18 January 2020 – Duxford Airfield
They are the 07:10 and we took off from Malpensa. Flight FR8728, instead 27F, Prua a north from e 2 hours scarce landed in Stansted.
The flight is no history and we land with a beautiful day. The air is brisk but beautiful the sky is blue. At passport control, with the new automated procedure, there is a row and 30 seconds (literally) are out. Take the bus or 3 minutes it settles to the car. The impact with the right guidance is always traumatic enough but what upsets me is always facing round against traffic: I never get used.
Fortunately Duxford is very little to Stansted, Furthermore, almost all highway. We stayed here in 2017 per il Battle of Britai Air Show (you can find which the photos) and last visit to the museum dates back to 2014 (photos are which)
We arrive which has just opened and, after paying 21 input Pounds (25 € were never better spent), we sling at the opposite end of the abutments, to the Land Warfare Hall, the museum of ground vehicles. We ride in front of the hangars full of all good things, savoring the moments. Intanto ci “accontentiamo” degli splendidi airliners allineati sul piazzale: Airspeed Ambassador, Vickers Viscount, Britten Norman Trislander, Bristol Britannia, Handley Page Herald, Vickers VC 10, Hawker Siddeley Trident e BAC 1-11, all exquisitely restored we offer to our eyes and our cameras.
The pavilion contains various means of land armaments and weapons: auto, off road, truck tractors, tanks and guns, often perfectly ambientati, There are warm your hands and Aeolian good for the cameras engines that soon will be put to the test. At the exit we go with a firm step toward the American Air Museum. The entrance towards the muzzle of the gigantic B 52 always leaves you breathless but the content of the building is literally a heart attack. Suffice it to quote the SR 71 Blackbird (original single in Europe) but there are also Phantom, F 111, F 15, U 2, B 24, B 29, A 10 and dozens of other machines, more beautiful than. Wherever the eye rests, is a joy to behold.
We leave with a heavy heart, still unsure what else lies ahead. We visit the workshop where restoring the airplanes to see how the Handley Page Victor is put: without paint and disassembled into several pieces it seems to be coming along very well. In natural metal it is truly amazing, showing all its futuristic lines today: remarkable for a plane almost 70 years ago.
We continue the visit until you find, along with aircraft of Fighter Collection, the FIAT CR 42. The Falco seems in very good condition, apparently, finished. Under the bonnet there was a bath oil collection: obviously lost a few drops, but this means that the oil is in the engine and this might not be a bad news. Unfortunately we have not found anyone who could give us news, we continue to wait for the first flight, hoping that will happen soon. The workshop contains the adjacent B 17 Memphis Bell / Sally B in maintenance and Catalina, in addition to other machines. Pascoliamo with a stupid smile on your face, how children in toy stores
The lunch was waiting for us, with a crunchy Fish&Chips. After lunch the best surprise: that's better than a P-51D RAF with camouflage livery Invasion Stripes performing steps, landing, take off, yet steps and landing with its taxiing in front of us to digest?
Finally Hangar No. 1: Concord, Vulcan, Lancaster, Tornado, Lightning, TRS 2 and dozens of other machines. Only a panoramic photo can vaguely make the idea of what is in here.
We leave at closing time and we aim Stansted, where the return flight is waiting for us to 18:15. l’FR8736, packed full, There deposited in the Lombard moorland 21:15, after a fantastic day. Sometimes we want. And then we had to see the unique SR 71 in Europe. In a few days, in Europe, the UK will no longer exist, and even the Blackbird.
To you photos
