Duxford Diary 2019

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

20 years 1 month

Posts: 1,628

Nice comparison. Probably a daft question but why do 2 of the Buchons have 3 bladed props and the others 4 bladed?

Member for

13 years 6 months

Posts: 2,454

Duxford Monday 15th July:

A few Legends remained this morning, among those heading home were Buchon G-AWHR, Cub G-BECN, and the C-47 N877MG:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291843966_8be745c5dd_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291836651_75420b8178_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291836121_5b6989266e_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291936512_71a761de03_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291936187_1ea37d3cd6_b.jpg

GIRTY flew twice:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291837216_69e074f63d_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291935882_5a89a5252d_b.jpg

I overlooked the 'first' flight of Bulldog 'XX625' last week. Last flown in April 2017, this aircraft is a past Duxford resident as G-CBAB / XX543. During a rebuild with ARC, it has been re-registered as G-UWAS and now wears the markings of a Wales UAS aircraft. The real XX625 (aka G-CBBR) is inactive in the USA.
Flown again today there's more information at :
http://www.dornochhangar.scot/dornochaerodrome.asp

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291935527_2003d494f3_b.jpg

Also today:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291937327_02e55031ca_b.jpg
Image edited

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48291935342_d623850911_b.jpg

Member for

14 years 11 months

Posts: 347

They landed in Sion, Switserland today. Anyone know what the plan is with those two?

I would imagine filming for the documentary.

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 1,713

Nice comparison. Probably a daft question but why do 2 of the Buchons have 3 bladed props and the others 4 bladed?

The Spanish Buchons used a four blade prop, those are correct for the type, but to look a bit more Messerschmidt-like quite a few Buchons use a three blade (ex-DC-3?) prop. I guess it boils down to availability and how much money you want to spend on your Buchon.

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 3,566

Gotta love the typewriter banging chimps at the Daily Pail in the "article" about G-IRTY - "Having bought the old silver Mark IX plane at auction ten years ago, Mr Brooks, from Burford, Oxfordshire, and Mr Jones, from from Exeter, set about restoring it to its former glory..."

And there it was, in all it's silvery splendour that it wore for many years as a hangar queen at DX while awaiting it's rebirth - oh, that'll be a dark green and sky blue silver....

And then to prove they really haven't got a clue, they caption a photo of BBMF's Mk LFIXc MK356 (in the silver 601 Sqn scheme UF/•Q) with "The two pilots bought the silver Mark IX Spitfire at an auction and restored it to its former glory. Pictured: One of two silver Spitfires run by the pilots"...

Member for

19 years

Posts: 1,177

The Spanish Buchons used a four blade prop, those are correct for the type, but to look a bit more Messerschmidt-like quite a few Buchons use a three blade (ex-DC-3?) prop. I guess it boils down to availability and how much money you want to spend on your Buchon.

Archer, it really has nothing to do with trying to look similar to a Bf109 at all (though possibly with the Kindsvater machine). It is purely down to availability and cost. Until the airframes and spares of Connie Edwards were sold to the current owner none of these items were available at all. The metal prop blades for the four blade units were originally from existing Firefly units that were held in stock and then modified and sold to the Spanish. The hub itself is the same as a Spitfire and over the years some have been used on that aeroplane type. Hamilton Standard 3 blade units are available from a number of sources as are the spares and this makes them attractive from a cost and maintenance point of view. In fact the ex CAF Buchons flying in recent years AWHE, AWHK and th ex Hangar 10 example all either had landing accidents (which wrote off the original prop) or spares issues and were replaced with American units, (AWHK during its rebuild at Breighton as it never had a real prop with it when acquired by OFMC/Classic Aviation). ARC have previously looked into the sourcing of the correct 4 blade prop unit to make our Buchon correctly configured, but the availability and cost of the then available items, plus the subsequent overhaul cost and replacement spline drive (which is different) made this unrealistic, hence it continues to fly with a 3 blade prop and non-Buchon Spinner unit which is actually from a CCF Hurricane XII. The correct spinner is actually the same as a Spitfire IX, though the film items had the end cut off a new capping piece riveted on the tip to represent a cannon as per a Bf109e

Member for

20 years 5 months

Posts: 1,713

Thanks for setting me straight on that one Roobarb. I cannot remember where I picked up the idea that it was a decision based on looks.

