Imperial War Museum Duxford - Part 5 - Flight Hangar

There were a number of aircraft being pulled out of the flight hanger when we got there, so I quickly took what photos I could and then headed into the hanger.  Again I was going to be frustrated.  A single walkway was marked across the hanger, but at least the planes weren't quite as tightly packed in as the previous hangar.. 

There were Spitfires here too.  Two mark Vs JG891 (G-LFVC) and BM597 (G-MKVB) and a  two seater T IX PT462 (G-CTIX)

There were four Curtis Hawk variants, two P-36 Hawks 38-0210 (G-CIXJ) painted in US Army colours  and No 82 (G-CCVH) painted as French Air Force, and two P-40 Warhawks 41-19841 (G-CGZP) in USAF colours and 41-13357 (G-CIIO) in bare metal.

Harvard types were also here, with a T-6 Harvard IV 1747 (G-BGPB) painted as Portuguese Air Force, an AT-16 Harvard II FE992 (G-BDAM) and an NA-64 Yale 3349 (G-BYNF)  both in Royal Canadian Air Force colours.

Other aircraft there were Corsair FG1 KD345 (G-FGID), Nimrod 1 S1581 (G-BWWK), PA-18 Cub 54-2454 (D-ESMV), Gladiator N5903 (G-GLAD) and P-51B Mustang 43-24823 (N515ZB)

There were also a few civilian aircraft there including DHC-2 Beaver G-EVMK and DH-80A Puss Moth G-ABLS.

Dotted around the hanger were some restoration projects either underway, or waiting to be started. These included CR-42 Falco MM6976 of the Italian Air Force (G-CBLS), RAAF Beaufighter A19-144 and Walrus 1 X9556 (G-WLRS).

The final instalment, the Air and Space Hangar is next......

Imperial War Museum Duxford - Part 4 - Air and Sea Hangar

When I stepped into this hanger, my breath was taken away.  This whole half of the hangar was filled with airworthy aircraft.  Spitfires, Hurricanes and much more.  This was quickly replaced by frustration as the planes were tightly packed in, withonly one narrow walkway straight across the hangar. These photos give you an idea of what confronted me.   in the first photo are Lysander III V9312 (G-CCOM), HA-1112 223 (G-AWHK),  P-47D Thunderbolt 549192 (G-THUN) and Hurricane 1 P2902 (G-ROBT) and an unidentified Spitfire. In the second are Spitfire PR9 PL983 (G-PRXI) and Hurricane 1 R4118 (G-HUPW)

Amongst the planes were Hawker Fury K5674 (G-CZBP), Spitfire IX MH434 (G-ASJV), DH9 E8894 (G-CDLI), Spitfire VIII MT928 (G-BKMI), P-47D Thunderbolt 549192 (G-THUN), Nimrod II K3661 (G-BURZ), Yak-3 B-OLEG and Hurricane 1 P2902 (G-ROBT),

In the Sea and Air display were Wasp HAS1 XS567, Gannet ECM6 XG797,  Firefly TT-1 Z2033, Royal Saudi air Force Strikemaster 1133, Eurofighter Typhoon ZH590 and Sea king HAS6 XV712

The next hangar holds more of the flying aircraft based here........

Imperial Air Museum Duxford - Part 2 - American Air Museum

As we made our way into the American Air Museum I could see I was going to have problems photographing here.  The planes was really squashed in, and the light was terrible.  

This photo gives you some idea of what I was up against.  From Left to right, F-111E, SR71A Blackbird, B-52D,  MQ-1 Predator, U-2C, B-29 Super Fortress, C-47A Skytrain, UH-1H Iroquois, F-15A Eagle and P-47D Thunderbolt.

I did manage to get some shots, either with my camera or my phone.  Here is the U-2C spyplane 56-6692, the F-15A Eagle 76-0020, the A10 Thunderbolt II 77-0259 and the F-4J Phantom 155529 all from the post war period up to the 70s. (I couldn't decide on which F-4J photo so you get 2 for the price of 1)

From the 2nd World War era are the P-47D Thunderbolt 226413, a P-51D Mustang 472218 and B-25J Mitchell 43-4064.

There was also a PT-17 Stearman trainer 25, a B-17G Flying Fortress 231983 and a B-24M Liberator 44-5093 from the same period.

The next instalment will be the conservation and Battle of Britain Hangers......