Warbird Information Exchange

Yesterday the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight very kindly hosted an open evening. It was a great experience to have a good look round 'planes that are usually only seen from a distance, and to have the chance to crawl through Lancaster PA474 was a real treat.

Many thanks to everyone at the BBMF who gave up an evening to show us around, it's really appreciated, you've given us all many fond memories of the evening.

Rob

Now some piccies, Spitfirephobics please look away now.

Yes, a great evening. Many thanks to BBMF for taking the trouble to host 30 or so members of the FlyPast forum, and for giving up their evening to do so.

The CO's description has really whetted my appetite for seeing their Hurricane (PZ865) in its new colours when it returns from winter overhaul.

And Robbo, they seem to let anyone in their Lanc there days.....

Thanks for that, Mike. Any chance of a copy of that shot when you get back from Pattyland?

Rob

Excellent shots Robbo! I got a spifire question.....Hmmm on second thought...maybe a new...super bitchin...picture/learning thread will be required for this one.

_________________
DEEP THOUGHTS BY KIDS:
"If we could just get everyone to close their eyes and visualize world peace for an hour, imagine how serene and quiet it would be until the looting started. Age 15 "


Deep Thoughts,
Jack Handy

That is one incredible stable full of much horesepower.

Mike

_________________
Mike R. Henniger
Aviation Enthusiast & Photographer
http://www.AerialVisuals.ca
http://www.facebook.com/AerialVisuals

Do you want to find locations of displayed, stored or active aircraft? Then start with the The Locator.
Do you want to find or contribute to the documented history of an aircraft? If so then start with the Airframes Database.

Rob,


Great pics! Please provide more education for us poor colonials.

By the way, you provided some Hendon photo advice for me last November. In December, I got an unexpected trip to Luxembourg which included a brief overnight stay in London. Although I had less than three hours to spend at Hendon, your advice helped me get a number of good slides. Thanks for the help!

Jeff

Excellent stuff, as always. I also enjoyed your East Kirkby photos.

You really are getting rather good at this...

SRP

Jeff, I'm glad that you got some good slides from Hendon. Far too many people come away from there with dark pictures because of the lighting.

Rob

Steve, I've been getting a fair bit of practise in.

Whats the history of their Dakota?????? Did it actually serve with the RAF?????lol........during ww2 I mean.
I worked on a DC-3 that was a DAK, she was bought from Douglas by the RAF. I remember when we stripped the paint off it, you could still see the RAF crown and eagle etched in the skin. It was so obvious that she was brittish throught the interior too. Our company eventually painted her in USAAF D-day markings (I tried to persuade them to go back to RAF but did not work). I dont remember her S/N off the top of my head but she is still in upstate NY and still flying under N59NA if anyone wants to do the research on her.

_________________
Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

There's a potted history on here http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/othertypes.html

"Douglas C47 (DC3) Dakota ZA947 was manufactured in March 1942 and initially issued to the United States Army Air Force. In September that year the aircraft was transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and served mainly in Canada but was latterly used in Europe until declared surplus to requirements in 1971.

The Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) at Farnborough then purchased the aircraft, which was allocated the UK military serial number KG661, as it had carried the serial 661 with the Canadians. During her time with the RAE, KG661 was used for a variety of tasks and trials, including dropping sonabuoys through holes cut in the fuselage and launching remotely piloted vehicles.

For some time, however, there had been some doubt about the issued serial; research showed that the original Dakota KG661 had been destroyed in an accident, so the aircraft was allocated a new number: ZA947. Cleared for para-dropping, she often displayed in this role or appeared in the static park at airshows. In 1992 the Defence Research Agency, the successor to the RAE, declared her surplus to requirements and offered the aircraft for disposal.

The aircraft was adopted by Strike Command and issued to the BBMF in March 1993, after Air Atlantique at Coventry had completed necessary engineering and structural work. The Dakota is a year-round workhorse for the BBMF being used in a variety of roles. She ‘earns her keep’ in the ‘unsung’ roles of training new aircrew for the BBMF multi-engine aircraft and in keeping the pilots of the Lancaster current on a multi-engine tailwheel aircraft during the winter months when the bomber is out of action.

Increasingly, though, the Dakota has become a display aircraft in her right and now appears regularly on the airshow circuit either on her own or as part of a BBMF 3-ship formation, in company with a Spitfire and a Hurricane. She continues to be capable of para-dropping and is sometimes used in that role for special commemorative events. The Dakota is also used for general support tasks, such as transporting groundcrew and equipment to support display appearances by BBMF fighter aircraft.

In January 2003 ZA947 was repainted in the livery of 267 ‘Pegasus’ Squadron, which flew in the Transport, Trooping and Re-supply roles in the Middle East and the Mediterranean Theatres during 1943/44. The squadron employed various colour schemes on its Dakotas but always displayed its ‘Pegasus’ emblem prominently on the aircraft’s nose. The Squadron’s role included the delivery of supplies to partisans and resistance fighters either by para-drop or by landing at clandestine airstrips behind enemy lines. "

found a nice pic of her on the web.
http://1000aircraftphotos.com/transports/3788.htm

her s/n is 42-32817 and was registered in GB as G-AKNB

_________________
Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

here is another
http://fotodj.com/pages/schenectady2003/wb5930.htm

_________________
Long Live the N3N-3 "The Last US Military Bi-Plane" 1940-1959
Badmouthing Stearmans on WIX since 2005

A random selection of my efforts from the evening.











The reason that the Lancaster was able to haul 10 tons of Grand Slam to the target.....

A few more (with apologies to dial-up users)