Category: imperial war museum duxford

Supermarine Spitfire at Duxford

The Spitfire is the most famous British fighter aircraft in history. It won immortal fame during the summer months of 1940 by helping to defeat the German air attacks during the Battle of Britain.

There are quite a few Spitfires at Duxford.

The prototype made its first flight four years earlier as Britain’s industry geared up to re-arm against the threat from Nazi Germany. From the beginning pilots recognised it as a thoroughbred combining a perfection of design with superb handling characteristics.

No.19 Squadron put this eight-gun fighter into service in August 1938 and by the outbreak of war, a year later, nine squadrons were equipped. Production rapidly built up and by July 1940 there were nineteen Spitfire I squadrons available. Although Hurricanes outnumbered Spitfires throughout the Battle of Britain, it was the Spitfire which captured the imagination of the British public and enemy alike.

Perhaps the greatest compliment paid to this aircraft was made at the height of the Battle of Britain by a German ace, who in a moment of anger and frustration, turned to his Commander in Chief and demanded a squadron of Spitfires!

This is a Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX at Duxford.

The Spitfire Mk IX was originally developed as a stopgap measure as a response to the appearance of the Focke-Wulf FW 190A.

MH434 was built in 1943 at Vickers, Castle Bromwich.

This Spitfire is remarkably original, having never been subject to a re-build. An absolute delight to fly, the aircraft is beautifully responsive and extremely manoeuvrable.

Standard Beaverette Mk III

Standard Car 4×2, or Car Armoured Light Standard, better known as the Beaverette, was a British armoured car produced during the Second World War. This RAF Standard Beaverette Mk III was on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

The Mk III Beaverbug – had a shortened chassis, a redesigned hull without curved front wings, top armour and a machine gun turret. A Mk III was used by the RAF Regiment in the capture of a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 and destruction of another when they landed at RAF West Malling in April 1943.

I have an old SDD 15mm model of the Standard Beaverette Mk I.

These are quite different to the Mk III.

Hawker Hunter F.6A

The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly developed Rolls-Royce Avon turbojet engine and the swept wing, and was the first jet-powered aircraft produced by Hawker to be procured by the RAF.

Hawker Hunter F.6A

This Hunter is on display at Duxford and is on loan from the United States Air Force.

MiG-21 Fishbed

This MiG-21 was from the Hungarian Air Force and is on display at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford.

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 (NATO reporting name: Fishbed) is a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft, designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union.

There was also an Hungarian MiG-21PF at RAF Cosford.

McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2

At the Imperial War Museum Duxford is a McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2.

Initially, the FGR.2 was used in the ground attack and reconnaissance role, primarily with RAF Germany. The superiority of the Phantom over the English Electric Lightning in terms of both range and weapon load, combined with the successful introduction of the SEPECAT Jaguar, meant that, during the mid-1970s, most of the ground attack Phantoms in Germany were redeployed to the UK to replace air defence Lightning squadrons.

Also at Duxford, in the American Air Museum exhibition, there is ZE359 is a former United States Navy F-4J from 1968 until it was converted to a F-4J(UK) for service with the Royal Air Force from 1984.

Flown to Duxford on retirement and restores to original United States Navy markings of VF-74 as 155529.

Hawker Hurricane Mk IIb

Hurricane Mk IIb Z2315, a former Russian operated aircraft on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford displayed in No. 111 Squadron RAF markings.

The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by the Supermarine Spitfire’s role during the Battle of Britain in 1940, but the Hurricane inflicted 60 per cent of the losses sustained by the Luftwaffe in the engagement, and fought in all the major theatres of the Second World War.

Bristol Fighter F.2B

The Bristol F.2 Fighter was a British two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, other popular names include the “Brisfit” or “Biff”.

This Bristol Fighter F.2B was on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

The definitive F.2B version proved to be an agile aircraft that was able to hold its own against opposing single-seat fighters; its robust design ensured that it remained in military service into the 1930s.