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Airshow 1983. Great Warbirds Air Display in 1/72 Part 1


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8 minutes ago, noelh said:

The name rings a bell and almost certainly it was Ray Hanna up front but maybe Mark if he was flying with them at the time. He was still in the RAF at that point.

 

Actually it's surprising that there aren't more models of warbirds. Many of them are historic in their own right and references are readily available. I have almost the entire collection of the Osprey colour series from the eighties and nineties. Hundreds of photos of all the then extant warbirds.

I'm surprised we don't see more warbird builds myself. As you rightly say, the resources of information on these aircraft is huge, and they are historic in their own right. I have a lot of those Osprey 80s books myself, and still occasionally marvel at the widely inaccurate colour schemes that were applied to warbirds by cousins across the pond!

 

Certainly would have been either Ray or Mark. Both sorely missed. So glad I got to see Ray's final display at Duxford. He walked past my stall on the way back to the OFMC office after the display, and to say he looked lost in his own thoughts was an understatement. Hard to believe that he was gone so soon afterwards.

 

I remember Gary Numan getting a jolly in the RNHF Swordfish at the 83 GWAD. He spent the entire display waving the Union Jack in the rear of the cockpit. I think he was enjoying himself!

 

Steve

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All those builds are amazing

 

I find the Bearcat an interesting and underrated aircraft ........I think I need to build one

 

Gary Numan is a great talent and a qualified pilot in his own right!

 

Great post, great story, great insight into your early interests and youth which so much mirror mine lol!!

 

Cheers

 

Bruce 

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Hi Bruce;

 

Thanks for the very kind comments! The Bearcat is an amazing aircraft and performer and in Stefan Karwowski's hands, truly amazing. I used the old Monogram kit, which is still fairly sound, but did use the excellent Cobra Company resin set for the cockpit, wheel wells etc. It's a reasonable price and really boosts up the old kit. 

 

I've always been a Gary Numan fan, and had involvement with him back in the 1990s. I used to help out on Eddie Coventry's Spitfire XVIe TD248 and Yak 11 G-OYAK. Gary used to fly the Yak every so often, and was/is a great pilot. Very professional and focused. I have no idea why he never got to fly the Spitfire as he was more than competent. Nice guy too and very humble...oh and aviation mad. We had Numanoids travelling from miles to the airfield to try and catch him. We had one lot that had paid a taxi to come all the way from Surrey, wait all day and then drive them back in the hope they would see him. Gary wasn't there that day! 

 

Be fun to compare notes on our youthful memories!

 

Best regards;

Steve

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Steve this is class, great idea and well executed. As a kid I loved Duxford and seeing classics like Candyman/Moose and the red rippers bearcat. Looking forward to seeing the next additions to your warbird collection, given me the inspiration to dig out my BBMF set and finish it off.

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1 hour ago, Blitz23 said:

Steve this is class, great idea and well executed. As a kid I loved Duxford and seeing classics like Candyman/Moose and the red rippers bearcat. Looking forward to seeing the next additions to your warbird collection, given me the inspiration to dig out my BBMF set and finish it off.

 

14 minutes ago, Mountain goat said:

What an inspiring project. Really nice to see that great idea becoming reality. West Malling: nice memories but from a few years later 👍

 

Jay

Thank you gents! I really appreciate the comments. My humble little thread seems to have created a very nostalgic response, and I hope it inspires a few more "Warbird" related builds here on Britmodeller. Who knows? It could be a future subject for a group build.

 

Apart from battling the Academy Beech 18, I have just started two Spitfire XIVs, NH749, which carried a SEAC scheme and the famous G-FIRE. Once these are done, I'm considering moving onto something heavier, maybe the Aces High Dakota or BBMF Lancaster....or perhaps the gaggle of Harvards that were there. I hope to post some new builds very soon!

 

Best regards;

Steve

 

 

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