Warbirds in Miniature - Cosford 2013.

[Wayne Little]

keep em coming Terry

 

[michaelmaltby]

Amazing photos ..... thanks.

MM

 

[Airframes]

Thanks chaps, and thanks Grant - I'm not well versed in aerial muck spreaders, so wasn't sure if it was a Pawnee (my first thought) or another type.
Two beautiful models which displayed, in formation, at various times during the weekend were the BAe Hawks, replicating the displays of the world-famous RAF Aerobatic Display Team, 'The Red Arrows', although with two aircraft, and not the full nine!
This pair really looked the part, and I spent more time watching than photographing, the latter fairly difficult, due to speed, size and range. The guys flying them must be very well practiced, as unlike 'real' pilots, they couldn't hold formation by staring at a spot on the aircraft alongside, having to do it from a distance, working out angles, range and dimension in fractions of a second.
Some of the shots are far from brilliant, due to the speed and relatively small subject to focus on, but hopefully these will give you some idea of what a brilliant performance they presented.
More from the rest of the show later.

 

[fubar57]

Unbelievable. Have to keep going back to pg.1 to make sure I'm looking at RC aircraft.

Geo

 

[Crimea_River]

Very cool.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks George and Andy.
A few more jets, before moving on to the larger, multi-jet types, with the final batch, which I'll post later, being the star of the show (for me, anyway!), the huge Avro Vulcan.
Again, some of these aren't perfect, and I notice that quality degrades further when they're transferred to the forum, although I'll admit, I'm still experimenting with camera settings (and I hadn't noticed the tiny dust specks on the filter!) - oh for the simplicity of manual 35mm SLRs !!
Something that can't be shown here of course, is the sound - many of the models, both prop and jet engine, sounded like the real thing too !

 

[Gnomey]

Cool shots Terry!

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Hugh.
Three more posts to go, including this one, to show the large, multi-engine jets, starting with the Vickers VC-10, this one in the current RAF 'Low Vis' transport scheme, and powered by four jet engines.
This sort of brought back memories, as I did two, twelve hour flights on RAF VC10's, back in 1971, flying from Brize Norton to Accra, Ghana, via Dakar, Senegal, and return, back in 1971. Dragged backwards through the night - and it was a 'dry' flight!
This model, and the Comet which follows later, were both flown by commercial airline pilots. Remembering there was a 20 mph wind blowing, gusting to 25+ mph, the skill demonstrated when landing the VC10 is evident.
I'll post the remaining two batches tomorrow, meanwhile, thanks again for your kind comments, and I'm pleased you've enjoyed seeing these in photos as much as I enjoyed seeing them 'live'.

 

[Crimea_River]

So very impressive. Amazing finish on the Comet and Sabre.

 

[rochie]

impressive indeed !

cant wait for the Vulcan and am now sorry i could not make it to the show my self.

 

[nuuumannn]

That Comet and the VC.10 are fantastic, although I wouldn't have liked to see them land a real '10 on the grass!

 

[Airframes]

They really are impressive, aren't they?!
On to the DH Comet, which really looked the part when airborne, and sounded like the real thing, with a whispering whine.
If I was to have any criticisms of the show, it would be the apparent lack of a formal 'programme', so that spectators knew what was coming and when, and the restricted view of some of the models on the ground, although I must stress these are very minor points.
There might indeed have been a set 'running order', but it was difficult to hear the commentary at times, with only the flight line being equipped with rather small PA speakers. That said, the 'crowd' were all enthusiasts, unlike the average air show, and willingly made space at the flight line fence, with the general atmosphere being relaxed and very enjoyable.
Anyway, here's the Comet, and what a model it was!
Final batch will be the mighty Vulcan - coming soon!

 

[woljags]

thats some good pics you have taken there Terry,will done mate,i know these move damned quickly

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Bob, and you're right - they move like greased lightning, and are very difficult to keep in the frame, and focused, compared to 'real' aircraft.
Before I present the final batch, showing the incredible Vulcan model, I thought I'd show some of the pics of the aircraft I really went to see at the show.
Apart from wanting to get a few more detail shots in the RAF Museum (and some sneaky ones for the 'What is It?' thread!), I also wanted to see the Dornier Do17, finally raised from the floor of the Goodwin Sands, in the English Channel, on June 10th, after 73 years lying submerged, inverted, since ditching during the Battle of Britain.
I've posted these already, along with the details, in the Dornier up-date thread elsewhere on the forum, but, for those who haven't seen them, here they are again.
The pics show the entrance to the Dornier conservation area, the 'poly tunnel' hydration units in which the fuselage and wings reside, and the airframe sections themselves, undergoing the first stages of conservation/preservation, with continuously-timed sprays of saline solution, citric acid solution, and pure water, intended to gradually stabilise the aircraft structure and prevent further corrosion.
The Vulcan pictures will follow soon .............

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots Terry! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Airframes]

And so to the finale, with the wonderful, huge, 1/5th scale Avro Vulcan.
I can't help comparing this model to the real thing, photographed at the same location, and the same angles, only six weeks previously - and it was just as impressive!
For those familiar with the display by the real Vulcan, past and present, when it climbs and banks steeply, rolls onto a wing tip and then levels out, when the engine roar dies to a sudden silence, well, this model did the same thing!
Look closely at some of the shots, particularly the take-off, and you'll see the heat haze from the engines - there was some power there, to get this big baby up and flying!
I make no apologies for the quantity of photos in this post (it was a hard job editing them down to these few!), but I hope you enjoy these, and the preceding photos, as much as I enjoyed the show.
Thanks to you all for your interest and kind remarks.

 

[fubar57]

Fantastic shot and great looking RCs. Thanks for sharing your weekend.

Geo

 

[vikingBerserker]

Dam, that's impressive!

 

[Crimea_River]

Friggin' amazing!

 

[rochie]

that is incredible, its even in anti flash white !
Dogsbody, some of those pics you would struggle to tell its a model