Duxford Diary 2019

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 10,168

Here is the new thread for happenings at Duxford. Link to the previous year here :

Original post

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20 years

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The first day of 2019 seems a good time to thank again the stalwart contributors to this widely -enjoyed thread. It must be nearly a full-time job ! Much appreciated.

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12 years 8 months

Posts: 400

Duxford was quiet and seemed pretty sleepy today. The Conservation area in Airspace was providing accommodation to the replica Spitfire Mk1A, the Typhoon prototype (isn't this due to be leaving Duxford this year?) and also 'Ole Bill' - a 1911 open-top AEC bus, used in WW1 as a troop carrier:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4821/45644580245_ce88711b85_b.jpg5Z2A2804 by SimonR, on Flickr

This must be the most under-used space in the whole of the IWM - calling it 'Conservation' seems a bit of a misnomer.

In Hangar 2, most, if not all of the Fighter Collection seemed to be undergoing winter maintenance, with Engine Inhibited notices all over the place and lots of engine covers, cowlings and spinners removed.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4851/32684672028_6df9c055a1_b.jpg5Z2A2814 by SimonR, on Flickr

Sally B's winter maintenance continues at the back of Hangar 2,

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4872/32684676528_f451f8ecbd_b.jpg5Z2A2806_7_8_Enhancer by SimonR, on Flickr

And today's game of 'spot the Cosmic Wind' was made a lot easier by it being positioned right next to the walkway, with Miss Pickup's winter maintenance continuing behind:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7837/45834163794_708b2a1f33_b.jpg5Z2A2809 by SimonR, on Flickr

The impressive collection of Spitfires, and assorted other aircraft in Hangar 3 are still covered to protect them from the owl that has also taken up residence in the building. We couldn't see any evidence of the owl though!

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7872/45644570375_aa2f547e8a_b.jpg5Z2A2818 by SimonR, on Flickr

There wasn't a huge turnout on the airfield today, and absolutely no flying while we were there. It's odd how spoiled we are as visitors to Duxford, that we're so used to their always being something interesting flying that it's worthy of mention when this is not the case.

Finally, the new buses (although still apparently un-named!) were doing a lot of business today.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7830/32684670668_ebaaffd29b_b.jpg5Z2A2820 by SimonR, on Flickr

I'm looking forward to the milestones that mark the changing of the seasons in Duxford, my favourite of which is seeing Sally B's first flight of the year.

Finally, here are some upcoming Historic Aircraft Collection events that are forthcoming in 2019:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4911/45645017615_fd46aef935_b.jpgIMG_20190101_152106 by SimonR, on Flickr

Member for

6 years 6 months

Posts: 192

A bit of an interesting question to start of DD2019 - What on earth has happened to Duxford's other Spitfire I (P9374)? Last I heard was she has been sold to someone stateside and was going there but that was a year ago.

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6 years 8 months

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P9374 left for the US in April 2017.

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13 years 10 months

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Yes, P9374 is owned by Ronald Lauder (heir to the Estée Lauder fortune) and is based in New York. He has a growing collection of warbirds that includes the Spitfire P9374 (registered N92SQ), FG-1D Corsair "Godspeed", TF-51D 44-12858 (and I believe he is the one that also recently purchased the ex-Texas Flying Legends A6M2 Zero). All of the airplanes in this collection are flown by Mark Murphy, and P9374 has been seen publicly at at least a couple of events in the northeast US since coming to the US. It was initially scheduled to be at Oshkosh this past summer, but I believe it had a mechanical issue early in the summer and wasn't ready in time.

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15 years 6 months

Posts: 291

Looking forward to a great Duxford year from here in the Antipodes !

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14 years 6 months

Posts: 2,172

A good start of the year would be to learn what the plans are for Halifax forward fuselage PN323. It's sat at Duxford for half a decade now with nothing being done to it (apart from gutting it). Time to do some nice work to it or donate it to the
Canadian Halilfax reconstruction project.
Not being negative to IWM but it's a shame how this unique exhibit is being treated.
Cees

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8 years 7 months

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What ever happend to the Sky blue Yak 3 that used to frequent Duxford quite regularly? I don't remember seeing it there in a while?

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11 years 5 months

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And what is happening with the Zero wreck that my Lottery losses helped acquire?

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6 years 1 month

Posts: 168

This is important stuff, so what does the director of the IWM say?

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8 years 7 months

Posts: 427

Skyskooter......there is a zero cockpit and partial wing/undercarriage lurking in on of the hangars! Not sure if it's the same one though

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17 years

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The light blue Yak has been for sale for at least 18 months with no takers. It occasionally returns to duxford

FB

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13 years 6 months

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Duxford Friday 4th January:

Cold and dull, but Spitfire and Mustang out for some exercise:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4902/31663417567_7ec8a75c7d_b.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4818/32730507938_e7162457cc_b.jpg

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20 years

Posts: 3,902

The Yak is such an agile, great looking, great sounding machie, and at £350 K , whilst not exactly cheap, gets you into the warbird world at a fifth the price of a Spit or P51. True, it is a new build, but for a lot of people, that does not matter at all.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,566

Quite a striking 'little' aeroplane - maybe a second cockpit might help it sell....

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1TFoJ6Q8gvY/VmrIzC8FG2I/AAAAAAAACXg/GHbs_xmRKCg/s1600/IMG_3273-795207.JPG