RAF Duxford - British Classics

[CAY253- Guy]

More photos! This time it is a bit different, I took a trip up to RAF Duxford in Cambridgeshire last week, a former RAF base during WWII it now has an excellent collection of modern and classic aircraft.

First Hangar: Lancaster, Concorde, Vulcan, TSR-2...what more do you want!
http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/9870/img3559q.jpg (http://img697.imageshack.us/i/img3559q.jpg/)

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/2854/img3560z.jpg (http://img829.imageshack.us/i/img3560z.jpg/)

Note old style thrust reversers on this prototype, production models had bucket-style reversers.
http://img834.imageshack.us/img834/5508/img3562x.jpg (http://img834.imageshack.us/i/img3562x.jpg/)

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/7496/img3564j.jpg (http://img842.imageshack.us/i/img3564j.jpg/)

Rolls Royce Merlin
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/6963/img3566m.jpg (http://img411.imageshack.us/i/img3566m.jpg/)

Pratt & Whitney Wasp
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/7517/img3614w.jpg (http://img337.imageshack.us/i/img3614w.jpg/)

Rolls Royce Trent 800 MONSTER ENGINE!!
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/3606/img3567pa.jpg (http://img825.imageshack.us/i/img3567pa.jpg/)

Outside on the ramp are some bigger airliners, first up the British Airways BAC1-11
http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/4290/img3574i.jpg (http://img718.imageshack.us/i/img3574i.jpg/)

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/259/img3575l.jpg (http://img707.imageshack.us/i/img3575l.jpg/)

Vickers Viscount
http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/7357/img3581t.jpg (http://img840.imageshack.us/i/img3581t.jpg/)

Bristol Britannia
http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/4932/img3586r.jpg (http://img835.imageshack.us/i/img3586r.jpg/)

And my favourite, the BOAC VC-10! It was also open to look inside - bonus!licklips
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/951/img3602x.jpg (http://img683.imageshack.us/i/img3602x.jpg/)

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/5403/img3591i.jpg (http://img411.imageshack.us/i/img3591i.jpg/)

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/3778/img3592p.jpg (http://img715.imageshack.us/i/img3592p.jpg/)

http://img816.imageshack.us/img816/9995/img3594s.jpg (http://img816.imageshack.us/i/img3594s.jpg/)

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/6669/img3593e.jpg (http://img696.imageshack.us/i/img3593e.jpg/)

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/1077/img3595.jpg (http://img163.imageshack.us/i/img3595.jpg/)

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/5079/img3596q.jpg (http://img836.imageshack.us/i/img3596q.jpg/)

Hawker Siddely Trident II
http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/7605/img3598h.jpg (http://img295.imageshack.us/i/img3598h.jpg/)

Note the funny off-center gear!
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/4343/img3601ai.jpg (http://img72.imageshack.us/i/img3601ai.jpg/)

Near the American Air Museum this F-15 was on display.
http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/8431/img3604gh.jpg (http://img830.imageshack.us/i/img3604gh.jpg/)

They managed to fit a B-52 inside!:O
http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/6412/img3606c.jpg (http://img530.imageshack.us/i/img3606c.jpg/)

Look how small the rudder is!
http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/2420/img3616m.jpg (http://img192.imageshack.us/i/img3616m.jpg/)

And finally a B-17
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/9559/img3623n.jpg (http://img251.imageshack.us/i/img3623n.jpg/)

That's all folks!captain1

[CAY029- Pierre]

Wow, stunners! That seems like a really fun place to visit, beautiful pictures.w00t

[CAY1039- Todd]

Those are awesome! I love the branding and paint schemes that they had back then. Simple and classy, and BOAC was probably one of the best. Can't say the same about the inside of the VC-10 cabin though.

Thanks for sharing those!

.plane

[CAY792-William]

Fantastic shots Guy! I havent been to Duxford in ages but now I am more than tempted to head back there as they seem to of gathered a lot more aircraft since my last visit!

The front gear on the trident always looks funny to me! I dont know why but i always feel that its going to topple!

The Sunderland also in the background in the first picture I think must be the only one left in the world and she is huge also!

I hope they are restoring the BAC1-11 also as she looks like she needs some TLC.

[CAY1039- Todd]

William,

I believe there's an airworthy Sunderland based at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, FL. It's maybe an hour or so from Orlando. So if anyone here is ever in the area you should definitely check it out. I went a couple years ago and it was worth it. The guy that owns the place takes a different aircraft everyday from the museum and flies it. Tough life...:mellow:

Here's the site:
http://www.fantasyofflight.com/

[CAY253- Guy]

You definitely need to go back! I hadn't been in 10 years or so and it has almost doubled its collection. The Sunderland is indeed nice, they also have an Avro Shackleton under repair, I never knew it had contra-props! When I arrived there was a White PBY-Catalina next to the B-17 but I spent too long in Concorde and by the time I got out she was gone!:lol: You can also pay ~£40 for a 'Classic Flight', an hour or so in either a Tiger Moth, Harvard or DH Dragon Rapide.

[CAY017-Aharon]

I have been to Duxford 20 years ago and watched B-17 take off and land. It was cool. I remembered it was about a hour or so drive from London!!!

Aharon