Grumpy Old Modeller

Wanderings

Son et Lumiere

Looking to post a first report on my recent visit to the US East Coast, I found that I've put nothing in this section since my comments on last year's Oshkosh; time being of the essence, and following a brief saga over the photos from the trip, here's a very quick entry with three photos, and the promise - all right, the firm intention - to expand it very soon. The opening event was an air show at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, home of the AV-8B, divided in to two parts; an evening display on the Friday with flying starting at dusk followed by two more usual daytime displays over the weekend; on Sunday we went to a "Warbird" occasion at Virginia Beach.

The Blue Angels' "Fat Albert" opened the night event with an impressive take-off and climb away in to the darkening sky but, alas, without the sheets of flame formerly provided by the "Jato" bottles; the story we heard was that the bottles, or some necessary part of them, can no longer be made. There were fireworks from a microlight and a helcopter - this was named "Otto", but when I suggested its full name was probably "Otto Rotate" no one believed me - but for me the real event of the evening was a really tight formation display by the four Texans of the Aeroshell team, illuminated as you see in the photo. My attempts to take a shot of them in the air were unsuccessful, but to me they seemed as close as in their daytime show, and they really are very good; and for me the sound of four T-6s, carrying whichever name, is second only to that of multiple Merlins. One of the goodies on show was an F/A-18G Growler - this seems to be the official, rather than the nick-, name - in operational unit markings, those of VAQ-129 Vikings, and with assorted lumps which will I trust appear in resin shortly. The Saturday display included a "role demonstration" which required an attack on the airfield using as much Marine Air hardware as possible and a considerable number of flashes and bangs; I'll get back to it and the particular delight it gave me in these pages, and it should also find its way in to a forthcoming "Sector Scan" in Military Aircraft Monthly (I refuse to be" International"). And here's another Forthcoming Attraction, and I promise she's aviation related...

It seems - no, it is - quite a while since I returned from my US trip, but before I get to the UK shows, let me re-introduce you to Spitfire, the Hangar Cat at the Fighter Factory near Virginia Beach and a couple of her charges.

The Storch was virtually ready for flight, waiting I think for paperwork, when we saw it; but I would really like to see the MiG-3 in th air someday - waht a coup that would be for Flying Legends. And of course there would always be room for another Spitfire .

Meanwhile, back in Blighty....

Shuttleworth's 4th of July display was billed, very reasonably, as an American Air Day, and one of its delights was the F-86A Sabre which, we're told fairly regularly, is due to return to the USA. I have a very soft spot for the 86, and I shall be very sorry not to be able to see its smoky trail when it's gone. That apart, while there wasn't much American military involvement on the day there were a few splendid civil citributions, notably a pair - in the UK, the pair - of Spartan 7W Executives. One was flown as part of the display, the pilot taking full advantage of the Old Warden curved display line to show off his mount's elegant shape, notably the vey distinctive rake of the wing tips. both wer immaculately finished. the polished metal of the one that flew, NC17633,being seriously shiny; the contrast with the fabric-covered but equally immaculate control surfaces was very evident. I really should check to see if there's a Dujin resin kit, though deciding which of the two to build would be a real Captain Indescisive moment, or several. NC17615's scheme featured an Art Deco framing to the windows that would require, but reply, some serious hand-painting, but probably I shall be spared the choosing by the non-availability of a kit. I went to talk to the pilot following his display to tell him how much I'd enjoyed it, and was surprisd to be introduced to the very amiable owner, resulting in a long and fascinating conversation which would have convinced me to buy at least one if I thought my gold card would have taken the strain. It's such a handsome aircraft from an era, and a category, that fascinates me. And there were a pair of Wacos, but even they took second place on this occasion to the Spartan pair. I had thought that the open cockpit one was one of the "Classic Waco" line currently in production, but it's a genuine early 40s aircraft. All in all it was an excellent occasion, and quite a lot of it was blessed by that rare visitor this summer, a blue sky!

Legends

Even though this year's Flying Legends seemed at the time to be a bit smaller that in preious years, it still seemed to me at the time, and now in retrospect, the best display I'm likely to see in Europe this year, though with the Duxford BoB display yet to come I may have to reconsider in ten days time. It opened with eight Spitfires, six in close formation - though Five does seem a little wide in this picture - and two having the time of their lives tailchasing across and around the airfield, usually while the formation was manoeuvering and repositiong but occasionally undermeath them as they passed overhead. I was one of those displays that makes you think that the drivers (airframe) should be paying us for providing them with an audience! They will surely be back for the September show, but the item thad held me, and I suspect all the aviation enthusiasts spellbound may not reappear for some time. This should have been billed in the programme as "Ahh! Sir Sydney", a trio of his beautiful biplanes in immaculate and colourful finishes; I have for long enthused over the sound of multiple Merlins, with the occasional Griffon assist, but the three Kestrels produced a magic of their own. They war part of a segment of the display that covered British aircraft of the 'thirties, and the other participant of that era that first caught my eye and then rather astonished me was the Mew Gull. The shape isn't unfamiliar, and it started its display with two or three fast and low passes, which I expected; what did startle me was its subsequent very sprightly routine.

The commentary for the afternoon was partly provided by Bernard Chabbert, who has now done this several times for Legends, though this year I didn't see his Lockheed 12. He is knowledgeable, entertaining and witty, and puts most of the British commentators I hear on the UK air show circuit to shame. As with so much of 2010, the material available from which to build an air display seems a little less than last year, bur this was still very enjoyable, and is still a guaranteed highlight of my year. Now for September's Spitfires.