Battle of Britain at Duxford

Flying Legends 2013

Text:	Urs Schnyder
Pictures:	Urs Schnyder

It’s the second weekend in July and again time for flying legends! And for the first time in years, the weather forecast promised fantastic weather. And so it was, the whole weekend blessed with sunshine and there were no clouds anywhere in sight. This year saw the 21st time that Flying Legends took place. The first airshow was only a one day affair on the bank holiday in May 1993. Already one year later in 1994 it was a two day event and has been ever since. When it was first held it was something completely new because up to then there were no airshows featuring only propeller driven warbirds.
From that beginning it has become the premier warbirds show of Europe if not the world. Every year there are new aircraft, many from other European countries, some even from the US which are brought over, sometimes just for this event. The driving force behind Flying Legends has been Stephen Grey the owner of the Fighter Collection. This year he celebrated his 75th birthday and gave his last public display. For many years he had flown the Joker role during the time that the Balbo assembled at the end of the show, flying his Bearcat.

The Bremont Horsemen

Bremont Horsemen Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Bremont Horsemen Supermarine Spitfires running up (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Bremont Horsemen Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Bremont Horsemen Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Bremont Horsemen Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Bremont Horsemen Supermarine Spitfires (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Bremont Horsemen Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V landing (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Stephen Grey Rolling for the last display (Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat) (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Where to start in describing the action is difficult since words are rather inadequate in describing what happened. So the following is a summary of the program without keeping to the sequence of the actual show. The first thing to see is the flightline, with all the aircraft lined up along the taxiway. As always, lots of people take the chance to see the aircraft close up. The planes are however still far enough from the crowd to permit everyone to take pictures without spectators obstructing the view.
This year the show was started with the display of Stephen Grey in his Bearcat. It was his last public performance because he had handed over the Joker role in which he displayed while the Balbo was assembling, to his son Nick. This year brought another first. The Bremont Horsemen gave an aerobatic display flying 3 Spitfires, two of them Mk.I and one a Mk.V. This was the first time that an Aerobatic display with 3 Spitfires has taken place since WW2. It hopefully wasn’t the only occasion. If the Red Arrows ever need a replacement aircraft, this is it.

Spifire and Bouchon

Supermarine Spitfires ready to take off (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Casa Boucon (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Casa Boucon Tailchase (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Supermarine Spitfires and Casa Bouchon (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Casa Boucon (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Spitfire flying Tailchase(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. 9 Two seater (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. 16 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

What would Flying Legends be without the Spitfires and Hispano Buchon ( Me 109) tail chases. No less than 7 Spitfires and 2 Buchons took to the sky and gave it a go. Impressive also the Hawker flight of a Hurricane, Demon and two Nimrods. The Hurricane Mk. II came over from France, where it is now stationed after having spent many years in New Zealand. It was in fact only brought back to Europe by its present owner this year. It represents a Hurricane that flew during the Battle of France.
No less then four Curtiss fighters were in the air together. He Hawk 75 in French colours represented the radial engined fighter planes. The P-40B as it looked at the time of pearl Harbour. The P-40F is another rare Machine, only about 100 were built with the Merlin instead of the Allison engine. And the end of development is represented by the P-40N which came over from France.
Much news also concerning the Mustangs. The P-51C just came over from the US this year, While the P-51D Moonbeam Mc Swine was displayed for the first time at Flying Legends. It is owned by Frédéric Akary who is an Air France Captain. Both Aircraft carry the scheme of the 352nd FS. They were both flown by Lt. Wisner during two different operational tours while flying from England during WW2.

Hawker

Hawker Hurricane Mk. II (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Hurricane Mk. I (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Hurricane Mk.II (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Hurricane Mk. II (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Nimrod (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Demon (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Nimrod (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Demon (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Flight (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Nimrod (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Demon (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Flight (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Demon (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Curtins Hawk 75 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Curtiss P-40N Kittyhawk (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Curtins P-40B Tomahawk (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Curtiss P-40F Kittyhawk (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Mustang

North American P-51D Mustang (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

North American P-51B and D Mustang (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

North American P-51B Mustang (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Battle of Britain

Battle of Britain Avro Lancaster an a Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Hurricane Mk. II (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Gloster Gladiator

Another sight not seen since the thirties were two Gloster Gladiators flying in Formation. The newly restored TFC Gladiator in 72 Squadron colours and the Shuttleworth Gladiator in 73 Squadron colours gave an impression of the colourful years when the RAF was the best flying club in the world.

