Category: Videos

Posted on by

Spitfire AR501 Performs Post-Restoration Debut Display [Video]

During their May Evening Airshow on Saturday, the Shuttleworth Collection’s Spitfire Mk VC AR501 returned to the air for its first post-restoration public display.

As previously reported, the aircraft was originally built by Westland Aircraft at Yeovil and was issued to No. 310 (Czech) Squadron in 1942, where it escorted USAAF B-17 and B-24 bombers. Later, it would serve with RAF’s Central Gunnery School before finding use as an instructional airframe at Loughborough College.

AR501 was acquired by the Shuttleworth Collection in 1961 and restored to airworthy condition for the 1968 film The Battle of Britain. It entered the shop once again in 1973 for restoration to its authentic wartime condition, eventually returning to flight in in 1975. The most recent work was initially expected to last only 18 months, but eventually expanded into an extensive overhaul that has seen the aircraft completely dismantled and rebuilt. The result is said to be “95% original.”

Saturday’s flight was performed by pilot Stu Goldspink and marked AR501’s first airshow appearance since 2007. Click below to check it out.

Continue reading Spitfire AR501 Performs Post-Restoration Debut Display [Video]

Posted on by

Brickmania Releases B-17G LEGO Model Kit [Video]

Brickmania has released their impressive, limited edition B-17G LEGO model kit.

As previously reported, the representation of the iconic WW2 bomber includes 3,074 LEGO, and BrickArms elements, 10 custom-printed minifigures, 10 .50 caliber BrickArms machine guns mounted on moving turrets, moving flaps, ailerons, and rudder, retractable landing gear, four bombs with opening bomb bay doors, spinning propellers, a detailed interior, printed elements and a high-quality sticker sheet.

Click below to check out the product page, additional photos and a video overview.

Continue reading Brickmania Releases B-17G LEGO Model Kit [Video]

Posted on by

Mississippi F-86L Sabre Arrives at New Home, Restoration to Follow [Video]

On Tuesday, Chennault Aviation & Military Museum in Monroe, Louisiana welcomed a new arrival in the form of an F-86L Sabre.

The aircraft (S/N 53-01061) is said to have been acquired from a base in Crystal Springs, Mississippi by a local doctor many years back. He transported it to a VFW post along I-55 near Hazlehurst, Mississippi, where it has been on outdoor display since 1968. The post closed about a decade ago and the aircraft has since suffered from vandalism and continued exposure to the elements.

The museum reportedly went through a lengthy approval process in order to receive the Sabre and also launched coordination and fundraising efforts to relocate it. The machine will now be restored on museum grounds and displayed “on certified loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.”

The restoration will be performed by volunteers and is expected to take roughly a year and a half.

Click below to check out local news coverage and photos of its arrival.

Continue reading Mississippi F-86L Sabre Arrives at New Home, Restoration to Follow [Video]

Posted on by

Memphis Belle Unveiled, Warbirds Fly In At USAF Museum [Video]

Yesterday, the newly restored B-17F “Memphis Belle” was unveiled in a private ceremony at the USAF Museum in Dayton.

Today’s exhibit opening occurs on the 75th anniversary of the machine’s 25th and final mission, after which it returned to the US and toured the country to promote war bonds and boost morale. Described as “a national aviation treasure and widely recognized symbol of American bravery and heroism during WWII,” the new permanent, public display in the collection’s WW2 gallery reportedly includes interactive displays, rare archival film footage and many personal artifacts which have never before been on display at the museum.

The opening also saw the arrival of B-17s, P-51s and a trainer which will be on public display until 3:30 today, with a shuttle bus service bringing visitors to the display area. The aircraft are expected to depart around 5pm (UPDATE: The aircraft departed around 2:45 due to weather concerns).

Click below to check out videos of the Memphis Belle’s unveiling as well as an overview of its restoration, warbird arrivals, and an interview with Robert K. Morgan, son of the Belle’s primary pilot during WW2.

Continue reading Memphis Belle Unveiled, Warbirds Fly In At USAF Museum [Video]

Posted on by

USAF Museum’s Memphis Belle Unveiling Festivities Begin With B-17, P-51 Flyover [Video]

Earlier today, three B-17s and five P-51s flew over the USAF Museum in Dayton as festivities get underway for the unveiling of the historic B-17F “Memphis Belle” on Thursday.

The aircraft, which included B-17Gs “Yankee Lady” and “Aluminum Overcast” and B-17G/F “Movie Memphis Belle,” were prevented from landing at the museum due to weather conditions and instead performed as mass flyover which can be seen in the videos below.

As previously reported, the main focus of the three-day celebratory event (May 17-19, 2018) will be the debut of the newly restored Memphis Belle in the museum’s WW2 gallery. In addition, more than 160 WW2 reenactors are expected as well as historic vehicles, memorabilia and artifact displays, music from the era, guest speakers, book signings and films. Continue reading USAF Museum’s Memphis Belle Unveiling Festivities Begin With B-17, P-51 Flyover [Video]

Posted on by

Groundbreaking Ceremony Held For Full-Scale Avro Lancaster Monument [Video]

Earlier today a groundbreaking ceremony was held for a full-scale Avro Lancaster monument that will be placed at Brills Farm adjacent to the A46 on the Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire border.

