Ye Olde Classic Aeroplane spotting thread...

Mon 19 Sep 2022, 18:00

It wasn't flying very fast, just mooching southerly ... may not fast enough for the supercharger's high notes to register. Two-seater ? Did they lengthen the body at all? Saw it from directly below so not a hint of a side elevation. Successfully destroyed an enemy aircraft on 6th June? Quite a rare distinction, as under the impression the Luftwaffe mounted few aerial sorties that day. How far from any of the invasion beaches saw any presence or were they intercepted miles away?

 I'm named after a close friend of my Father in the Canadian 2nd Army who didn't come back from Normandy, so I've always taken a sort of Memorial interest in D-Day et al. My "Wren" mother was doing aerial photos that day from a constant stream of PRU's landing back in Sussex having flown back at maximum permissible power settings from the beachheads. 

Mon 19 Sep 2022, 16:57

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX

Registration: G-LFIX

Operator: Air Leasing Ltd

Year of Manufacture: 1944

Powered by: Rolls Royce Merlin

Colour scheme: 485 Squadron RAF (D-Day)

​

The Grace Spitfire ML407 was originally built at Castle Bromwich in early 1944 as a single seat fighter and served in the front line of battle throughout the last twelve months of World War II.

ML407 flew a total of 176 operational combat sorties amassing an impressive total of 319 combat hours.

Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton DFC who was accredited, whilst flying ML407, with the first enemy aircraft shot down over the Normandy beachhead on 6th June D-Day. ML407 was converted in 1950 to the two seat configuration for the Irish Air Corps as an advanced trainer.

Design Engineer Nick Grace acquired ML407 in late 1979 from the Strathallan Museum and spent five years meticulously restoring the Spitfire to flying condition.

After Nick Graces untimely death in a car accident Carolyn Grace took up the gauntlet of keeping this aircraft flying and now the next generation, being Richard Grace is not only maintaining the aircraft but is flying the aircraft just as his late father had done.

Mon 19 Sep 2022, 10:22

G-LFIX flew over Charlbury a few times yesterday including around 6pm. (Supermarine Spitfire mk.IX)

https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/g-lfix#2d83a4e0

Mon 19 Sep 2022, 08:48

Yes I saw it. I don't think it was a real Spitfire, most likely a scaled down one. 

Sun 18 Sep 2022, 19:02

At about 6-6.20pm an elliptical winged Spitfire. Engine really didn't sound like a RR Merlin. Someone into aviation coincidentally visiting said something about Lord Rothermore having one...??? Now was it a Griffon engined Spit, or am I mis-hearing it, or one of the 5/6 scale "models" they are supposed to be making? Anyone else see it?

Sun 17 Jul 2022, 14:19 (last edited on Sun 17 Jul 2022, 22:35)

Very little non-light civilian air buzzing above town - they must be circuiting and stacking 'planes for Fairford elsewhere. We were in Witney yesterday picking up my daughter's shopping bike (i.e basket and rack) from the Windrush Cycles cooperative community project (plug - good people!) and there we could hear a lot of jet engines but no sign of their aircraft visually.

Still, I've now seen the simple or partial elliptical wing of a P47. Nothing like as pretty as the double ellipse - leading and trailing edge both used an ellipse - of the Spitfire wing.

Fri 15 Jul 2022, 13:22

Perhaps the planes we saw yesterday were associated with the Farnborough Air Show which starts Monday,  and with Fairford starting tomorrow we got the preview. 

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 20:57 (last edited on Thu 14 Jul 2022, 21:46)

In reply to Malcolms question (Where are the Red Arrows based), they are based at currently at RAF Scampton - the home of 617 Squadron aka The Dambusters.  I have reason to believe that the Red Arrows are moving to RAF Waddington just south of Lincoln.  They were  based at RAF Rissington near Bourton on the Water and used to frequent the Inn for All Seasons on the A40 near Burford heading towards Northlech,  when I worked there in the early 80s there was quite a few signed photos on the the wall in the bar. 

On my travels up the A15 that passes Scampton, I have seen many practise exercises over the Lincolnshire Wolds, very impressive.

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 20:03

I remember Shorts Skyvans at Shoreham, shortly after coming over from Canada. There were a few in a line at times. A classic British marketting failure, they were so useful according to the guys at the airfield. Should have sold thousands. Thanks Mr Heath and his moneygrubbing grocery.