Gloster Gladitor Mk.I (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Naval Aviation

Naval aviation was represented by the F4U-4 of the flying Bulls and the Sea Fury of Spitfire Warbirds. It is always impressive what figures the Sea Fury draws into the sky with its special smoke generators.
The Royal Navy was present with its Hawker Sea Fury and the Swordfish. A sad view this year without its tailwheel which had broken off and therefore prevented it from taking part in the flying. Another pair were the Avenger and Wildcat which flew again after some overhauls had kept it grounded.

Grumman Wildcat Mk.IV (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Grumman TBM-3 Avenger (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Vought F4U-4 Corsair (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Sea Fury T.20 Royal Navy (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 Royal Navy (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Hawker Sea Fury T.11 Royal Navy (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Stephen Greys last display (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

After the last display (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Jak "Fighters"

Jakowlew Jak-9 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

The Jak fighters are now regular performers at Flying Legends with a Jak-3, Jak-9 and Jak-11 flying passes very low over the field. This is really impressive and shows them in their element since most air fighting on the eastern front took place at low level. The question is always how low will they go.
A bit slower were the observation aircraft represented by a Lysander, Fieseler Storch and no less then 3 Piper Cubs. The Lysander is actually a sepecial operations type which were used to drop and pick up agents in enemy held territory at night. The Storch impressed with its slow flying ability. With a bit of a headwind it actually manages to hover in the same position. The Piper Cubs represented the US observation and communication aircraft that were also used by commanders as an aerial taxi.
Civil aviation transport of the thirties were the Junkers Ju-52 of Lufthansa and the Norwegian DC-3. Whereas the Junkers seemed to sail trough the sky in some comfort and without haste, the DC-3 seemed to be the opposite. One could think there was a fighter pilot at the controls the way it did wingovers and other figures. It is probably a good thing that there were no passengers on board.

Jakowlew Jak-3 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Jakowlew Jak-9 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Jakowlew Jak-11 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Aerostars Jakowlew Jak-50 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

And some others

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress "Sally B" (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder )

Douglas DC-3 Dakota (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Junkers Ju-52 Tante Ju (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Piper L-4 Cub (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder

De Havilland Dhj-82 Moth (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Westland Lysander (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

North American T-6 Harvard(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Bücker Bü-131 Jungmann (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Bücker Bü-131 Jungmann(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Fieseler Fi-156 Storch (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Morane and Balboo

Last to display and finally in genuine Swiss Air Force colours after wearing some bogus French scheme for many years was the Morane D3801. This is a swiss development of the well known Morane Saulnier MS406. It has a more powerful Saurer engine, different propeller and most noticeable a tunnel radiator. The wings are also slightly different from the MS406 in that it doesn’t have the wing bulges of the French original.
And then for the final mass take off where all airworthy aircraft take part to form the Balbo which is such a unique feature of Flying Legends. While the aircraft assemble for the flypast in the Balbo which takes some time for such a number of planes, it is time for the Joker.As already mentioned, Stephen Grey had handed this role over to his son. And Nick Grey really made his mark by the selection of aircraft. He elected to fly the Gladiator which made for a difference to the Bearcat from all the previous years. Personally I like this choice of aircraft as it is somehow fitting the environment of Duxford, remembering the thirties. The Gladiators exit marked the arrival of the Balbo which did two flypasts after which the Aircraft flew over the airfield in sections for the final break and landing.
And another Flying Legends airshow passes into history. Fantastic weather drew a lot of spectators to make it a success. The only thing that remains is to plan again for July of next year when it is time again for Flying Legends.

I would like to thank Esther Blaine and her team for providing press facilities and support.

Morane D3801 (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Gloster Gladitor Mk.I the Joker (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Balbo (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

Balbo break fo landing (Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder)

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