As previously reported, the 98-foot-tall steel monument, dubbed “On Freedom’s Wings,” was unanimously approved by the North Kesteven District Council last month. The installation will consist of a steel frame mounted on a slim steel support structure to give the impression of flight, and will depict Lancaster R5689 (pictured above) heading home toward the former RAF base at Swinderby Airfield. It is intended “to remind visitors of Lincolnshire’s inextricable link to the RAF and to act as a catalyst for people to visit the many attractions in the county.”

Today’s event was reportedly attended by WW2 Bomber Command veterans, including Dambuster George “Johnny” Johnson, who assisted in the process. Click below to check out video of the groundbreaking as well as photos of a scale model depicting the monument’s proposed design.

Continue reading Groundbreaking Ceremony Held For Full-Scale Avro Lancaster Monument [Video]

Posted on by

Watch Shuttleworth’s New Sopwith Camel Perform Its Debut Display [Video]

On May 6, the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Aerodrome in Bedfordshire held their Season Premiere / RAF Centennial airshow – an event that saw the display debut of their new Sopwith Camel reproduction.

The Clerget-powered aircraft was built from original drawings by Northern Aeroplane Workshops in Batley before being transported to Old Warden, where it was covered and assembled by the Shuttleworth team. The machine wears the colors of D1851, “Ikanopit”, a Ruston Proctor-built Camel that operated with 70 Squadron RAF in 1918.

The aircraft performed its maiden flight in May 2017, becoming the fourth Sopwith type based at the museum (others include a Pup, Triplane and Dove).

The historic flight, performed by Chief Pilot Dodge Bailey, can be seen below, along with footage of a training week flight from April.

Continue reading Watch Shuttleworth’s New Sopwith Camel Perform Its Debut Display [Video]

Posted on by

Newly Restored B-17 “Preston’s Pride” Unveiled [Video]

Following an exterior restoration, B-17 “Preston’s Pride” was unveiled on Saturday in a ceremony at Mefford Field in Tulare, California.

As previously reported, the machine (S/N 44-85738) was originally constructed as a B-17G and delivered to the USAAF in May 1945. It was placed in storage before participating in “Operation Crossroads,” a pair of atomic weapons tests conducted at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands in 1946. From there it moved on to Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio and then the Air Proving Grounds at Eglin AFB in Florida before being struck off charge in August 1958.

Since then it has been on outdoor display in California, serving as a memorial to the 379th Bomb Group. Over the years it was vandalized and damaged in a collision with a runaway truck and was in desperate need of attention. B-17 Archaeology stepped in and not only worked to return the exterior to a factory fresh appearance, but have also been compiling the history of the aircraft, which is the last surviving B-17 from Operation Crossroads. Continue reading Newly Restored B-17 “Preston’s Pride” Unveiled [Video]

Posted on by

Temporary Home Sought For Restored Harrier That Won 1969 Transatlantic Race

A temporary home is being sought for a newly restored Harrier with a historic past.

The aircraft (XV741) won the transatlantic race from London to New York in 1969, an event held by the Daily Mail to commemorate the original 1919 flight by Alcock and Brown. Departing from a coalfield near St. Pancras, RAF test pilot Tom Lecky-Thompson flew the machine to the Empire State Building in 6 hrs 11 mins and 57 seconds.

XV741 was recently restored by Jet Art Aviation, Ltd. in a process that included the removal of 17 layers of paint. The aircraft is reportedly being kept in a hangar just south of York, and while it does have an eventual home, the owner would like the jet to be placed on public display “in a suitable museum environment so the aircraft and restoration work can be enjoyed by the public, especially for the 50th anniversary of the race next year.”

A loan period of up to 3 years would be considered.

Click below to check out recent restoration updates.

Continue reading Temporary Home Sought For Restored Harrier That Won 1969 Transatlantic Race

Posted on by

F4U-5N Corsair F-AZEG Returns to the Air Following Decade-Long Restoration [Video]

F4U-5N Corsair F-AZEG has performed its first post-restoration flight following nearly 10 years of work.

As previously reported, the aircraft (B/N 124724) was originally constructed in 1951 and delivered to the US Navy in September of that year. In 1952, it was assigned to VC-3 and went on to operate from USS Valley Forge and USS Boxer before returning to the US in 1953.

In 1956 the Corsair was delivered to Honduras and saw action in the “Soccer War” with El Salvador, operating with Fuerza Area Hondurena as FAH 600. After retirement from active service, the aircraft passed through the hands of a number of owners before being acquired by Jean Salis’ Les Casques de Cuir collection based in La Ferté-Alais, France in 1986.

The machine’s return to the air caps off a restoration process that began in 2008. Click below to check out video of the historic occasion.

Continue reading F4U-5N Corsair F-AZEG Returns to the Air Following Decade-Long Restoration [Video]