Shuttle's Report - Duxford 27 March 2015.

Here are some photos from Friday. The F-15 is nearly finished and just awaits some small details to be added plus the weapons. There was a bit of a Mustang theme with 3 photos - the new AAM P-51, the OFMC stalwart and a new P-51 down at ARCo with a great 'sharks mouth' look. The Harvard was doing some circuits and the FAA aircraft just looked good...!

 Shuttle

F-35B JSFs refuel from KC-130.

Here’s a B-roll showing two U.S. Marine Corps KC-130s flying with two F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters over Beaufort, South Carolina, during an aerial refueling mission on Mar. 19, 2015.

The KC-130 is an extended range tanker transport aircraft modified for aerial refueling of aircraft equipped with an IFR (In Flight Refueling) probe: in other words, F-35B and C, the variants for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.

http://theaviationist.com/2015/03/25/f-35bs-refuel-from-kc130/

Russian Tu-22 bomber goes supersonic over the Baltic Sea for the first time.

Early morning on March 24, NATO and Swedish QRA (Quick Reaction Alert) interceptors were scrambled  to identify and shadow a formation of two Russian Air Force Tu-22M Backfire bombers escorted by two Su-27 Flanker aircraft.

As usual, the aircraft were flying with no FPL, no transponder, in international airspace. But, unlike all the previous events the leading Tu-22M bomber was flying at supersonic speed!

As a consequence of the high-speed of the Russian planes, the Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets, providing BAP (Baltic Air Patrol) duties from Siauliau airbase, Lithuania, had to perform a supersonic run to intercept and escort the Tu-22s and accompanying Su-27s.

According to our sources, this was the very first time a Russian Air Force plane flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad Oblast was flying abeam Latvia, within the Riga FIR (Flight Information Region), heading towards Denmark and the Scandinavian peninsula at supersonic speed.

The Backfire decelerated to subsonic speed and rejoined with the rest of the formation that was picked up by a flight of two Su-27s from Kaliningrad that relieved the other two Flankers.

http://theaviationist.com/2015/03/24/tu-22-supersonic-over-baltic/

Hungarian Focke-Wulf Fw-190 Project Emerges.

WarbirdsNews have been in touch with a group in Hungary that is working on rebuilding a Focke-Wulf Fw-190F8. They have acquired a multitude of parts from various sources: crash sites, barns and attics being just a few places they have come up with components from the former Hungarian Air Force fighter. They are now actively starting the restoration, and wish to share the end result with the public.

What started as a hobby collecting aircraft parts a decade ago has evolved into a viable restoration project to build an airworthy Focke-Wulf Fw-190F8, a type flown by the Hungarian Air Force. The group has various parts that include engines, parts of the fuselage and parts of the wings and landing gear. It is not one specific aircraft that is being built but the collection of parts from various aircraft that make it possible. The propellor is currently all that has be restored.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/hungarian-focke-wulf-fw-190.html

XF8U-1 Crusader Rollout at Museum of Flight on March 25th.

On Wednesday 25th March, 2015 the Museum of Flight held a celebration for the 60th anniversary of the first flight of the mighty Vought F8U Crusader at the museum’s restoration center in Everett, Washington. They publicly unveiled their XF8U-1 prototype for the first time following a decades-long restoration effort.

The museum’s XF8U-1 is Bu.No.138899, the very aircraft which made the type’s first flight six decades ago with pilot John Konrad at the helm. This inaugural flight saw the aircraft break the sound barrier, something never before attempted successfully on a jet’s maiden mission.

The type had a relatively trouble-free development, with the second prototype XF8U-1 and the production prototype F8U-1 first flying on the same day in September, 1955. The Crusader was already in carrier trials by early April, 1956 aboard the USS Forrestal, and operational the following year. From first flight to first fleet use in just two years seems incredible in today’s climate, where modern combat aircraft take well over a decade to become operational.

The Crusader received the moniker “Last of the Gunfighters” when introduced due to its internal cannon armament at a time when all other types were moving exclusively to air-to-air missiles. The Crusader was a versatile aircraft though, and got stacked with all sorts of offensive weaponry during its time in the Vietnam War. It was also a highly effective tactical reconnaissance platform, and this was the role it was perhaps most famous for due to the remarkably dangerous but vitally important photo-recon missions flown low and fast over Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/xf8u-1-crusader-rollout-museum-flight-march-25th.html

Boeing B-29 Superfortress ‘Doc’ Welcomed Out in Wichita.

