Duxford Diary 2025

[DCW]

Duxford Monday 2nd June:

Jaguar XX108 looks ready to go, should be on the way to Flixton in a few days:



More of the Stearman filmstars:



Some of today's visitors:

[Dom.]

What’s the black aircraft behind the Jag?

[Comet102]

What’s the black aircraft behind the Jag?

NF370 (NH-L) - Blackburn Fairey Swordfish III

[Professor_M]

What’s the black aircraft behind the Jag?

Swordfish III NF370 (previously in Airspace).

[Amp]

https://www.bidwells.co.uk/properties/d ... cb22/6772/

Interesting reading in there, albeit a year old, time will tell.
I understood funding was in place for the new IWM facility on that blue site, so has a partner been sourced for the red area?
For a huge variety of reasons many projects fail to reach fruition, (although large sums of cash are paid over for legal and planning) those at Duxford include the electric aircraft programme, the relocated Hercules etc maintenance facility, the hotel, the earlier replacement for the LWH from several years back. The LWH is now permanently closed so perhaps this latest project will now be realised. Personally I would like to see more sharing from IWM, however I appreciate there may be NDAs and commercial sensitivity to be considered.
In a 'nice to see but sad it has to happen' way, (as with the York, Comet, Canberra, Jag, Dove) I look forward to seeing the vehicles emerge into the daylight in the near future as they are moved around the airfield to make way for the demolition, presumably into hangar 5 for now?

[Biggsy]

Further on the Duxford plans, I found these images a while back showing the planned layout

[DOUGHNUT]

Thanks for posting these delevopement plans. Agreed most of what you see is unlikely happen. It is clear from the images that aviation is only a small part of the proposal, indeed it is not actually part of the planning proposal. The references E2 / B2 are the local authority planning guide. E2 refers to shops, retail, restaurants. B2 refers to industry, manufacturing and even vehicle repairs/garage/paint shop. Basically anything that creates noise. Reference B8 is even more concerning, the nice picture shows aeroplane, but B8 is specifically for storage, warehouse, logistics and distribution.
Welcome to Duxford Retail Park and Amazon warehouse.

[TonyC]

Is it me or do these plans indicate that some of the new buildings, are to be made available to businesses, not connected to IWM Duxford?

Assuming this is correct and as there has, unfortunately been aircraft lost, both on the airfield and in the surrounding fields, will having public buildings so close to the airfield, mean that the CAA will be placing any additional limitations, on top of those put in place post Shoreham?

I can just image the commotion if, in the unlikely but possible senario ,of an aircraft coming down, onto a public business so close to an acive airfield!

Or (one for the conspiracy theorists), is this the IWM plan, an attempt to get rid all all active flying on the site?

[shorsley]

E2 refers to shops, retail, restaurants.

AV Tech will be a more-or-less self-contained site, some assuming that those who are working there will want a cafe/cafeteria for sustenance.

B2 refers to industry, manufacturing and even vehicle repairs/garage/paint shop. Basically anything that creates noise.

Basically what AV Tech will be, along with the IWM Lab

Reference B8 is even more concerning, the nice picture shows aeroplane, but B8 is specifically for storage, warehouse, logistics and distribution.

Or warehouses, storage, logistics and distribution for what is being developed, built and distributed from AV Tech.

Welcome to Duxford Retail Park and Amazon warehouse.

Nice scaremongering, but very, very, unlikely to receive any form of planning permission.

[shorsley]

Is it me or do these plans indicate that some of the new buildings, are to be made available to businesses, not connected to IWM Duxford?

Assuming this is correct and as there has, unfortunately been aircraft lost, both on the airfield and in the surrounding fields, will having public buildings so close to the airfield, mean that the CAA will be placing any additional limitations, on top of those put in place post Shoreham?

I can just image the commotion if, in the unlikely but possible senario ,of an aircraft coming down, onto a public business so close to an acive airfield!

Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge, already own the land and they will be running AVTech, or at least a major partner in it, so it's not so much a 'public business'. Also have you see the number of major businesses around say, Heathrow, for example? As for Airshows, it's more than likely to be a Monday-Friday business. The IWM Lab most certainly will be!

