Aeroplane – June 2018

AEROPLANE JULY 2018 http://www.aeroplanemonthly.com 107

I

WM Duxford got its 2018 display season off to a fi ne start

over the spring bank holiday weekend, luckily avoided by

the thunderstorms affl icting much of the country. It was an

international affair, support from France’s Armée de l’Air

proving especially outstanding. The Rafale C put on a truly

spectacular demonstration in the hands of Cne Sébastien

Nativel, while the Equipe de Voltige competition aerobatic

team provided astonishing solo Extra EA330SC routines, and

Sunday featured the Patrouille de France, whose fi nal bomb-

burst performed to the accompaniment of La Marseillaise

resulted in the most prolonged applause of the weekend.

A delight was the EKW C-3605 owned by 46 Aviation at

Sion, Switzerland, and piloted by Emiliano del Buono. This

extraordinary turboprop ex-target tug, a type not seen on

these shores for many years, is an excellent display aircraft

with an unexpected ability to make rapid changes of direction.

More traditional historic action included Stu Goldspink in

Fighter Aviation Engineering’s P-47D Thunderbolt Nellie,

returning to the skies over Duxford after an 11-year absence.

Given its 492nd Fighter Squadron markings and the proximity

of today’s Lakenheath-based 492nd FS with its F-15Es, maybe

we can dream about a Heritage Flight at some future point?

Richard Grace and Brian Smith fl ew a pairs routine in Anglia

Aircraft Restorations’ Fury ISS ‘SR661’ and The Fighter

Collection’s Sea Fury T20 WG655, though it was a shame the

opportunity was not taken to link them with Naval Aviation

Ltd’s T20 VX281 for a formation pass given their proximity on

the programme.

A debut display was given by the Four Chip Formation

Team comprising Howard Cook, Jon Higgins, David Petters

and Paul Green with their quartet of DHC Chipmunks, a

wonderfully nostalgic sight. A characteristically raucous

showing came from no less than eight Harvard and T-6

variants, marking the 80th anniversary of the RAF receiving its

fi rst Harvard Is. While four displayed to the south — fi ttingly

including KF183, the last example that was on UK military

charge at Boscombe Down, now operated by the Aircraft

Restoration Company — a trio tailchased closer to the crowd

as Anna Walker fl ew aerobatics in TFC’s machine overhead.

The latter suffered a mag drop on Saturday, which reduced

the spectacle if not noticeably the noise. John Dunnell

the Avro Triplane, the only

fi tting end to such a voyage

through British aviation history

came with ‘Dodge’ Bailey

fl ying the 1912 Blackburn Type

D, the oldest airworthy British

Blenheim, Hurricane and Sea Hurricane formed a splendid formation

trio. MIKE SHREEVE

‘Dodge’ Bailey in the Sopwith Camel, fi rst-footing at a public show.

MIKE SHREEVE

Red Arrows, eat your heart out. Bristol Boxkite and Avro Triplane show

how you do a synchro pair. DARREN HARBAR

Emiliano del Buono’s

vertiginous manoeuvring

in Sion-based EKW C-3605

‘Schlepp’ HB-RDH starred at

Duxford. JOHN DUNNELL

The fi rst appearance of the

Four Chip team made for a

pleasing sight.

JOHN DUNNELL

aeroplane in the world. Maybe

a rewrite of the T-shirt is

required: ‘Go to Old Warden.

Keep eyes wide open. Dream.

Smile. Repeat.’

Tony Harmsworth

Duxford

Air Festival 26-27

MAY

106-107_AM_Events_July18 C.indd 107 04/06/2018 11:05