DUXFORD AIRSHOW 2012
8th/9th September 2012
Report & all photography by Simon Fenwick
Of the four airshows held at IWM Duxford each year, the September event is the highlight of those actually organised by the Imperial War Museum – Flying Legends each July is a fighter Collection event.
In previous years, the two day Duxford Airshow has had a theme to run to, but for the 2012 show, the organisers took the opportunity to provide a very varied selection of types with representation from Scandinavia, USA and even New Zealand as well as the United Kingdom.
Flightline Walk
For many, a highlight of a visit to a Duxford show is to take advantage of the morning Flightline Walk when the aircraft taking part in the afternoon flying display can be viewed ‘up close and Personal’. As well as the current display Hawk and Tucano, the jet pan also had the Canadair T-33 on show, newly acquired by the Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron. This was due to take part in the flying display on the Saturday but unfortunately a radio problem precluded this. Those staying to the end were however able to see it depart for North Weald. Coming in early on the Saturday morning from that airfield were the pair of Folland Gnats of the Gnat display Team and those fortunate to be allowed ‘airside’ were lucky to be able to capture these taxying in.
The IWM is currently going through a period of change with major works being carried out at Lambeth. This means that within the hangars there are increasing numbers of additional exhibits appearing for restoration work. Also, some rationalisation of the collection at Duxford is happening with the imminent departure of the Vickers Varsity to the Classic Air Force at Newquay and the Sea Vampire and Junkers JU-52 (actually a French built Amiot example with no combat history) due to depart to a museum in Poland in early 2013. The latter made an imposing and rare sight out on the grass parked next to the World War I aircraft.
Those WWI machines – all replicas – included the Nieuport 17 and Fokker Triplane which had been seen before. However, alongside them were two new airworthy acquisitions making their second and final flying appearances before going into the RAF Museum at Hendon. These were the Royal aircraft Factory RE.8 (nicknamed the ‘Harry Tate’) and the Albatross D.V. and were built by the Vintage Aviator in New Zealand and were shipped over from New Zealand. The RAFM had agreed that they could make just two display appearances – the first had been at Old Warden the previous weekend – in the capable hands of Gene DeMarco and Kermit Weeks.
Those WWI machines – all replicas – included the Nieuport 17 and Fokker Triplane which had been seen before. However, alongside them were two new airworthy acquisitions making their second and final flying appearances before going into the RAF Museum at Hendon. These were the Royal aircraft Factory RE.8 (nicknamed the ‘Harry Tate’) and the Albatross D.V. and were built by the Vintage Aviator in New Zealand and were shipped over from New Zealand. The RAFM had agreed that they could make just two display appearances – the first had been at Old Warden the previous weekend – in the capable hands of Gene DeMarco and Kermit Weeks.
Flying Display
On both days, the display was opened by a single flypast by four F-15C Eagles from 48th Fighter Wing at nearby Lakenheath. They were followed by the thunder of the RAF Tornado Role Display Team with their pair of Panavia Tornado GR.4s. Unfortunately, due to the space constraints of the airfield, the pyrotechnics couldn’t be used at Duxford, but this didn’t detract from this spectacular display of power. One of the pair, on Saturday, was the specially marked example bearing the commemoration of 1.000.000 flying hours of the GR version of the swing-wing multi-role aircraft.
As is often the case, the RAF provided great support to the Duxford Air Show despite the swingeing cutbacks that they are suffering. Apart from the Tornado Role Demo, the Hawk and Tucano teams made one day appearance, the former with only a few displays left in this final year of the solo Hawk routine. Closing the show on the second day, the Red Arrows put on their usual precision display with their Hawks glinting in the late summer sun.
Former RAF types on show included the aforementioned Gnat Display Team with their pair of Gnats, one in the colours of 4 FTS and the other in the early Red Arrows colours. It is hope that at some point during next year they will be joined by a third Gnat. This will be in the colours of The Yellowjacks, the shortlived team that made a few display appearances prior to the ‘Reds’ being formed. Making only its second appearance at Duxford – the former being in 2008 – was Avro Vulcan XH558. Considering the more spectacular display that had been seen elsewhere this year, it has to be said that the routine given at Duxford was thought to be rather sedate, with very little noise and no hint of the famous Vulcan Howl.
