2. Aircraft

IWM Duxford

Ross and I had a superb day at the Imperial War Museum Duxford 20 odd years after our first visit. The sound of warbirds flying all day just added to the atmosphere. The vehicles in the Land Warfare building are in the Military Vehicles folder. 10/5/2022
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    Well wrapped up is a Curtiss P-40C Warhawk. After a period of US Army Air Force service, this aircraft was sent to the Soviet Union in 1941. Little is known of its history there until the 1990s, when it was one of two Warhawks recovered from the former Soviet Union by The Fighter Collection. It was restored in the United States, taking its first post-restoration flight in 2011. G-CIIO
    This is a Grumman F8F-2P Bearcat. The Bearcat design was the Grumman response to the US Navy’s request in the latter war years for a fast responsive fighter to be deployed in the Pacific Theatre. The type did not see operational service during the Second World War as the conflict had ended before the type saw combat service. The airframe was built in 1948 and taken on charge in August of that year by the US Navy. She served at a number of Naval Air Stations before undergoing modification to F8F-2P standard in 1952. Following further Navy service she was finally struck off charge in January 1957. It passed through two sets of private ownership in the US, the first between 1957 and 1972, and the second until 1981. It was under this second private ownership that she underwent a full overhaul and flew once again in 1975. It joined what was to become The Fighter Collection in 1981. G-RUMM
    This major rebuild project is a Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 VX653. It was manufactured by the Hawker Aircraft Company in 1949. It was transferred to the Royal Navy as VX653 and moved to 736 Sqn at Culdrose. In 1953 the aircraft was completely reconditioned at Donbristle before being transferred to RNAS Gosport. Shortly afterwards, it moved on to RNAS Anthorn and then on to No 811Sqn who were based in Arbroath in Scotland at the time. In 1954 category 4 repairs were carried out on the aircraft, again at Donbristle, before it was moved to Anthorn for the second time. VX653 was placed in storage in 1955 until it was transferred to Airwork Ltd at Hurn airport near Bournemouth on the English south coast. Here it was operated on a very regular basis until 1960 when it transferred to RNAS Lossiemouth in Scotland. It was placed on display at the Royal Air Force Museum from 1972 before being acquired by the Fighter Collection and it was moved to Duxford in November of 1991.