WarbirdsNews has some rollout ceremony details and photographs to share of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress known as Doc. Exactly 70 years to the day since Boeing officially handed ‘Doc’ over to the Army Air Force, the restoration team rolled her out for the cameras and a grateful audience at the very same airfield of her birth in Wichita, Kansas. ‘Doc’ is one of 1,644 manufactured in Wichita during World War II, and one of just a handful of current survivors.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/boeing-b-29-superfortress-doc-welcomed-wichita.html

RCAF reveals a Battle of Britain CF-18 scheme.

The RCAF revealed the 2015 CF-18 Demo Hornet Scheme commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

https://www.facebook.com/CF18Demo

Japanese Navy gets biggest warship since World War II.

The Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force has just received its biggest flat-top helicopter carrier since World War II, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attempts to loosen the restraints of Japan’s post-war pacifist constitution.

The Izumo is 248 meters long and, with a crew of 470, it resembles the amphibious assault carriers of the US Marine Corp, Reuters reports.

The vessel will be based at the Yokosuka Naval Base near Tokyo, also the home of the US Seventh Fleet carrier battle group.

Designated as a helicopter carrier, the Izumo allows Japan to keep within the post-WWII ban on the means to wage war. Aircraft carriers are considered offensive weapons.

The Izumo is not fitted with steam catapults, which are needed to launch fixed-wing fighter aircraft, but the VTOL version of the F-35 and the Harrier jump jet could fly from the flight deck.

http://rt.com/news/243945-japan-navy-biggest-ship/

http://news.yahoo.com/japanese-navy-gets-biggest-flat-top-since-wwii-044524192--sector.html

F-14B Tomcat U.S.Navy VF-102 Diamondbacks AB102 2001.

Century Wings has recently released the US Navy F-14B Tomcat in the livery of VF-102 Diamondbacks AB102 from 2001. There seems to be some issue with the greys in the camo scheme relating to the front fuselage cockpit area.

Edit: Check out the latest pic on our facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dora-9-Diecast/117765251636451

Chinooks to boost Falklands defence.

Britain is to deploy two RAF Chinook transport helicopters to help bolster the defence of the Falklands amid renewed fears of a fresh Argentine invasion of the islands.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the helicopters would enable the islands' garrison to mount a "swift and decisive response" to any "emerging incidents".

In a Commons statement, Mr Fallon said a review of the islands' defences had found they were "broadly proportionate" to the current threat level.

However he said the Government would be installing an enhanced communications system at the military headquarters at Mount Pleasant as well as putting in place plans to replace the Rapier air defence missiles when they go out of service at the end of the decade.

He also confirmed the Government's commitment to maintaining a Falkland Islands patrol vessel - currently HMS Clyde - while investing £180 million over the next 10 years upgrading the infrastructure including harbour facilities and fuel infrastructure.

"The review we have undertaken confirms our commitment to the Falkland Islands. We will continue to defend the right of the islanders and to maintain their way of life against whatever threats may arise," he said.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3008933/Falklands-force-attack-fear-boost.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32031342

Germanwings airliner 4U 9525 crashes in French Alps.

An Airbus A320 airliner has crashed in the French Alps between Barcelonnette and Digne, French aviation officials and police have said.

The jet belongs to the German airline Germanwings, a subsidiary of Lufthansa.

The plane, flight 4U 9525, had been en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf with 144 passengers and six crew.

French President Francois Hollande said: "The conditions of the accident, which have not yet been clarified, lead us to think there are no survivors."

Mr Hollande said the crash was a tragedy, adding that the area was very difficult to access.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32030270

SU34 bomber vs SU27 fighter - DOGFIGHT (part 1 of 4)ENGLISH SUBTITLES

The following series of videos is pretty impressive: with English subtitles, the footage brings you inside the cockpit of aRussian Su-34 Fullback bomber during a training sortie.

Filmed with cameras installed inside the cockpit and attached to the fuselage, the 4-part documentary includes a sort of dogfight with a Su-27: to be honest, the lighter and more maneuverable Flanker does not seem to react too much to the attacking Su-34; it’s a sacrificial victim rather than a real opponent.

Nevertheless, the clips are interesting and provide some interesting details about the Russian attack aircraft that is becoming a frequent visitor of the Baltic region.

http://theaviationist.com/2015/03/18/su-34-cockpit-videos/

Corgi AA34111 Buccaneer S Mk.2 - XV361, 800 NAS FAA.

Courtesy of a swap with Sniper I now have the excellent new Buccaneer. I have always admired this tooling as it really captures the 'heft' of the Buccaneer. 

The model has a fantastic finish and the level of stencils and great colour really are superb. The additional pod really makes it stand out from the other releases and I love the airbrake detail as well. 

A lovely model.

 Shuttle

Lancaster KB882: From Edmundston to Edmonton.

On the recommendation of the Society for the preservation of the Edmundston Lancaster, City officials in the Edmundston, New Brunswick have voted to transfer their aging Lancaster bomber to the Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton. The World War II aircraft has been a landmark near the border between Quebec and the New Brunswick city for more than 50 years.

The elements have taken their toll and the Society for the preservation of the Edmundston Lancaster has been trying to raise money to shelter and preserve the rare war plane. But recently the group decided it cannot achieve its goal and started looking for a museum with the skills to restore and properly protect the Lancaster, known as KB882. This evening, Edmundston City Council ratified the decision to transfer the historic bomber to the Alberta Aviation Museum, in Edmonton.

http://edmundston.ca/en/renseignements/communiques/594-lancaster-kb882-d-edmundston-a-edmonton

Edit: Please see an additional link.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/lancaster-kb882-moving.html

Hobby Master May 2015 releases.

The May 2015 list of releases kicks of with a brand new highly anticipated new tooling, the RA-5C Vigilante, the first release being from RVAH-6 off the USS Kitty Hawk, 1971.

As usual there are a few 1/72 scale fast movers: two F-4 Phantom II's, 'E' and 'G' models with SP tail codes and Euro 1 camouflage schemes. Two F-16CJ's, one from Misawa in Japan and the other from Aviano in Italy as well as an F-16A with ROCAF.

In 1/48 there's a WWII P-47D in olive drab and two post war P-51D Mustangs, one with ROCAF and the other with the RCAF.

Pacific Fighters ‘Messerschmitt Bf-109′ – Restoration Update.

The Erickson Aircraft Collection recently contracted Pacific Fighters to undertake an airworthy restoration of the Buchon, converting it to more closely resemble a Messerschmitt Bf-109G. 

While the Buchon and ‘109 are identical in most respects, there are some significant structural differences, particularly with the powerplant and its cowlings. Much of this was dictated by Hispano choosing the more available Rolls-Royce Merlin engine over the inverted-v Daimler-Benz DB605 engine of the earlier Bf-109. The engine choice dictated a radical change in the shape of the Buchon’s nose. 

Converting a Buchon to appear like a Bf-109 is relatively straight forward if you have a spare DB 605 lying around, but since the engine is as rare as hens teeth, and costs a small fortune to make airworthy even when available, Jack Erickson has opted to go a different route. 

Pacific Fighters is converting the Buchon to use an Allison V-1710 engine, but having an engine mount and exhaust system specially designed to perfectly mimic that of a Bf-109 once housed beneath the correctly profiled and detailed cowlings.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbird-restorations/messerschmitt-bf-109-restoration-update.html

‘Iron Horse’ Sets Off For The ‘Boneyard’.

PRESS RELEASE – MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFNS) — The 23rd Wing sent the Air Force’s oldest C-130 to the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, for its retirement March 3. 

Aircraft 62-1863, an HC-130P Combat King nicknamed “Iron Horse,” experienced 52 years of service and three different modifications during its tenure. “The history is rich with this aircraft,” said Tim Martin, the Air Force Engineering Technical Services adviser for C-130 maintenance personnel. 

“This is because it is a one of a kind aircraft and there never will be another like it.” Iron Horse began its Air Force career as a C-130E Hercules assigned to the 374th Tactical Airlift Wing during the Vietnam War and ended with a final deployment in 2009 with the 71st Rescue Squadron.”What makes this aircraft special is that it has flown 27,533 flying hours, the second most of any C-130 aircraft in the Air Force,” Martin said.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/fun-facts/iron-horse-sets-boneyard.html

Turkey To Retire Its RF-4E Fleet After Crashes.

As reported by the Associated Press agency, a senior Turkish military commander says Turkey is retiring its RF-4E Phantom reconnaissance planes.

