Another day and another museum – today it is time the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we hit the road.

As we passed Stansted Airport we made a quick detour just to check the conditions for plane spotters there. The airport is managed by BAA, and it seems that all their airports have poor conditions for spotters. The only more or less decent spot I have found was on the ramp to the west of the terminal. There were a few spotters out with their binoculars and notepads as we passed the terminal.

We did try to have a look around, but the double yellow lines along the road told us that stopping was “frowned upon” so we rejoined the M11 and headed for Duxford.

After a short drive and we turned off the motorway and were at Duxford and the Imperial War Museum. Our battle plan was short and simple - a quick browse through the shop, stop in at the AirSpace before strolling along the “flight line” to the American Air Museum and back –in short, The Grand Tour.

So let's start with what we saw in the AirSpace.

A discussion on camera settings in the AirSpace. Amber-toned artificial light is always tricky, but inside the AirSpace they have used bluish tungsten spots hanging from the ceiling, and this was a new challenge to set the correct white balance. These lamps also threw heavy shadows below the aircraft. To make matters worse, aircraft were hanging high up under the roof.

Two important British World War II naval aircraft - Fairey Swordfish with the gigantic Short Sunderland in the background.

The Swordfish was given the nickname "Stringbag" for obvious reasons, but even this 1930s design played an important role as torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft until the end of the war. During the attack on the Italian naval base at Taranto in November 1940, 21 Swordfish flying from HMS Illustrious destroyed three battleships, one cruiser, two destroyers, and other warships. In May 1941 the Swordfish was again involved in the hunt for the Bismarck.

The Swordfish on display at Duxford is a Mark III with centrimetric radar (the dome under the fuselage). The Swordfish Mk III entered service in 1943.

The Short S.25 Sunderland first flew on 16 October 1937, and was based on the Imperial Airways flagship the S.23 Empire flying boat. The Sunderland was used for maritime reconnaissance, convoy escort, and antisubmarine sorties in all WW2 theatres. The Germans nicknamed "the Flying Porcupine" due to its defensive capabilities with 14 machine guns. The Sunderland was retired from RAF service in 1959.
 

Leaving the AirSpace we moved down along the ”flightline”, but stopped at Classic Wings sales office. Three of us ended up with tickets for a Dragon Rapide flight. The fourth member of our team had flown the Rapide before, and opted for a flight in the Tiger Moth instead. With time to spare before the flight, we went over to the American Air Museum, but our quirky driver decided to visit the Land Warfare Hall. Once a driver, always a driver…

Type IXc PV202 / H98

• Built as a single seat Mk IX at Castle Bromwich in 1944
• Joined 33 Sqn in October 1944 as 5R-Q and flying close air support missions in northern France
• Transferred to No 412 Sqn RCAF based in the Netherlands - marked VZ-M later changed to VZ-W
• Into storage at High Ercall in July 1945
• Sold to Vickers-Armstrong in July 1950
• Converted to a type 509 two-seat configuration for the Irish Air Corps
• Entered service at IAC with tail number 161 on 15 June 1951
• Retired from IAC in December 1960
• Instructional airframe the next almost eight years
• Brought back to UK in 1968
• After four years in storage became part of the Strathallan collection in 1972
• Steve Atkins acquired the aircraft in 1979
• Registered G-TRIX in 1980
• Flew again on 23 February 1990 from Bae Dunsfold wearing 412 Sqn colours and VZ-M
• Sold to collector Rick Roberts on 14 July 1992
• Aircraft in March 2000 to Greg McCarrach
• On 8 April 2000 involved in a fatal accident at Goodwood killing the owner and his instructor.
• Historic Flying Limited acquired the airframe and the airframe arrived Duxford on 28 February 2001
• Changes done to the aircraft during the rebuilt at Duxford were:
  - Packard 266 Merlin was replaced with a RR Merlin 66
  - Configured back to the bubble top rear canopy
• Registered G-CCCA on 18 February 2003
• Substantially complete by February 2004 with IAC colours, tail number 161 and a failed engine
• First flight after the latest rebuilt and engine overhaul on 13 January 2005
• In March 2007 it appeared in new markings of H98 of the Koninklijke Luchtmacht (Royal Netherlands Air Force) - the same colours as one of three Spitfire Trainers sold to the Netherlands in March 1948. Needless to point out that the aircraft now has a Dutch owner.
   

Mk Vc JG891 / T-B

• Built as a single seat Mk Vc at Castle Bromwich in 1943
• Delivered to 79 Sqn of the Royal Australian Air Force and arrived Melbourne on 13 April 1943
• Overran runway in wet conditions at Kiriwina, Solomon Islands on 11 January 1945. The aircraft had overturned after it swung to avoid another aircraft and was badly damaged.
• The airframe was recovered from Kiriwina in 1974 and brought to Auckland, New Zealand by N Monty Armstrong
• Later the same year the airframe was sold to Don J Subritzky and registered ZK-MKV
• Karel Bos/Bosal Group/Silver Victory, Belgium bought the aircraft in 1999
• Arrived Audley End for completion of restoration in July 1999 - the aircraft with partially restored fuselage and incomplete set of wings was sold to Historic Flying Limited
• Registered G-LFVC on 28 September 1999 with owner Spitfire Ltd
• Changes done to the aircraft during the rebuilt at Duxford were:
  - fuselage re-skinned at the rear end to correct its profile
  - engine bearers refurbished
  - fully overhauled Rolls Royce Merlin 35 has been fitted
  - three-blade Dowty propeller built up
  - wings were assembled in HFL’s jigs
  - genuine gunsight and IFF transmitter unit installed
• In 2006 it was given the colours of 249 Sqn based at Takali in Malta during 1943 with code T-B (identical to the markings of Spitfire JK879). Notice the "Saint" motif on the port fuselage side.
• The aircraft is the only flying Spitfire with deep chin cowl associated with the Vokes air filter used for desert duty

The only thing left for us now to explore was the shop. We definitely didn't come out empty handed.

With the spotter mobile loaded we headed out on the road bound for Manchester. The “loop” I mentioned earlier was a U-turn at junction 15 on A1 after having missed the exit to the A14 just outside Huntingdon. We doubled back on B1043, stopped at a petrol station to restock our supply of water bottles and returned along the B1043 to Huntingdon.

During our trip south along B1043 we passed the F-5E gate guardian outside the former US Air Base Alconbury. This air base was the site for the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing with 1st Tac Recon Sqn (RF-4), a U-2 Sqn and 527th Aggressor Sqn. Later 10 Tac Fighter Wing with A-10s were the occupants. The Americans closed the base in 1999. The airfield is now used as an industrial park and for container storage.

Anyway, we found the correct way out of Little Stukeley and even the A14. As we passed Kettering George Formby was singing "They Can't Fool Me" from the good old days. The Sunday roast had to wait until the Stafford Services on the M6. After dinner we had 45 miles to cover before we parked outside our hotel at Manchester Airport. The next day would smell more of jet fuel, not avgas as the previous two days.