Looks like someone enjoyed Legends 2008 then!

(pic: Rob Leigh)

Why didn't you see?

We had hoped to show you the Gladiator on Saturday but the weather was not very kind to us in the morning. Pete Kynsey had hoped to do part of the flight test but the wind was to variable. We managed part of the flight test Sunday and the rest should be completed early this coming week.

We tried to repair the leaking brake bag on the Nimrod but on taxy out the pilot lost pressure and had to return. No spares, no flying.

"Miss Velma" had a malfunction in the undercarriage hydraulic system on Saturday evening but the guys put it up on "sticks" on Sunday morning and rectified the defect. No doubt some of you got shots of it in the hangar.

FEDEX returned the injector for the Spitfire XVIII and the guys worked hard to fit it but we still have an ongoing engine problem which we will continue to delve into next week.

Without all the stars we hope you still enjoyed the show called "Flying Legends".

Pre Legends Video

OK, I haven't even seen the finished article - this really is cut and shut but time of the essence.

aargh, rendered by the blog in 4:3, shot in 16:9 taken 2 hours to upload and process grrrrr

11 July in Pictures

A few pictures, video will follow, maybe:

Mikael with his Bleriot

Carl Schofield and Steve take time out from pre-flighting the TF-51 to watch the steady stream of arrivals

That is a lot of wingspan!

Volunteers 1

Engineers and Volunteers snatching a quick cup of tea while modelling this years range of Fof TFC merchandise (Just a quick plug)

Press Day.

At 1100 hrs. today "Liberty Belle" will launch with "Miss Velma" to give the press a foretaste of Flying Legends. The press flight will also take in the American Cemetery at Madingley.

Liberty Belle -the movie!

Fairly quick cut and shut of todays action at Duxford. We will look at ways of uploading a higher quality version when I have tweaked the edit a bit. I just thought those who had to work today might like to get a taste of the day. Oh yes - It is the arrival, the landing, take off for Biggin Hill (including King Air for Freddo) and fast pass - enjoy.

Belle on the Television

Sigurjon another of our Icelandic friends has supplied us with link to an interview about Liberty Belle in Iceland - I think you'll get the gist of it even if you aren't fluent in Icelandic!

Click HERE for the link

Participants List Revised

List revised, click on above title link.

Dragonfly shows its colours

De Havilland Dragonfly - DH90A G-AEDU flew in to Duxford at 15:00 hours today. The aircraft is owned by Sir Torquil Norman whose generosity has allowed it to appear at Flying Legends 2008. The aircraft is a personal favourite of Sir Torquil, standing close to it you can see why. For todays flight from Rendcombe the pilot was Lee Proudfoot. The Dragonfly is one of only two originals airworthy at present in the world. The other being ZK-AYR in New Zealand.

Yak 3 at Flying Legends.

(photographer Mark Vogelgesang)

Chris Vogelgesang will be bringing his Yak-3, "White 100" to Flying Legends, pilot for the event will be Mark Jefferies the well known nine times and current British aerobatic champion.

The paint scheme of “White-100” is based on a Yak-3 that was part of 402 IAP (regiment). The 402 was formed in 1941 and was staffed largely with very experienced test pilots drawn from the Scientific Testing Institute of the Air Force (VVS). During the summer of 1944 the 402 IAP received brand new Yak-3 aircraft and went into action in the Vistula-Oder and East Pommerania regions in the autumn. The 402 was at the VVS spearhead of operations in the battle over Berlin, and fought very hard and with distinction in this campaign.

Spitfire MK XVIII in HD!

Another exclusive for the Friends of TFC site, and on a Saturday too.

Hot off Steve Connor of Flying Machines.tv hard drive comes this footage from the upcoming Legends 2008 DVD. Steve has kindly let us have a preview of some of the material as it is shot - we hope more to follow over the coming weeks.

There are two links: first to the HD version on Vimeo (this one is a bit fussy about which machines it will play on).

Here: Vimeo clip of MkXVIII

If that doesn't work try this: The You Tube Clip

Enjoy, and thanks Steve for the clip.

The Liberty Belle: Touring Europe with Wingspeed

In July 2008, the B-17 Flying Fortress “Liberty Belle” returns to Europe to honour the veterans of WWII, accompanied by a team of documentary filmmakers and supported by an advanced airborne tracking and communications system from Wingspeed Corporation. This will be Wingspeed’s second such warbird sponsorship, following its support of “Miss Velma”, that flew from the U.S. to Duxford, in 2007.

Wingspeed’s package for the Liberty Belle includes an aircraft communications unit, electronic flight bag and Wingspeed software to enable e-mail communications, onboard weather and real-time inflight information for ground tracking and messaging.

As a bonus, the Wingspeed system will even enable people on the ground — WWII vets, pilots, warbird enthusiasts, media and the public — to correspond with the Liberty Belle’s crew during its flight.

So, in addition to keeping Liberty Belle in touch with the world, Wingspeed will provide a link from aviation’s past to its present, and future!

Planned landing at Duxford is on the “Fourth of July”, American Independence Day.

About Wingspeed Corporation
Wingspeed is a global technology company that provides automated paperless operations and open, scalable, end-to-end communications for commercial airlines and aircraft fleets. Additional information is available at www.wingspeedcorp.com.

Thursday 19th Spitfires and Kittyhawks

Beaufighter VI has outlined the tech stuff in his post (above) so here are some pictures of P-40 undergoing undercarriage retraction tests and the Spitfire Mk XVIII undergoing a pitstop propellor change –see PR above for the story behind this. And finally just in - a picture or two of Freds hair drier in action 17:00hrs 19/06/08

Thanks to Greg and Martyn for taking time to get these pictures on another busy day at Hangar No 2.

Will it be at Legends - our competition has returned

Last year we invited all the speculators to have a go at forecasting the flying programme for the air show. There was one lucky winner, featured in the current Fighter Log.

We invite all Friends to try your luck again and win one of TFC's unique prizes. Remember if you don't try you won't win.

Click the title link above and go straight to the competition page on TFC site.