RAF 100 Marked by Special Flights
A series of warbird flights to commemorate the
RAF’s centenary took place around the UK
on April 1. The Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar’s
Supermarine Spitfire Tr.9 MJ627 flew in
formation with Spitfire Mk.IX TA805 Spirit of
Kent and Hawker Hurricane I AE977 in an
event supported by the RAF Benevolent Fund.
‘MJ’ had a very special passenger on board- RAF veteran Sqn Ldr Allan Scott DFM, now
- Allan flew operationally from Biggin Hill
during World War Two with 124 Sqn, scoring
the first of his six victories. Former ATA pilot
Mary Ellis, now 101, was also present at the
Kent airfield for the commemoration.
Elsewhere, Royal Aircraft Factory BE2e
‘A2943’ (G-CJZO) flew on the anniversary
from the Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome
in Essex, to represent one of the RAF’s
earliest types. The aircraft was built in 2014
by aviation restoration and construction
company The Vintage Aviator, in New
Zealand, and is today operated by the World
War One Aviation Heritage Trust.
Another special formation was flown onthe same day from Henlow in Bedfordshire.
Despite some challenging weather in the
days leading up to the event, ten DHC
Chipmunks and three Scottish Aviation
Bulldogs participated, with a total of 12 aircraft
flying in formation.
Among their number was 1952-built DHC-
1 WP851 (F-AZUU) and 1950-built DHC-
WB756 (G-AOJR), both of which flew in from
France. The aircraft formed the shape of
the figure ‘100’ in the sky before returning to
Henlow for a final flypast.Airworthy Republic P-47D Thunderbolt G-THUN
has returned to the UK from the USA. The
warbird, which was dismantled in a container to
be transported, arrived in the UK after its Atlantic
crossing on April 14 and was put back together,
inspected and repainted in just 12 days.
The 1945-built fighter was operated by
Duxford’s Fighter Collection as 45-49192 NoGuts, No Glory! for 20 years before leaving for
the US in 2006 where it flew as N147PF. It
was listed for sale earlier this year – see the
May issue. It has been repainted to represent
549192 Nellie, an aircraft of the Ninth Air Force’s
48th Fighter Group, 492nd Fighter Squadron.A Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £1.59m has
been awarded to the Middle Wallop-based
Museum of Army Flying. The funding, which
has been boosted by a further £900,
raised by the museum, will pay for significant
redevelopment work at the Hampshire attraction.
The money means the collection’s home
at the army base can be updated, along with
freshening up the exhibits and creating an
enlarged archive.
Commenting on the award, the museum’sCEO Chris Munns said:
“This is a most important
milestone and a testament
to all those that have
helped with the planning of
the project, and the excellent
support that we have received
from the National Lottery and HLF.”
The museum will remain open as
normal until November this year, as most
of the modernisation work is being carried
out over the winter. It is expected to re-open
to the public in April 2019.Republic P-47D Thunderbolt G-THUN in its
new markings at Sywell. Steven CoeP-47D Arrives at Sywell
http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 15Major Funding Success for
Army Flying Museum
The Museum of Army Flying has released images of how the
redeveloped buildings will look. via Museum of Army FlyingThunderbolt II
Joins US
Museum
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II
77-0199 has joined the static exhibits
at the Stafford Air & Space Museum
in Weatherford, Oklahoma. It flew in
combat during Operation Desert Storm
in 1991 before conversion into an
instructional airframe. The Thunderbolt
is due to receive new paint and markings
at the museum, although details of the
scheme have not been released. The
A-10 can be seen outside the entrance
to the attraction, close to Lockheed
F-104C Starfighter 56-0932 that has
been erected on a plinth in a near
vertical position.Swift on the Move
Comper Swift VH-UVC arrived at
Hawkesbury River in New South Wales,
Australia, following its restoration by Jay
McIntyre’s JEM Aviation at Blenheim,
New Zealand. The aircraft was delivered
to its new home on March 13 and is one
of several vintage machines housed at
an airstrip and hangar run by Irish-bornhusband and wife, Roy and Primrose Fox.
The 1932-built Swift made its debut flight (as
G-ACAQ) on November 14 of that year in the
hands of Nick Comper. It arrived in Australia
two years later and flew with the Royal Victorian
Aero Club before being sold and flying in
private hands until 1962. After many years in
preservation it has been restored to fly for Roy.The Fox’s impressive collection also
includes Comper ‘Gipsy’ Swift VH-ACG
(currently being restored at Bankstown), plus
de Havilland Dragon Rapide VH-UTV (also
usually at Bankstown due to its size), DH.
Fox Moth VH-UVL, and Boeing Stearman VH-
LSJ. It is also in the final stages of returning
Klemm L25 VH-UUR to flight.14-15_preservationDC.mfDC.mf.indd 15 03/05/2018 17: