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BBMF Announces Lancaster Tour to Commemorate Dambusters Anniversary

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) has announced that it will take its Avro Lancaster aloft for a commemorative tour to mark 75th anniversary of the Dambusters raid and the 100th anniversary of the RAF.

The event, currently scheduled for May 16, will reportedly see Lancaster PA474 fly over the Dambusters’ original base at RAF Scampton before proceeding down the Derwent Valley to the Rolls Royce Factory at Derby and finally Eyebrook Reservoir. The aircraft will reportedly perform two passes of the valley over the Derwent Dam starting at 12:05pm.

Known as “Operation Chastise,” the Dambusters raid saw 19 Lancasters of 617 Squadron attack a number of German dams, resulting in severe flooding that destroyed or damaged power stations, factories and mines. The dams of the Derwent Valley and Eyebrook Reservoir were among the practice sites used in preparation for the raid.

The routes that will be used to witness the flight are expected to be congested and information has been released here and here to aid those wishing to attend.

(via BBMF Photo: Mark Harkin via Wikimedia Commons)

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Mars Models Announces Development of 1/144 Tu-4 Bomber

Mars Models has announced the development of a Tupolev Tu-4 in 1/144 scale.

The Tu-4 was a Soviet strategic bomber that is essentially an unlicensed, reverse engineered copy of the B-29 Superfortress. It performed its maiden flight in 1947 and went on to serve until the 1960s, during which time a number of variants were produced for long-range bombing, transport and passenger-carrying duties.

Details about the Mars kit are nonexistent at the moment, although renderings have been released. Click below to check out an additional example.

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Restored Vickers-Supermarine Seafire PP972 Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

Vickers-Supermarine 358 Seafire LF.IIIC PP972/G-BUAR has hit the market.

The aircraft is said to be one of only three remaining airworthy Seafires in the world and the only Merlin-powered Seafire to see combat. It was originally built under contract by Westland Aircraft, Ltd. in 1944 and was assigned to 809 (Naval) Squadron, which was deployed to the Far East and participated in Operations Dracula, Bishop, Balsam and Zipper.

In 1946 the machine was assigned to 767 (Naval) Squadron, part of No.1 Operational Flying School at RNAS Easthaven, before being transferred to the French Navy, where it served with No.1 Flottille at Hyeres.

The aircraft was reportedly restored to airworthy condition by Air Leasing, Ltd. from 2012-2015 and now represents a Seafire of 880 (Naval) Squadron Serving aboard HMS Implacable. The airframe, engine and propeller are said to have amassed a total of 15 hours since ground-up professional restoration/overhaul.

The machine is currently based in the UK and is said to be accompanied by “complete documentation of all work and updates per current CAA Regulations.” Seller must be contacted for pricing details. Click here to check out the complete listing.

(Photo: Alan Wilson via Wikimedia Commons)

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World’s Only “Big Tail” SR-71 Undergoes Repaint

The Air Force Armament Museum located at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida is in the process of repainting their SR-71 Blackbird.

The aircraft, SR-71A S/N 61-7959, was completed in 1965 and, in 1975, was modified with a nine-foot boom on its aft end carrying Electronic Countermeasures and an Optical Bar Camera. The result earned the machine the moniker “Big Tail” and it would remain the only example of the type to be fitted with the modification, as tests revealed that the equipment provided no marked advantage. The aircraft performed its last flight in 1976, being placed in outdoor storage before being moved to its current home in 1991.

The repainting process is reportedly being carried out with brush and rollers and, as of this writing, prep work has been completed and primer application is in progress. When complete, the machine will reportedly retain its signature black finish.

Click below to check out photos of the progress.

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Newly Restored Bf 109 G-6 Performs First Post-Restoration Flight [Video]

Yesterday, Messerschmitt BF-109G-6 D-FMGS performed its first post-restoration flight from Heringsdorf Airport with pilot Klaus Plasa at the controls.

The Daimler Benz 605A-powered aircraft (S/N 440738) was built by Wiener Neustädter Flugzeugwerke in 1944 and is said to be the only original, airworthy example of the type in existence. It served with Jagdgeschwader 27 and crashed on May 29, 1944, being recovered for a restoration project that commenced in Austria in 2007. In 2013, the machine was acquired by Air Fighter Academy of Zirchow, Germany who continued the project along with MeierMotors GmbH of Eschbach, Germany. It is currently based at the Hangar10 collection on the Pomeranian island of Usedom.

Click below to check out newly released images and a video of the flight.

