Flying Legends 2017 (Updated 9th July)

[Alpha Delta 210]

Hi

 

Just a few from a very hot Duxford. I didn't take as may shots as usual, primarily because a 400mm zoom on a full-frame body does not really cut it any more (unlike Old Warden!)

 

P-51 "Berlin Express" took off but quickly landed with a technical problem. I didn't hear what the problem was as the French commentator was driving me to distraction with his incessant talking, so I turned up the volume on my scanner! I did hear another pilot advising the tower that there was debris on the runway, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jaw]

Oh joy - 4 Hurris plus whatever the blur in the background is! Lovely.

 

John

[Paul J]

More please. How many Hurricanes were there?/ It looks like 5 in your pics!!

[Alpha Delta 210]

Thanks chaps! It was indeed 5 Hurricanes in the same piece of sky!

 

 

[gunpowder17]

I read that the Berlin express lost its canopy which then struck the tail. 

[franky boy]

Thanks for posting.

 

These pics wet the appetite nicely.

 

Im taking my son (4) tomorrow for his first airshow. Hopefully he'll enjoy it, not sure how much flying I'll get to watch though.

 

 I know what you mean about the French commentator. He does flying legends every year as I'm sure you're aware. He's ok but........

 

James

[gunpowder17]

Fantastic photos btw. Where else could you see 3 mk1 spitfires , 5 hurricanes and a Blenhiem in the sky together?!

[Alpha Delta 210]

4 minutes ago, gunpowder17 said:

I read that the Berlin express lost its canopy which then struck the tail. 

 

Thanks for the kind words and the information. After I posted this thread, I found this picture on UKAR: http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=78017

[Alpha Delta 210]

2 minutes ago, franky boy said:

Thanks for posting.

 

These pics wet the appetite nicely.

 

Im taking my son (4) tomorrow for his first airshow. Hopefully he'll enjoy it, not sure how much flying I'll get to watch though.

 

 I know what you mean about the French commentator. He does flying legends every year as I'm sure you're aware. He's ok but........

 

James

 

Thanks for the kind words, James. I hope your son permits you to see some of the flying! I wish they would sack the commentator and use Ben Dunnell, who is very knowledgeable, but more importantly knows when to zip it....

[franky boy]

1 minute ago, Alpha Delta 210 said:

 

Thanks for the kind words, James. I hope your son permits you to see some of the flying! I wish they would sack the commentator and use Ben Dunnell, who is very knowledgeable, but more importantly knows when to zip it....

 

 

Totally agree with Ben Dunnell.

 

Shame about Berlin Express. I doubt that means she'll be flying tomorrow either.

 

James

[Alpha Delta 210]

2 minutes ago, franky boy said:

 

 

Totally agree with Ben Dunnell.

 

Shame about Berlin Express. I doubt that means she'll be flying tomorrow either.

 

James

 

I agree, it is unlikely that they will be able to lay their hands on a P-51B/C canopy overnight (even at Duxford!)

 

I hope that I'm wrong, though.

[Latinbear]

Some excellent shots there! The standout for me is the last one with the Hurricanes.

 

It's a bit depressing to hear that even a 400mm lens doesn't do the business at Duxford anymore.  

[janneman36]

1 hour ago, Latinbear said:

 

 

It's a bit depressing to hear that even a 400mm lens doesn't do the business at Duxford anymore.  

I always needed a more than 400mm even 10 years ago..

Nevertheless there are enough situations where you can use a 70-200mm depending on were you are standing, with the heat today i like to stay beyond the 400mm range..

I was standing at the far left of the field and most of the time the action is close enough and if i miss something i have an excuse to come back because it still one of the best shows in europe together with La Ferte Alais...

 

Great pictures though..

[Alpha Delta 210]

Thanks for the kind words, gentlemen. The Hurricane shot is my favourite, too.

 

I will be posting a few more images later today.

 

@janneman36: I had intended to go to the M11 end of the crowd line, but I decided to stick with crowd centre, where most of the single-seat fighters were too far away for me to capture respectable images with my 80-400mm (and that is despite the fence line being temporarily moved forward a considerable distance into the taxi-way). I used to be a Friend of Duxford, but let my membership lapse last year for various reasons. I guess that I have just been spoiled by wonderful, wonderful Old Warden!

 

Note to self: "must make the effort to go to La Ferte Alais!"

[Shaun]

http://forums.airshows.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=78017

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

The TF-51D "Miss Velma" crashed this afternoon. It's in a field just east of the runway on the other side of the M11. The pilot's ok. It sounds like an engine failure on approach to land. It was just after the Balbo as we were driving out. Emergency services were passing us on the A505.

 

http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/update/2017-07-09/crop-duster-heritage-fighter-plane-ends-up-in-field/

[Duncan B]

Great photos, thanks for posting.

 

Duncan B

[Alpha Delta 210]

Thanks guys. Sorry to hear about "Miss Velma", but pleased that no one was hurt.

My last few favourite images from yesterday:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

 

[Paul J]

Lovely pics against some fine weather. But not  a good weekend for the Mustangs this year was it? And for Duxford. Great shame but at least no harm to people.

[RidgeRunner]

That Fury is nice :)..... 

 

Martin

[Latinbear]

The shot of the four stacked Hurricanes is absolutely outstanding! 

[dolphin38]

Some great shots there, shame about the two Mustangs, I was looking forward to seeing Berlin Express at RIAT, don't think thats going to happen now.

[Alpha Delta 210]

Thanks for the kind words gentlemen. Hopefully the two Mustangs will grace the skies again soon.

 

[Paul J]

Just been having another ogle through these pics and noticed something unusual between the two Hurricane pics of them taxiing.  The Shuttleworth Sea Hurricane sows nice smooth lines along the top of the cowlings. But in the next pic the B o B one shows a distinctive 'crank' along the same top line. Also the area between the small blisters at extreme front end looks shallower.  Is this right or am I seeing things?? The angles of both pics are very very similar. What do others think?

 

You can also see this odd shape in a pic further up of the four flying together and if you look at the SW code Mk.1 and compare with the others the odd crank shape is visible!!!!!!!!

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

10 hours ago, Paul J said:

Just been having another ogle through these pics and noticed something unusual between the two Hurricane pics of them taxiing.  The Shuttleworth Sea Hurricane sows nice smooth lines along the top of the cowlings. But in the next pic the B o B one shows a distinctive 'crank' along the same top line. Also the area between the small blisters at extreme front end looks shallower.  Is this right or am I seeing things?? The angles of both pics are very very similar. What do others think?

 

You can also see this odd shape in a pic further up of the four flying together and if you look at the SW code Mk.1 and compare with the others the odd crank shape is visible!!!!!!!!

 

It's there but as with all these hand-crafted restorations, stuff like cowlings which must be English Wheeled from sheet metal often end up being different depending who formed them. So long as it clears the engine inside it's ok. They are cut out well oversize and wheeled to about the right shape then trimmed to fit.