A small building next to a hangar tells the story of Duxford airfield.
It became a training airfield in 1918 and 126 pupils became pilots here but 13 of them were killed in accidents.
In 1924 the role of Duxford changed. It became part of the UK air defense as a fighter station. These were good days and the RAF was sometimes described as “the best flying club in the world”. Darker days were however waiting around the corner…
I visited one of the old classic Duxford hangars and found a lot in it…
…like this description of a fantastic project. After WWII Ralph Nelson took an old Blenheim Mk I nose and turned it into a small electric car. Today that car is turned into a nose section of the worlds only flying Blenheim Mark I bomber (using a Canadian-built Bolingbroke airframe)! I sponsored the project and got tickets that may give me a ride in that Blenheim. Hold thumbs for me!
One of those beautiful 1930’s aircraft – the Hawker Fury.
A cockpit section of a Japanese Zero fighter. This aircraft was captured by the allied and used for air testing.
Something more modern – a Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer.
In another hangar I found a mixture of aircraft, from full flying condition to different…
…stages of “soon to fly” condition.
A beautiful de Havilland Dragon Rapide…
…and a Fairey Firefly with a Swedish history… I think it is up for restoration very soon!
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