Continuing on the jet theme, the pair of De Havilland Vampires from the Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron made a second appearance in the skies over Duxford. Now flying as the ‘Flying Jokers’, they were a delight to see once again with their tight formation display. They only made a single appearance on the Sunday, and they were accompanied initially by a pair of F-16 Fighting Falcons, one of which was in colourful red/white/blue special markings for a very nice series of formation flypasts. All these machines, along with the T-33 Silver Star mentioned earlier, were over from Norway for a special commemorative event at nearby North Weald.
However, despite all the jet activity and the undoubted draw of the Vulcan and Red Arrows, it was aircraft from a much earlier era that had true star-billing at this show. Although John Day and Rob Gauld-Galliers have been seen before at Duxford in their Fokker Dr.1 Triplane and Nieuport 17 respectively, they were joined by two types that have not been seen in the air at Duxford for a very long time – indeed if they had ever appeared before! These were the Albatross D.V and RAF RE.8 replicas (see above for more on these). A quite brilliant routine was put together to really show these aircraft off to perfection. It was a great shame that the corwd on Sunday missed out as although the sun was perfect, the wind conditions precluded these delicate machines taking to the air.
Turning now to the Duxford ‘regulars’, The Fighter Collection put up their Pearl Harbour veteran Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk, Grumman F8F Bearcat and TF-51 Mustang ‘Miss Velma’. Making only its second Duxford display appearance was their Curtiss built P-47G thunderbolt ‘SNAFU’. Unfortunately, serviceability issues meant that it couldn’t fly on the second day. Martin Willing also took to the air in Radial Revelations T-28 Fennec for one of his usual thumping, low and fast routines.
Perennial favourite, B-17G Flying fortress ‘Sally B’ did manage to display on both days. This flying memorial to USAAF servicemen is now the only example in airworthy condition outside of the USA and it is hoped that the team can raise sufficient funds to keep her in the air for many more years to come. Funded entirely through donations and the loyal support of the members’ club and volunteer engineers, sales team and crews, this is becoming increasingly difficult. Also representing the USAAF was Plane Sailing’s PBY Catalina (actually a Canadian built Canso), showing off not only its immense wing but also its new nose-art portraying ‘Miss Pick-Up’ and the Douglas C-47 Skytrain ‘Drag-Em-Oot’ from Dakota Heritage. This is a true war veteran and was used throughout the Normandy Campaign and various operations up to the fall of Berlin.
Mark Miller’s gorgeous De Havilland Dragon Rapide – now sporting blanked out windows as would have been seen during wartime to prohibit passengers getting ‘too much information’ during their flights – was joined in a ‘Big Biplane’ routine by the Fairey Swordfish from the RNHF at Yeovilton and the Antonov AN-2 from Popham. Following some formation flypasts, each aircraft performed individual displays with the AN-2 – incidentally the largest single engine biplane in the world – proving a real showstopper on the second day when the strong wind allowed them to do their party piece. Flying into a headwind, the pilot is almost able to come to a stop in mid air! It is such a shame that lack of bookings from show organisers has meant that they have subsequently announced that they will not be flying at all next year.
Giving one of her usual polished aerobatic performances was Anna Walker in the Bucker Jungmann, whilst on both days the Aerostars in their Yak-50s provided their full display.
Bringing the show to a close on the Saturday was some stunning flying from a pair of Hispano Buchons and Spitfires of various marks, together with HAC’s Hurricane Mk.IX. The former had some people thinking that the pilots from the Horsemen Team had come over to the show but in fact this was Cliff Spink and Paul Bonhomme giving a truly beautiful and very tight formation aerobatic display in some of the best light of the day with ‘gin clear’ blue skies as a backdrop. Following them, John Romain and Dave Harvey put the Spitfire Mk.I and Hurricane through their paces together while the later marks of Spitfire (Mks V, IXT and XVI) kept close formation.
Thus ended an excellent two day show. Blessed with beautiful weather – the only downer being the strong wind on the second day which preclude the flying of the more delicate machines – there was certainly something to please all in the large crowds.
