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Battle of Britain Air Show 2022 |
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Part 2 |
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Text: |
Urs
Schnyder |
Pictures: |
Urs Schnyder &
Michael E. Fader |
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Czech Helicopter Demonstration |
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Unusually the Czech Air
Force sent two helicopters, a Mi-171 Hip and a Mi-35 Hind. They first
performed together, while the Hind later gave a solo display. The Hind
is in special colours to commemorate No 311 Squadron, a Czech bomber
unit of the RAF, flying Wellingtons and Liberators during the war.
The Czechs of course played
a role in the Battle of Britain with No. 310 Squadron the first Czech
squadron forming at Duxford in July 1940. It was therefore fitting
that the Czechs made the last showing of these types before retirement
here at Duxford. |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
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Bearcat & Corsair |
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The Corsair and Bearcat were
the most powerful naval Fighters of the day, having finally the same
performance as land based fighters.
The Corsair was first
carrier qualified by the Royal Navy and used on its carriers. The
Bearcat came too late so see action in the war and therefore never
served in its intended role as by that time the jet had started to make
their mark. |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
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Vought Corsair
Mk. IV (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Vought Corsair
Mk. IV (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Vought Corsair
Mk. IV (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
Vought Corsair
Mk. IV (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder) |
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Grumman F8F-2P
Bearcat (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Grumman F8F-2P
Bearcat (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Grumman F8F-2P
Bearcat (Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
Grumman F8F-2P
Bearcat (Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
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Supermarine Spitfire XVI |
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The Aircraft was built as a
Spitfire Mk XVI and server in the RAF until 1953. It then spent 35 years
as a gate guardian before it was restored to flying condition and sold
to the US. After a fatal crash it was brought back to Britain and
restored as a Mk IX. Unusually it is painted in the colours of the US
309th Fighter Squadron in the Mediterranean.
An interesting feature are
two signatures on the pilots entry door. According to the owner, they
are from two Spitfire pilots that served in Burma. At the time of their
visit they were 95 and 102 years old! |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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1938 Fighters |
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The formation was composed
of four aircraft that were in service or developed in the last year of
peace, the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I, the Hawker Hurricane Mk.I, the
Curtiss Hawk 75 and the Grumman Wildcat in British service known as the
Martlet.
While the Spitfire and
Hurricane came just in time to save Britain, the Curtiss was already
obsolete at the beginning of the war, it was used in numbers by the
French. The Wildcat became one of the great naval fighters in service
with the US Navvy and the Royal Navy. |
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(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Grumman Wildcat
VI (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Grumman Wildcat
VI (Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
Grumman Wildcat
VI (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Hawker Hurricane Mk.I, (Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I, (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I (Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
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Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Curtiss Hawk 75 (Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
Curtiss Hawk 75 (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Tiger 9 |
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The
Tiger 9 Display Team announced themselves proudly as the only aerobatic team in Britain
displaying with 9 aircraft. This of course was a punch at the RAF’s
aerobatic team the Red Arrows who currently only fly with seven
aircraft.
The Tiger Moth is of course
an extremely light aircraft and they had to fight the partly strong wind
to stay in Formation. The team was originally founded in 2005. The
pilots come from all walks of life to fly this historic aircraft. |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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De Havilland Vampire |
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The Norwegian Vampire had
been stationed at Britain since spring, when it took part in the filming
of “The Shepherd”. Many of the Norwegian
squadrons were of course also formed during the war as RAF squadrons and
continued after the war when they were integrated into the Norwegian air
force. |
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(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Beech 17 Staggerwing |
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After quite a while it was
nice to see the Beech Staggerwing back at Duxford. The Beech Model 17
was first built before the war as an executive transport. Both the
examples flying were built during the war and flew with the Royal Navy
and the US Army Air Force respectively. |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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Duxford Wing aka
Balbo |
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The big finale of the
airshow was to be a recreation of the Duxford big Wing as advocated and
used by No. 12 Group.
Sixteen Spitfires and four
Hurricanes took to the air for their big wing formation. On Saturday
however the weather pulled one of its antics and started such a massive
downpour that the formation had to circle for about 20 minutes off site
until the rain had cleared. No mean feat to keep formation for that
long. After two flypasts in Big Wing formation they reformed into a
Balbo formation before coming in to break and land. As The Balbo was
running in, the National Anthem was played in Honour of the late Queen.
The Sunday fortunately
stayed dry and the formation could proceed without waiting. |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
The Joker (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Hawker Hurricane (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
Hawker Sea
Hurricane (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
The Joker (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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The Joker (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
The Joker (Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture
courtesy Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
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(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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(Picture courtesy
Michael E. Fader) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
(Picture courtesy
Urs Schnyder) |
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We would like to thank
Hannah Llewellyn Jones from IWM for providing press facilities. |
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