apologies to those who feel this is off topic but I know there are some military aircraft buffs out there.
When I was in Hardraw in Wensleydale last Saturday, preparing to set out for NP-006, I was somewhat startled by the low altitude overflight of a large slow-moving twin-engine propeller driven aircraft. It was in what I take to be military colours (green/camouflage) but did not have any obvious under wing markings. It was flying west at around 2000 ft, judging by the cloud base, between fells of roughly 2500 ft in height. I guess from its behaviour that it was on some form of training flight. As I watched it turned south before heading off in an easterly direction.
I’m no expert on these matters but I did notice it had rounded wing tips and conventional (rounded) tail and that it engines appeared to be rather close in to its fuselage, so I’m guessing it was a Bristol Blenheim. Can someone please tell me if this is likely? If so, would it be in service or is it part of a heritage flight? Where might it be based?
‘Today only a single Blenheim IVT, actually a RCAF Bolingbroke, remains airworthy. It is owned and operated by the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford, UK, and has been flying since May 1993. [History by David MacGillivray]’
01:35 WIGTOWN 1 DAK FLYPAST 11:00
00:10 OTTERBURN 1 DAK FLYPAST 14:00
00:30 NORMANBY MIDDLESBORO 1 DAK FLYPAST 14:35
00:30 MELTHAM 1 DAK FLYPAST 15:10
00:30 KEELBY 1 DAK FLYPAST 15:45
00:05 CLEETHORPES 1 DAK FLYPAST 15:50
00:45 OLD WARDEN 1 DAK FLYPAST 16:40
00:05 BEDFORD RIVER FESTIVAL 1 DAK FLYPAST 16:50
Sadly, the Blenheim in question was crocked in a landing accident back in 2003 and is currently undergoing repairs at Duxford so it’s definitely out of the equation.
In reply to M0RCP:
Hi. I came back from holiday in Wensleydale a couple of weeks ago. They were advertising a “40’s” weekend at Leyburn in Wensleydale. You know the sort of thing, people dressing up in home guard uniforms etc and the ladies in period costumes and a few military vehicles running about. There was going to be a flypast from the Dakota, so you are right, at some point in the proceedings. It is based at Coningsby as part of the BBMF, only 5 or 6 miles from me here in lincolnshire. I hope this helps
You know the sort of thing, people dressing up in home guard uniforms etc
and the ladies in period costumes
Do you get more “dressing up points” if you can simulate Rickets and good TB type cough to give a closer match to the period?
Dakotas are wonderful planes. Lots still flying. When I lived on The Wirral I used to hear one fly over every evening on a cargo run to and from The Isle of Man. Big piston engined planes have a distinctive sound. Thinking on, apart from Britten-Norman Islander and Trislander aircraft, I can’t recall seeing any other commercial aircraft using a piston engine, they’ve all been turboprops.
The Dakota was one of my favourite planes as a child, the Airfix model having pride of place with a Short Sunderland flying boat. My father (in the RAF during the WWII) flew in both of those and as a kid, hearing about such things was wonderful. He wouldn’t let me have a Wellington model though. He didn’t like them. There again he did spend 3 months in hospital after the last Wellington he flew in crashed on takeoff. Probably a reasonable reason for a dislike of the plane!
For aircraft buffs, The East Fortune Museum of Flight, just East of Edinburgh, has its annual airshow this coming weekend (July 24). Flying exhibits include a twin seat Spitfire, fully restored Hawker Hunter, Dakota, Catalina, Douglas Skyraider, de Havilland Vampire and a P51 Mustang. Come up, bag North Berwick Law first thing and enjoy a wonderful day out at the museum in the afternoon.
I was “buzzed” several times by what I thought was a Boultion Paul Defiant whilst I activated Dirrington Great Law last week. The plane often flying below the summit altitude.
Dakotas are wonderful planes. Lots still flying. When I lived on The
Wirral I used to hear one fly over every evening on a cargo run to and
from The Isle of Man. Big piston engined planes have a distinctive
sound. Thinking on, apart from Britten-Norman Islander and Trislander
aircraft, I can’t recall seeing any other commercial aircraft using a
piston engine, they’ve all been turboprops.
I remember from my youth many civilian piston engined aircraft, not to forget the civilianised WWll bombers and transport aircraft from the Lanc to the York. The Constellation was my favourite American plane. The big flying boats were still about then, the huge Sunderland was impressive - and I got to see the Princess flying just once! The jets and turbos came in slowly, the ill-fated Comet and the “Whispering Giant” used to fetch people out in the streets to watch when they flew over, but most impressive was the time a whole squadron of B-52s flew over in line at about 20,000 feet!
Until a few years ago there were a pair of Meteors flying from the airfield at Llanbedr, you sometimes saw them formating on a drone, I think it was called a Jinjivic, and until the airfield was closed and abandoned to sheep you could approach it from Shell Island and look at a selection of old military jets parked around the perimeter including a Canberra and I think a Valient, there were also a couple of what looked like the naval verion of the Vampire. I wonder what happened to them when the airfield closed?
Hi Brian, the Vampire-ish aircraft was a Sea Vixen. There were two of them at Llanbedr operating as manned targets but the few years preceeding the airfield closure only one remained in service: XP924 which survives to this day in private ownership of De Havilland Aviation at Bournemouth.
Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa.
Our AirForce still has operational Dakotas, some have been fitted with turboprop engines …fondly known as ‘Super Daks’.
You may get information about practically any kind of military equipment from different manufacturers using the root link:
Just select the suitable category, country and decade, and you get a list to select from; finally you get pictures, technical specification, history, etc. about the specific equipment.