Or (one for the conspiracy theorists), is this the IWM plan, an attempt to get rid all all active flying on the site?

Quite the opposite in fact.

[DOUGHNUT]

Thanks for your input Shorsley.
Sadly developers regularly use phases like "innovation" and "high tech" when discussing planning options. Getting approval is one thing, getting money to build it another. Problem will be if the aviation enterprise fails the alternative will be use buildings for retail / warehouse, because that is what the planning application has approved E2, B2 and B8.

[DOUGHNUT]

Less concerned about airshow, as no development is planed south of the airfield. However 12m high buildings close to the end of the grass runway might be considered a problem for safe operation ?

[TonyC]

Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge, already own the land and they will be running AVTech, or at least a major partner in it, so it's not so much a 'public business'.

Thanks for the clarification

Also have you see the number of major businesses around say, Heathrow, for example?

Certain have, used to make deliveries to Heathrow and even ended up live side on one occassion, totally by mistake and managed to extract myself, without "any assostance" but, when an warbird goes down, there are some of the general public, that will jump on the "stop them flying" bandwagon!

Or (one for the conspiracy theorists), is this the IWM plan, an attempt to get rid all all active flying on the site?

Quite the opposite in fact.

Said with tongue firmly stuck in cheek!

[TonyC]

Less concerned about airshow, as no development is planed south of the airfield. However 12m high buildings close to the end of the grass runway might be considered a problem for safe operation ?

This is the point I was trying to raise but said with far more clarity, than I can muster today

[DCW]

Duxford Wednesday 4th June:

Both of TFC's Cats were flying today, both will be on Airshow duty (Bearcat at La Ferte Alais, Wildcat here at Duxford)





Canberra WH725 now has its own compound while it waits for departure.





An all-day shuffle saw many of the Airspace inmates on the move. Hastings, Victor and Wessex were outside for a time:

[Professor_M]

Wednesday 4th June
Something a little different followed Spitfire PRXI PL983 into land this afternoon. Monnett Sonerai 2L G-BLAI joined the UK register last November.
Monnett Sonerai 2L | G-BLAI by Professor M, on Flickr

And one more of the Bearcat...
Grumman F8F-2P Bearcat | G-RUMM | The Fighter Collection by Professor M, on Flickr

[Amp]

Hope the Canberra's pretty red fence is a short term thing. Nice photos gents.

[Pen Pusher]

Hope the Canberra's pretty red fence is a short term thing.

NOTAM

L2226/25: Duxford: Apron limitation
Q) EGTT/QMNLT/IV/NBO/A/000/999/5205N00008E005
EASTERN APRON REDUCED IN SIZE
FROM: 24 Apr 2025 09:46 GMT (10:46 BST) TO: 24 Jul 2025 17:00 GMT (18:00 BST)

[DCW]

Duxford Thursday 5th June:

Some images from today's Airspace moves:

[Amp]

Friday: Sea Harrier has arrived, wingless at present in AirSpace. Jaguar gone leaving the Swordfish looking lonely.

[DCW]

Duxford Friday 6th June:

The fuselage of Sea Harrier F/A.2 ZA175 arrived from Flixton last night and was unloaded into Airspace early this morning. Wings should have arrived this evening.







Jaguar GR.1B XX108 departed in the opposite direction after more than 20 years at Duxford:









Two of tomorrow's display items:





Visitors:

[Professor_M]

Things are taking a little longer than hoped at Flixton...

[Amp]

The Sea Harrier wings and the engine shell arrived at Duxford this morning. Italian TB-21 I-DPRG was visiting too.

[DCW]

Duxford Monday 9th June:

All sections of Sea Harrier ZA175 were grouped in Airspace today, awaiting assembly another day:











BBMF Dakota III ZA947 was outside for another scheduled engine run:



A couple of residents displaced by the Dakota shuffle:





The ex-TFC Corsair, in no hurry to leave:



Some of today's visitors:











This Italian registered TB-21 arrived from Sumburgh yesterday and departed to Friedrichshafen:

[Professor_M]

Tuesday 10th June
Engines were running on the Blenheim this afternoon...

Bristol Blenheim IF | L6739 | ARCo by Professor M, on Flickr