Under a grey sky, the 2019 edition of the Flying Legends-75 D-Day started with a Scramble-Scramble. This was the term used for the very young pilot’s running to their aircraft to get airborne as quickly as possible to face the enemy..... very few returned.
This scramble was beautifully revived during the opening of the Flying Legends with a Spitfire Scramble of nine Spitfire's performing tail-chases and fly-past for the audience, which as always at one of these terrific events, appeared in very large numbers.
RAF Duxford was a part of the scenery for the filming of The Battle of Britain film. The next fly-over in the Flying Legends edition of 2019 was a tribute to that the movie with five Buchon’s who brought us back in the years where pilots feared the Buchon’s.
The Boeing B-17 G ”Sally B”, is the leading aircraft in the bomber Escort, B-17 Flying Fortress G-BEDF. Sally B is the last remaining airworthy B-17 in Europe and based at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford and flies under the colour scheme of the USAAF 447th Bomb Group. The B-17 G ”Sally B” was escorted by two P51 Mustangs also played their part in the Bomber Escort.
The Classic formation, a beautiful formation of four aircrafts, three Beech 18’s and one DC-3 and owner of Hugo Mathys from The classic Formation in Switzerland. The only thing you can say about the Swiss is that this all happened with great precision.
Brothers in arms, The Curtiss Trio, a formation of three aircrafts from the Curtiss Wright Corporation. Built in 1939, the manufactured Curtiss H-75 powered with a one Pratt and Whitney R-1830-925 engine has a exceptional colour scheme from the Armée de l’air Lafayette Escadrille with the Sioux Indian head .The Curtiss-Wright Warhawk P40F delivered in a desert colour scheme “Lees Hope” from the 85th Fighter Squadron and 79th Fighter Group, this Warhawk P40F was powered by one Rolls Royce Merlin 500 engine. “The Fighter Collection’s” Merlin-engined P-40F is one of only two left airworthy anywhere in the world. Last, but not least, the very nicely polished Curtiss- Wright P.40C was finished with the Army Air Corps Technical School colour scheme and powered with an Allison C15-33 engine.
The Battle of Britain formation with the Blenheim, Lysander and three Spitfire’s. The Bristol Blenheim is a truly unique aircraft and was a milestone in the history of British aviation as the first stressed skin aeroplane accepted by the RAF. After 25,000 man hours and help of a lot of volunteers The Blenheim Mk1 fly again and brings the glory of the past in contemporary airshows.
The “Lizzie” or otherwise known as The Westland Lysander, is a British army co-operation and liaison aircraft produced by Westland used immediately before and during the Second World War. This exceptional aircraft performance clandestine missions using small, improvised airstrips behind enemy lines to place or recover agents, particularly in France.
The Ultimate Fighters a flying quartet of iconic piston-engines fighters to perform battle formation.
The UltimateFighters Team is making its air show debut at The Flying legends air show 2019. Leading the formation is Jon Gowdy in the P-47 D Thunderbolt, the No 2 in the formation is for Dave Puleston in a Spitfire, the HA-1112- M1L Buchon in the hands of Richard Grace and No 4 Andy Durston have the controls of the TF-51D Mustang.
Naval Tribute with Goodyear Corsair and Grumman Bearcat F8F. The first service for the Corsair was with the US Marine Corps operating from makeshift land bases across the Pacific, and it was not until later that she was operated from aircraft carriers initially with the British Fleet Air Arm. The Corsair proved to be a formidable air superiority fighter during World War II when she was the scourge of the skies across the Pacific and continued to deliver sterling service in later years during the Korean War. The Bearcat was designed and manufactured by Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation in response to the US Navy’s request in the latter war years for a fast responsive fighter to be deployed in the Pacific Theatre. The Catalina make its first flight in 1935 as a long-range patrol bomber and anti-submarine warfare, convoy protection and as an air-sea rescue aircraft. The Catalina was built in Canada in 1943, serving the Royal Canadian Air Force on anti-submarine patrols. In 2004 it arrived at IWM Duxford and wears now and overall white livery with the markings of the 5th Emergency Rescue Squadron based at Halesworth in Suffolk.
The Flying Legends D-Day Tribute with the C-47 N147DC “Mayfly”, C-47 A “That’s All, Brother”and DC-3 N877MG and flanked by two L-4 Cubs.
The AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers breathtaking sequence of acrobatics and handstands. In their modified Boeing Stearmansused by the team have had the control column removed from the front cockpits to allow the wing walkers to climb up and on to the wing. The engines are powerful 450hp radials to compensate for the extra drag produced by the wingwalkers, and the aircraft feature an extra pair of ailerons on the upper wing to give a greater roll-rate. As the ladies perform their routine, the pilots fly a series of loops, rolls and stall runs up to speeds of 150 mph while pulling from +4G to -2G. This transforms the aircraft into a ‘Super Stearman’ capable of electrifying barnstorming displays.
For the well-known Balbo Final formation and 'The Joker', the C-47 presented Solo demo in honor of D-Day.