Its been nearly 50 years. Amazing they are still in the air - metal fatigue etc. Or like the DC3/Dakota awarded an unlimited airframe life being over-engineered to the point no friggin' bean counter would countenance in our "modern" age...

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 18:03

The two jets circling this morning with the Sky Van were F-22 Raptors. Very distinctive twin tail and very impressive.

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 17:53

Spent way too much time in this today! https://www.flightradar24.com/EA50/2ca50d67

The multiple Red Arrows passes were a treat. 

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 17:49

Spent way too much time in this today! https://www.flightradar24.com/EA50/2ca50d67

The multiple Red Arrows passes were a treat. 

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 17:39

Hard to see if this morning's two combat jets were struggling to fly as slowly as the 'camera man' or whether it was desperately trying to reach their minimum speed. Either way, the two passes over Cby were worth seeing. So too the low flying P47 at lunchtime.

The 'two Typhoons' did 10 circuits over Witney at 4.00 pm, followed by the two display teams (that Richard referred to); seven in each team, one hard behind the other and accompanied by a pair and a singleton. I saw them do two circuits then had to head for home.

5.00pm and seven bright red aircraft passed over Charlbury and it was probably the same group that immediately passed over twice more but I couldn't get outside quick enough. I would not have thought the 5.00 pm group were in the 17 referred to earlier. I didn't see the same bright red in Witney. 

Caution before you give the credit to Fairford for today's flying display. I think it was surely a nice gesture by our man in Westminster - after all, he is the minister for aviation.  My only complaint is that I don't know whether to run to the front or back of the house to see and I'm making the wrong call too often.

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 17:33

Ah the Pink Skyvan! Flightradar24 picked up quite a variety of craft today from Italy Spain and Eastern Europe. 

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 17:19

What do the Koreans fly?

When you said "Typhoons" I was just about to say that there are none flying and don't know if any survived the Big Aluminium Cruncher in 1945 at all. No recollection of seeing any static display.

But of course was forgetting. I'm surprised the Tiffy's model 2 didn't fall out of the sky at that speed!

I tried to get my son interested in model making years ago, with a Hawk and a Typhoon. Hopeless struggle against computer games.

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 17:18

The others you can't see Malcolm are Italian typhoons.  

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 17:13

17.08 Red Arrows plus a spare just went over westward bound. Keep on hearing other military engine - current complement or classic not known. 17.09 a single Red Arrow Hawk just went past. Surely "he"* hadn't got lost from the formation, or was that the spare and i miscounted the formation?

Where are the RA's based?

* any female Red Arrow crew presently or in past?

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 17:08

It was the South Korean black eagles with the red arrows earlier. I've had a lovely view of everything from my garden the other side of Burford today. 

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 16:55

Who need to go to Fairford when you get the Red Arrows display at Hilltop. As well as other are craft. A real treat. Incase any are reading this,  thank you. 

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 16:45

And there was me thinking the Russians were coming, best put my tin hat and gas mask back in the cupboard.  John H

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 16:38

Yes, a bit noisy up there over Witney at 16:30.  I spotted 14-16 in two formations at one point.  One formation looked to be the Red Arrows.

I also saw what Jan spotted, which I think were a couple of Typhoons going slowly so a pink Sky Van could tag along.  My guess was that it was some sort of photo shoot or filming.

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 16:26

The P47 Thunderbolt was definitely on it own, beetling fast on a fair course to Fairford.

But the air has been full of the full-throated roar of military jets, now at 16.20 as I type more than one (civilian jets/turbofans with high-bypass seem to put a lot of effort into reducing noise around airfields for obvious reasons).

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 15:30

I got a perfect view from the Coop carpark.  No idea what planes they were - large, grey and noisy and seemed to be accompanied by a small aircraft.

Thu 14 Jul 2022, 13:34

Moving out from us old-timer, baby-boomer Airfix Generation talking about just Spitfires, here is the first entry

1.27pm Republican P47 in Invasion stripes. Immediately overhead my garden so no sight if "bubble" canopy or an earlier "razorback" Mark. Anyone get a bit of a side view?

For such a big (47? 48l?) engine it was surprisingly quiet. Moving pretty fast low down!