SHUTTLEWORTH SPRING AIRSHOW 2011
Review and all photography by SIMON FENWICK
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Any airshow at the home of the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden in Bedfrordshire is a bit special and the 2011 Spring Airshow lived up to that promise. Although there was lovely spring sunshine, the strong gusty wind led to some cancellations including the debut of the BBMF Dakota in it’s new colour scheme and unfortunately, none of the Collection’s Edwardian aircraft and some of the World War I machines couldn’t take to the air along with the Piper Cub and gliders.
The curving display line on this picturesque grass airfield provides ample opportunity to view the aircraft from all angles and the pilots make the most of it.
The curving display line on this picturesque grass airfield provides ample opportunity to view the aircraft from all angles and the pilots make the most of it.
The show opened with a barnstorming routine from Rob Millinship in the Tiger Moth, John Hurrell in the Chipmunk, Dave McKay in the Miles Hawk Trainer Mk.3 and Clare Tector giving her display debut in the Miles Magister. They were followed by the Avro Tutor the colours of which glowed in the sunshine
The very strange looking Desoutter Air Taxi was next, followed by the De Havilland DH.60X Hermes Moth. As mentioned, the planned for World War I section was rather depleted and became more so with an engine problem in the RAF SE.5a resulting in a single circuit. The Sopwith pair of Pup and Triplane did perform ground runs, but it was left to the world’s only airworthy Avro Tutor to give a full display.
The ever dynamic Yakovlevs flown by Jez Hopkinson and Nick Barnard opened a Russian section of the display with their polished routine. However, there then followed what were, in this reviewer’s opinion, the two stars of the show. First up was the Antonov AN-2, the world’s largest single engine biplane, which is based at Popham in Hampshire. The display from this machine has to be seen to be believed, with its incredibly short take-off run and great agility from such an ungainly looking machine. The pilot, James Black, thought nothing of the strong wind and following a very steep climb, simply turned it into wind amd held it there. At one point it appeared to be actually going backwards!
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This was followed by the long awaited debut of the Shuttleworth Collection’s Polikarpov PO-2 in the hands of new Chief Pilot ‘Dodge’ Bailey. More than 40,000 PO-2s were built between 1928 and 1953 and in Poland they were built under licence until as late as 1959. Powered by a 125hp Shvetsov 5-cylinder radial engine, it had a maximum speed of 94mph and its cruising speed was a mere 68mph. In North Korea the aircraft was used by the People’s Air Force inflicting serious damage during night raids on allied bases. Although actually a trainer variant used by the Yugoslav Air force, Shuttleworth’s example has been finished to represent a U2 light fighter bomber variant in a striking Russian camouflage paint scheme.
With the Korean connection continuing on from the PO-2, it was appropriate that the next item should be another veteran from the same conflict. This was the North American F-86A Sabre from Duxford. Using the curving display line to perfection, with trademark black smoke trailing and silver wings glinting, the classic lines of this unique aircraft were shown to great effect.
With the loss of the Gladiator and Hind due to wind restrictions, we next had the Westland Lysander and Hawker Sea Hurricane to represent World War II. Closing the show there was an aerobatic routine from the Collection’s Percival Provost.
The first show of the Shuttleworth year was certainly a success, with a large crowd in attendance, despite the best efforts of the British weather. However, with such glorious sunshine lighting up the nearby fields of rapeseed and the new spring green growth on the hedgerows, there was no better place to spend an afternoon in early May.
