Duxford Diary 2024

[DCW]

Duxford Monday 8th July:

North Weald based Jet Provost T.3 XN637 / G-BKOU was training at Duxford this morning.
It has a distant Duxford connection, arriving by road for Sandy Topen's Vintage Aircraft Team in 1978. Departing in 1983, it flew again in 1988 and has been active ever since. Now the only T.3 flying.





Also with a Duxford connection, Breighton based Staggerwing G-BRVE (ex TFC) is back for maintenance with ARC:



Another trainer today, Tiger Moth G-AOEI from Old Warden:





A pair of Dutch H135s dropped in, returning from Silverstone:





Finally:

[DCW]

Duxford Thursday 11th July:

Catalina 'Miss Pick Up' needed a little TLC in Hangar 2 this morning, so a few inmates had to sit in the sunshine for a while. Tempest II, P-47, Mustang and Spitfire XIV (that would make a fine formation).

[DCW]

Duxford Saturday 13th July:

The Aviation PhotoCrew Skyvan was operating from Old Warden and Turweston today, and several Duxford based aircraft were called upon.
DH.9, Hurricane, Spitfire MV293 and Mustangs Marinell and Jersey Jerk:



















Vampire LN-DHY joined the Catalina and Blenheim positioning to the Southport Airshow









Also today:

[Orion]

Love the Storch even though it's a bit modern
https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/HB-YKQ.html

[DCW]

Duxford Sunday 14th July:

Biggin Hill based Spitfire IX G-CGZU / LZ842 called in for fuel after an air-to-air Skyvan sortie:



Hawker Fury G-CBZP / K5674 returned from maintenance, with a Skyvan meeting en route:



TFC's Spitfire V EP120 is having some paintwork completed before its Fairford outing:



Visiting Yak 18T:

[Martyn75]

There has been some nice movements over the weekend, thanks for posting your shots

[5944]

Love the Storch even though it's a bit modern
https://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/HB-YKQ.html

It's due into Old Warden at 11am today.

https://oldwardenaerodrome.co.uk/arrivals-board

[RWTYT]

Was just wondering whether Spitfire Mk.XVI TD248 is still based at Duxford and if not where? I dont recall seeing it recently...

[5944]

Was just wondering whether Spitfire Mk.XVI TD248 is still based at Duxford and if not where? I dont recall seeing it recently...

Most recent entry on Flight Aware shows it at Humberside airport in April.

[5944]

Chris Warne has just posted on Duxford Air Show Facebook group that the A-26 should be leaving at 10am tomorrow (Friday) morning. Possible test fight this afternoon as well.

[DCW]

Duxford Thursday 18th July ( Part 1 ) :

MillionAiress left the Stephenson Hangar at 1300, and after a short engine run made a 10 minute flight.
Ready to depart for Wick and Reykjavik at 1000 tomorrow.

[Blackbird]

Superb!

[DCW]

Duxford Friday 18th July ( Part 2 ) :

Catching up !

Vampire LN-DHY had Canadian markings added before an afternoon departure to Fairford (Part of the RCAF 100 theme):













A late sortie from Spitfire PR.XI G-PRXI / PL983 in lovely light:









Broussard G-HOUR departed after a spell of maintenance with ARC:





Also noted:







A couple of kitplanes among the visitors. HB207 Alfa D-ESTY and Sling 2 G-CMOG:





The shape of things to come ? Pipistrel SW128 Velis Electro:

[DCW]

Duxford Friday 19th July:

MillionAiress started 0950, taxied 1002, airborne 1010.
To say goodbye, an unforgettable 'spirited' flypast.
Flight trackers followed her to Wick and then Reykjavik.







Spitfire G-BMSB / MJ627 arrived from Biggin Hill for a busy day of Flight Experiences:





G-SPIT / MV293 and G-IBSY / EE602 were on airshow duty, G-ASJV / MH434 spent the day in the sun and G-LFVB / EP120 was readied for a weekend at Fairford:









Stearman activity:





Some of today's visitors:

[DCW]

MillionAiress at Oshkosh.

Having left Duxford on Friday, Invader N26BP is now at Oshkosh.
Flight times:

Friday 19th:
Duxford-Wick 1.51
Wick-Reykjavik 2.54
Saturday 20th:
Reykjavik-Narsarsuaq 2.53
Narsarsuaq-Goose Bay 3.03
Sunday 21st:
Goose Bay-Burlington 3.42
Burlington-Oshkosh 3.14

An amazing flight, congrats to all involved.
Picture from Oshkosh anyone ?

[DCW]

Duxford Sunday 21st July:

The Weston Play Zone is now open for business, some tidying up required for official opening on Saturday 27th.
No age limits posted, so we all can have a go !
No fatalities yet.....

[ozplane]

Interesting that they've used the "geodetic" construction that the Wellington employed. I wonder if anybody will notice that the same basic idea was used for the roof trusses in Hangar 3. In that usage I think they were called Belfast trusses.

[BobL]

Does the Pipistrel SW128 Velis Electro have to lug that battery pack around to recharge? Or is it delivered to the airfield by road? Hopefully by another EV....

[DCW]

I believe that's Duxford's box, wheeled to a convenient power point when required.

[Amp]

Does the Pipistrel SW128 Velis Electro have to lug that battery pack around to recharge? Or is it delivered to the airfield by road? Hopefully by another EV....

I would like to assume that the prop cannot spin whilst the cable is connected.

[Shafte]

Duxford Sunday 21st July:

The Weston Play Zone is now open for business, some tidying up required for official opening on Saturday 27th.
No age limits posted, so we all can have a go !
No fatalities yet.....

I couldn't help thinking when I visited on Saturday, that the new kids play area was a broken bone/neck waiting to happen. Kids of all ages running up and down the top of the fuselage etc etc. I can't see it being open for very long. Yeah yeah, we all did stuff when we were kids in the 60s and 70s, but in today's H&S risk averse environment, I can't helping wondering who signed that off as safe for unsupervised kids.

I'm all for kids discovering for themselves what is and isn't safe, but it's one hospital admission away from a court case IMHO

[DCW]

Duxford Monday 22nd July:

Frances Dell finally made it 'home' to Duxford today.
P-51D Mustang NL51ZW / 472927 'Frances Dell' and F4U-5N Corsair D-FCOR / 123176 'Devotion' belong to George Raab's Flying Legends, and were on static display at RIAT Fairford over the weekend. They made an unscheduled fuel stop while returning to Germany and were parked for 90 minutes.
The Mustang wears 78th FG (Duxford) markings, hopefully it will be back !

[naddy37]

Let’s see how long it is before they have to make a modification to the wings. I can see some over enthusiastic brat walking along the wing, tripping, catching their foot in that webbing and going arse over tit! 🫣

[DCW]

Duxford Wednesday 24th July:

The Aero Legends Spitfire pair departing:





One of the most recent Cirrus arrivals in the UK, Earls Colne based SR22T N66HG:

[DCW]

Duxford Friday 26th July:

Two highlights from the Flying Day, displaying Stearman G-CIJN and visitor N43YP:









Building 66 was open for the Blenheim Society sales and exhibition, and allowed a view of stored MS.505 G-BIRW: