Historic Aviation Quiz: BBMF edition!
You may have watched our recent video series, where Key Aero was given a guided tour of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Now, we're bringing you a quiz to see how carefully you were watching those videos...
Who was Piotr Łaguna?
With his name slowly spreading through the warbird world, following the announcement that his Spitfire Mk.IIb is returning to the air, we answer the question: who was Piotr Łaguna?
Latest BBMF boss Sqn Ldr Mark ‘Suggs’ Sugden interview
James Peene met with the latest officer in charge of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. In the first of a BBMF two-part feature, here’s what Sqn Ldr Mark ‘Suggs’ Sugden had to say about his role
BBMF Hangar Tour
With flying activities curtailed for the winter months, there's still plenty going on behind the scenes at the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight…
Spitfire MH434 'tour' and Ukraine appeal
Old Flying Machine Company leader Sarah Hanna is raising money for the British Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal by offering a special talk and tour of the Duxford-based company’s legendary Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX MH434
IWM Spitfire cockpit experiences
Few aircraft are as entrenched in the hearts and minds of the British public as much as the Supermarine Spitfire. Just getting up close to one of these iconic machines is an emotional experience, but IWM Duxford allows you to go one step further…
FlyPast Cockpit: The truth behind the tales
FlyPast debunks common myths and tells the stories of popular legends. This month: Beer Barrel Spitfires!
New home for Kiwi Supermarine stunner
Gavin Conroy profiles a newly-restored Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVI completed by Avspecs in New Zealand. After a successful test-flight programme, it is bound for a new home in the United States
Spitfire: Evolution of an icon
Liam Shaw, Events and Experiences Coordinator at IWM Duxford introduces a world first, the largest collection of Spitfires under one roof gathered together for a very special exhibition…
March Picture of the Month Runners-up
Each month we publish the winners of our online Picture of the Week competition and make one of them our FlyPast Picture of the Month...
Preserving Warbirds for future generations
The use of warbirds ranges from racing and restorations to exhibiting at airshows where enthusiasts will be treated to close up contact with legendary aircraft like the Supermarine Spitfire, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and the Messerschmitt Bf 109.
The name Warbirds once referred to World War II era fighter aircraft like the North American P-51 Mustang, North American T-6 Texan and Hawker Sea Fury, but in recent years it has come to mean any former military aircraft type now flown by airforce heritage squadrons, civilian organisations and private owners.
There are a lot of airshows that have static and flight displays by Warbirds and the United States has many of them. Enthusiasts, as well as airforce heritage squadrons and civilian organisations, fly their aircraft at these shows. A high-profile enthusiasts’ project, the Silver Spitfire, flew its original 1943 build Supermarine Spitfire in a shining silvery livery around the world with the help of sponsors. The Spitfire is a popular Warbird and other military aircraft favoured by restoration enthusiasts include the Mikoyan MiG-15 and Grumman F6F Hellcat, along with the Spitfire and Mustang.
The airshows in the USA include, the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; the Alliance Airshow in Fort Worth, Texas; Dayton Airshow in Dayton, Ohio; the History of Flight Airshow in New York state and the Indianapolis Airshow in Indiana. Outside of the USA, New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom also have a number of Warbird shows. New Zealand has the Classic Fighters Omaka in Blenheim and the Warbirds over Wanaka in Wanaka. Australia has Warbirds Downunder in Temora, while the UK's Warbirds airshows include Flying Legends, which takes place at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, and the Bedfordshire, UK-based Shuttleworth Collection which has displays in the summer. France also has an annual show, La Ferté-Alais, which takes place 50 kilometres south of Paris.
Don’t miss our dedicated page on international airshow news & updates.
The future of Warbirds and Warbird projects
Future generations will be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Warbirds from airforces’ days gone by as restoration projects increase in number and widen in aircraft type worldwide. Find here the latest information about projects from Australia to Italy, and aircraft types from the World War II Helldiver to the 1950s Thunderstreak.
Whether the airframe to be restored was found in the Pacific’s Solomon Islands or had been retired to a safe hangar, the challenge can be a full bottom up reconstruction or trying to find a missing engine. The committed individuals and companies that restore these Warbirds have a story to tell in the great lengths they will go to in the hope of seeing these aircraft fly again.
The stories can be as simple as replacing damaged skin fabric and lubricating mechanical systems back to a functional state, which was what was needed for an RAF Westland Lysander; but they can be as challenging as a decades long, slow search for parts and reconstruction; which was necessary for a Royal Australian Air Force Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk which had crashed on Rattlesnake Island, just off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Often the key areas for these restorations are missing engines or control system parts, wing or tail repair, a need for new nose and main gear tyres and seats for the pilots and navigator.
Obstacles to be overcome to return a Warbird to flight have included fixing a troublesome elevator pushrod, replacing cockpit cowl rails, or stripping off a worn-out faded livery and replacing it with a fresh coat of paint. It is the commitment to the Warbirds and the stories behind their return to flight that are as engaging as the sight of seeing the beautiful machines soar among the clouds once more; and all those stories can be found here.
Other military aircraft categories
Looking for military aircraft news or updates from your favourite military aircraft airshows? Or information on other military fighter aircraft?
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