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Warbird Heritage Foundation Announces Homecoming of P-51 “Moonbeam McSwine”

P-51D “Moonbeam McSwine” has returned to the US after The Warbird Heritage Foundation in Waukegan, Illinois acquired the machine from its previous French owner.

The aircraft (S/N 44-73656) was originally constructed in 1944 but did not see service in WW2. Following the war, it was assigned to the Texas, Colorado and Minnesota Air National Guards before being sold as surplus in 1958. Over the years it passed through the hands of a number of owners, eventually being restored with the livery of “Moonbeam McSwine,” flown by Capt. William T. Whisner of the 352nd Fighter Group. It won the title of Grand Champion Warbird in Fresno in 1975 and began racing in Reno with new owner Vlado Lenoch, who also flew the machine in USAF Heritage Flights and at airshows around the US.

In 2012 the P-51 was sold to Frédéric Akary of France, and it appeared at airshows throughout Europe until being acquired by The Warbird Heritage Foundation earlier this year. It recently returned to the US and will be re-assembled at Tab-Air in East Troy, Wisconsin. Now bearing registration N51VL, it is hoped that the machine will return to the skies by this summer to honor the memory of Lenoch, who was tragically killed in a crash in July 2017.

Click below to check out a selection of recent photos.

Continue reading Warbird Heritage Foundation Announces Homecoming of P-51 “Moonbeam McSwine”

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Full-Scale Avro Lancaster Monument Receives Unanimous Approval, Groundbreaking Scheduled

Yesterday, the North Kesteven District Council unanimously approved the planning application for the installation of a full-scale Avro Lancaster monument at Brills Farm adjacent to the A46 on the Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire border.

The 98-foot-tall steel monument “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.” It will be built on high ground in order to depict Lancaster R5689 (pictured above) in flight, heading home toward the former RAF base at Swinderby Airfield.

The Bomber County Gateway Trust reports that WW2 Bomber Command veterans, including Dambuster George “Johnny” Johnson, will break ground at the site during a special ceremony on May 15. When complete, its proposed name will be “On Freedom’s Wings”.

Click below to check out a proposed design for the structure.

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Eduard to Release Limited Edition 1/48 Typhoon Mk.Ib Model Kit

Eduard has announced the upcoming release of a Limited Edition Hawker Typhoon Mk.Ib model kit featuring a bubble canopy.

While the molds for the plastic parts originate from Hasegawa, the 1/48 scale offering (11117) will reportedly feature additional resin parts, including a large Tempest-style horizontal stabilizer and a four blade prop and spinner. The kit is also said to boast pre-colored photo etched parts, paint masks and Cartograf decals.

Six preliminary marking options have been selected, including MN819 of 245 (North Rhodesian) Squadron, MN529 184 Squadron, RB207 of 438 (RCAF) Squadron, MP197 of 245 (North Rhodesian) Squadron, SW399, 175 Squadron, and RB431 of 123 Wing.

The kit is currently slated for release in June. Click below to check out additional images.

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Dovetail Games Announces Closure of Flight Sim World

Not even a year after its Early Access release on Steam, Dovetail Games has announced the future closure of Flight Sim World.

The developer notes that the “intensely difficult decision” was made after “many detailed discussions,” stating, “we regrettably don’t see a clear direction that will allow us to keep to the development time we’d want, alongside the player numbers we need.” As a result, the company will “fully scale back all future development on Flight Sim World and remove it from sale on 24th May.”

Dovetail acquired the rights to Microsoft’s popular Flight Simulator series in 2014 and developed the new, 64 bit program that was touted as offering “an unprecedented level of realism and detail” including faithfully reproduced, officially licensed GA aircraft that are “the most authentic and detailed in-sim representations on the market.”

The statement clarifies that those who already bought the sim will be able to keep it in their Steam library for future play in its current format. Add-ons will also be removed from sale, but will reportedly remain available to those who already purchased them.

The complete statement can be read here.

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New Video Details Progress on Owls Head Fokker Dr.1 Restoration

Owls Head Transportation Museum of Owls Head, Maine has released a new video detailing the ongoing restoration of their Fokker Dr.1 reproduction.

The aircraft was built in the 1970s by Kenneth Cianchette and performed at museum events until 2014, when it was discovered that considerable repairs were needed. The museum ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to cover associated costs. As the video below shows, an overhauled Warner radial engine has been acquired and the fuselage is awaiting sandblasting, covering and painting. The wing panels have been shipped to upstate New York for covering by Brian Coughlin, who also covered the ailerons and tail surfaces.

It is hoped that the machine will return to the air by the end of the 2018 season.

Continue reading New Video Details Progress on Owls Head Fokker Dr.1 Restoration