Member for

16 years 6 months

Posts: 6,000

Duxford based Tiger Moth R4922 made a successful forced landing in a standing oat field near Fowlmere earlier this afternoon after experiencing some rough running. Thankfully both crew were completely unharmed as it stayed upright and undamaged.
It was carefully towed out of the field by a tractor this evening.

Member for

15 years 8 months

Posts: 201

Duxford based Tiger Moth R4922 made a successful forced landing in a standing oat field near Fowlmere earlier this afternoon after experiencing some rough running. Thankfully both crew were completely unharmed as it stayed upright and undamaged.
It was carefully towed out of the field by a tractor this evening.

Sounds like some real pilot skill there. I assume he stuck the tail into the crop to achieve that. Come into a crop like that tail high and you're over! Bit unfortunate not to be able to make the strip at Fowlmere though? Any more detail available?

Member for

13 years 6 months

Posts: 2,454

Duxford Monday 22nd July:

Spitfires PR.XI PL983 and N3200 will be centre stage at a wedding tonight, another 'corporate' event being held in Airspace:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350618472_9a71cec763_b.jpg

Something blue ?

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48350618822_bc0f6991d6_b.jpg

Member for

13 years 6 months

Posts: 2,454

Duxford Wednesday 24th July:

Many of the Duxford warbird fleet were out in the sunshine today during hangar maintenance.

Yellow 7 (G-AWHM):

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48366936571_57831baa70_b.jpg

Member for

8 years 8 months

Posts: 427

We wont be seeing her twin seat sister for a bit after her take off incident at sywell earlier this week

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 3,185

Well, the prop blades we can see look OK, the wingtip has a nasty case of concrete rash, but it looks as though it could have been a whole lot messier. Is that really the easiest way to tow it, with a teleporter, though?

Not sure I'd like to be doing the passenger's laundry, though. Mind you, you could bill it as the complete Bf109 experience, right down to hairy scary takeoff/landing accidents!

Adrian

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 3,566

Is that really the easiest way to tow it, with a teleporter, though?

Maybe some issue with the undercarriage? That way it takes all the weight off it?

Member for

24 years 3 months

Posts: 3,185

Good call, Bob. seems reasonable. I can imagine that both getting into and getting out of that situation would put a lot of load on the legs and better safe than sorry on recovery.

Adrian

Member for

13 years 6 months

Posts: 2,454

Duxford Friday 26th July:

Weather permitting, the Duxford fleet will be busy this weekend.
The Ultimate Warbirds four-ship departed to Newcastle to participate in this weekend's Sunderland Airshow:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382660021_653baba535_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382660166_edfd7d20d1_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382800752_37920404bc_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382660501_17363200cd_b.jpg

'Miss Helen' flew to Weston / Dublin for the Bray show:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382799912_a6d464f6a3_b.jpg

'Miss Pick Up' went to Edinburgh for the East Fortune Scottish Airshow:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382800447_a00f74cfd0_b.jpg

Also heading to Scotland was Spartan Executive NC17633, which called in for fuel from Little Gransden:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382658966_751855a67d_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382798757_7099b20e6e_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382658386_6c06d09e24_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382801382_af8e47d1ab_b.jpg

'Sally B' will fly the shorter distance to Old Buckenham on Saturday and Sunday:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382824227_dd12f0a668_b.jpg

Also at Old Buckenham should be Spitfire MH434, P-51D 'Sharkmouth' and Sea Fury WG655. The latter was out for some exercise this afternoon:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382799542_0d8859462a_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382799302_2827fdaeb5_b.jpg

An interesting visitor this morning was French Air Force Twin Otter 298 'F-RACD'

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382661181_d732f338a1_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48382801017_3bebcef23e_b.jpg

Member for

13 years 6 months

Posts: 2,454

Duxford Monday 29th July:

Fokker Dr.1 replica G-FOKK was flying this afternoon:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48406512332_e9eee7bbe0_b.jpg

Member for

19 years

Posts: 2,106

Whats the story with G-FOKK ? Whats it doing at Dux ?