 'The Master', the late Ray Hannah, as the foundation for The Old Flying Machine Company, at Duxford, and has performed at countless airshows, and appeared in more movies and TV shows, ever since.
Unlike many Spitfires flying today, MH434 has never had a total re-build, although restoration and conservation work has, of course, been undertaken over the years, and she remains as originally built, now bearing the original codes and markings she wore during her wartime service with 222 Sqn, RAF.

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## Gnomey (Oct 23, 2015)

Lovely shots guys!


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## Wurger (Oct 24, 2015)




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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 24, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 24, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 24, 2015)

Good stuff Jeff. I particularly like the BBMF Spit shot, and the formation over the Union Jack on the fin of the BAe 146 - nice ones mate !


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 25, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wayne Little (Oct 25, 2015)

Excellent!


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## Airframes (Oct 25, 2015)

Yep !


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## Wurger (Oct 25, 2015)




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## Gnomey (Oct 25, 2015)

Good shots guys!


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 26, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## Wurger (Oct 26, 2015)




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## Crimea_River (Oct 26, 2015)




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## Wurger (Oct 27, 2015)




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## Airframes (Oct 27, 2015)

Great selection chaps !
Somehow, I missed getting an individual shot of TD314 (Spitfire 'FX-P').


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## rochie (Oct 27, 2015)

Great shots


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## Jeff Hunt (Oct 27, 2015)

Cheers,

Jeff


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## rochie (Oct 27, 2015)

Great, Jeff

Love that pic of the flight line


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## Wurger (Oct 27, 2015)




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## Gnomey (Oct 27, 2015)

Great shots guys!


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## Airframes (Oct 28, 2015)

Good ones, and I agree with Karl.


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## Wayne Little (Oct 29, 2015)

Lineup of Spitty's is awesome!


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## Airframes (Oct 29, 2015)

Hers's a view from a different angle, then it's back to The Spitfires details.


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## Airframes (Oct 29, 2015)

*The Spitfires.*


*Spitfire MkIX (T.9) ML407.*

This two-seat T.9 started life as a MkIXc, built in 1944, and from 1st May until 31st December of that year, it served as 'OU-V' with 485(NZ) Sqn, RAF, being the personal mount of Johhnie Houlton up to 1st October. 
With Johhnie at the controls, ML407 was credited with the destruction of the first enemy aircraft on 'D-Day', a Ju-88 over the beach head, and shared in the destruction of a second. This was presumably on the second patrol of the day, with the aircraft being repaired as, when taxiing out for the early morning patrol on 6th June, ML407 collided with a wooden chair, on which was placed the field controllers telephone, shattering the chair, and the Spitfire's prop tips !
Johhnie had to dash back to dispersal and take a spare aircraft, before catching up with the Squadron over the Channel.
In the eight months of service with this New Zealand Squadron, ML407 destroyed a further two Me109's, and damaged another, and completed a total of 137 sorties, being flown by 15 other New Zealanders, apart from Johhnie Houlton.
Brief service with 341 (French) Sqn followed, in early January 1945, before the aircraft moved briefly to 308 (Polish) Sqn, then 349 (Belgian) Sqn, 345 (French) Sqn, and finally 332 (Norwegian) Sqn.
The total operational sorties flown whilst in service with 2 TAF was 172, and from May 1945 until July 1950, ML407 was in RAF storage, before being sold to Vickers Armstrong, who converted her into a T.Mk.IX for the Irish Air Corps, where she wore the codes '162', and served until 1960, when she was retired and put into storage at Baldonnel.
The aircraft was purchased, in 1968, as a back-up airframe for the BoB movie, although she never appeared in this, and moved to the Strathallan Collection in 1970.
She was then purchased, in 1979, by the late Nick Grace, who restored her to flying condition, and fitted what has become know as the 'Grace Canopy' over the rear seat, thereby maintaining the lines of the Spitfire without the raised cockpit of the 'normal' T.Mk.IX. The Spitfire was re-painted in her original 485 Squadron colours and codes and, following the tragic death of Nick Grace, in a car accident in 1988, it has been owned and operated by Nick's widow, Carolyn, and, today generally referred to as 'The Grace Spitfire', it's regularly displayed by her son, Richard, and is a favourite, genuine 'war bird' on the airshow circuit.
For the 70th Anniversary of 'D-Day', in 2014, ML407 was re-painted with the AEAF stripes, and the smaller 'V' code letter, as she appeared in 1944, as shown in the pic taken at the 'Flying Legends' last year.


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## Wayne Little (Oct 30, 2015)

fantastic Terry!


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## Airframes (Oct 30, 2015)

Thanks Wayne - more to come on the individual Spits.


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## Gnomey (Oct 30, 2015)

Excellent shots guys!


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## Wurger (Oct 31, 2015)




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## Wayne Little (Nov 1, 2015)

Bring 'em on Terry!


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