The announcement came after two RF-4E reconnaissance airplanes crashed on February 24 during a training exercise in the central province of Malatya, killing all four crew members.

Combat Air Force Commander Gen. Abidin Unal told reporters on Wednesday that the Turkish Air Force had decided to ground the planes as of March 12, retiring them several months earlier than scheduled.

The two RF-4E planes crashed into a mountain in Malatya, central Turkey, during night training exercises on February 24. Nine days later, an F-4E Phantom jet also crashed, killing its two pilots and raising questions about the safety of Turkey’s aging fleet.

Unal said reconnaissance flights would now be carried out by F-16 jets. The more modern F-16 will take over the task of reconnaissance from the RF-4Es, Abidin Ünal, a four-star general and commander of the Combatant Air Force, told members of the press on Wednesday.

http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/turkey-retire-rf-4e-fleet-crashes.html

Wedding ring of WWII Halifax pilot reunited with sister 72 years after he was killed.

A wedding ring belonging to a British pilot who was shot down over Albania during the World War II has been returned to his sister more than 70 years after he was killed.

Dorothy Webster received the ring from Albanian man Xhemil Cala at a special service in the Albanian capital Tirana yesterday, along with a box of debris from her brother’s fateful flight that went down in 1944.

Webster said: “Seventy years we've waited. We can't believe that we're here today celebrating this after all this time.”

Derbyshire-born Flight Sergeant John Thompson’s Halifax bomber plane crashed north-east of Tirana in October 1944, as he and his seven-member crew transported assistance to local anti-Nazi fighters.

Nearly 16 years later, the ring and debris were discovered by Jaho Cala while he was walking in the area near the Sinoi Mountain, north-east of Tirana.

He kept his find secret for over a decade, worried that the communist authorities who governed Albania at the time would take it from him.

On his son Xhemil’s wedding day in 1971, he handed the ring over and said, “This is not mine and is certainly not yours; it has a rightful owner, who you will have to find in due course.” 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/wedding-ring-of-world-war-ii-pilot-reunited-with-sister-72-years-after-he-was-killed-10097319.html

Pilot killed as firefighting helicopter makes forced landing at Cape Point.

CAPE TOWN - One of the country's top helicopter rescue pilots has died while on duty fighting fires at Cape Point in the Western Cape.

The pilot - who has been identified as Bees Marais - was forced into a hard landing at Cape Point earlier on Sunday.

He was flying a Bell 212 'Working On Fire' helicopter. Initial reports suggested he was injured and that an air ambulance had been dispatched.  

http://www.enca.com/south-africa/firefighting-helicopter-makes-forced-landing-cape-point

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Helicopter-crashes-fighting-fire-in-Cape-Point-pilot-dead-20150308

http://ewn.co.za/2015/03/08/Heavy-EMS-presence-at-Cape-Point-helicopter-crash

HOBBY MASTER F-35B PROTOTYPE PHOTOS.

Hobby Master have released prototype photos of the next 1/72 scale Lightning II model, the short take off and vertical landing F-35B. The mold still has the ugly unrealistic raised panel lines first seen on their F-35A.

U.S. aircraft carrier and part of its escort “sunk” by French submarine.

On March 4, the French Ministry of Defense released some interesting details, about the activity conducted by one of its nuclear-powered attack submarine (SNA) in the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean.

According to French MoD website (that is no longer online, even if you can still find a cached version of the article titled “Le SNA Saphir en entraînement avec l’US Navy au large de la Floride”), the Saphir submarine has recently taken part in a major exercise with the U.S. Navy off Florida.

The aim of the exercise was joint training with U.S. Carrier Strike Group 12 made by the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, several Ticonderoga or Arleigh Burke-class frigates and a type of submarine Los Angeles, ahead of their operational deployment.

In the second phase of the exercise, the Saphir was integrated with the enemy forces and its mission was to locate the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt and its accompanying warships and prepare to attack the strike group.

While the fictitious political situation deteriorated, the Saphir quietly slipped in the heart of the multi-billion-dollar aircraft carrier’s defensive screen, while avoiding detection by ASW assets.

On the morning of the last day, the order to attack was finally given, allowing the Saphir to pretend-sinking the USS Theodore Roosevelt and most of its escort.

http://theaviationist.com/2015/03/05/us-aircraft-carrier-sunk-by-subs/