Aviation Latest Topics

Bf 108. Duxford, 2009

Fri, 08 May 2026 20:10:52 +0000

I spotted this incomplete Bf 108 airframe in an open-ended brick building at Duxford, back in 2009.

I have no idea what machine this is or its history. If anyone knows, feel free to chime in.

Spitfire Mk IIa P7350 - Duxford - 2009

Fri, 08 May 2026 20:49:14 +0000

IMAGES TAKEN BY AUTHOR, DUXFORD 2009

The Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIa P7350 is one of the most historically important surviving Spitfires in the world. It is the only airworthy Spitfire that fought in the Battle of Britain and is considered the oldest flying Spitfire in original condition.

Construction and Early Service

P7350 was built in 1940 at the Castle Bromwich factory in Birmingham as a Spitfire Mk IIa, powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin XII engine. It was delivered to the RAF in August 1940 during the height of the Battle of Britain. Its first operational squadron was No. 266 Squadron RAF, where it carried the squadron code UO-T. In October 1940 it was transferred to No. 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron at RAF Hornchurch and given the code XT-D.

Battle of Britain Combat

On 25 October 1940, P7350 took part in combat over southeast England during the closing phase of the Battle of Britain. Flown by Polish pilot Pilot Officer Ludwik Martel, the aircraft was attacked by German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. A cannon shell badly damaged the aircraft and Martel himself was wounded by shrapnel. Despite severe damage, Martel managed to bring the Spitfire down in a wheels-up landing near Hastings. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service by December 1940.

Wartime Survival

Unlike most Battle of Britain Spitfires, P7350 survived the war. It continued flying in operational and training roles and accumulated battle scars, repairs, and modifications throughout its RAF career. After the war, many Spitfires were scrapped, and P7350 itself was reportedly sold for scrap for only £25. Fortunately, its historical significance was recognised before destruction.

Restoration and Film Career

In the late 1960s, P7350 was restored to flying condition for the 1969 film Battle of Britain. During this period many surviving Spitfires were rebuilt for cinematic flying scenes, but P7350 retained a large amount of original wartime structure.

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Today P7350 is operated by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. It regularly appears at airshows, commemorations, and ceremonial flypasts across the UK.

DH89 Dragon Rapide walkaround

Thu, 07 May 2026 07:54:44 +0000

Pictures of the Shuttleworth Collection DH-89 Dragon Rapide, taken in 2011.

https://hubertboillot.smugmug.com/De-Havilland-DH-89-Dragon-Rapide-walkaround

Hubert

Folland Gnat walkaround

Thu, 07 May 2026 07:56:49 +0000

Pictures taken in Newark Museum in 2011.

https://hubertboillot.smugmug.com/Folland-Gnat-Walkaround-Newark-Air-Museum-052013

Hubert

Messerschmitt Me 410A-1/U2 (w/nr.420430) - RAF Cosford

Tue, 05 May 2026 20:02:57 +0000

Lucky to have captured this while the engine cowl was stripped off.

Junkers Ju 88R-1 - RAF Cosford.

Wed, 06 May 2026 13:33:06 +0000

The surviving Junkers Ju 88R-1 Werknummer 360043, now displayed at the Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, is one of the most historically significant Luftwaffe aircraft to survive the Second World War. Originally built in 1942 as a Ju 88 bomber before conversion into a radar-equipped night fighter, it served with Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 as aircraft “D5+EV.” On 9 May 1943, pilot Oberleutnant Herbert Schmid and part of his crew defected to Britain, flying the aircraft to RAF Dyce in Scotland. The Ju 88 carried the advanced FuG 202 Lichtenstein airborne interception radar, whose capture provided British scientists with invaluable intelligence that helped develop effective radar-jamming countermeasures against German night fighters. After extensive testing by the RAF and use with No. 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flight, the aircraft survived the war and was eventually preserved at Cosford, where it remains one of only two substantially complete Ju 88s in existence anywhere in the world.