Cold War Jets Day - and a chance to see XM558!!!!

[simi_av8r 0]

[heads up!]

Hi all,

well with the bank holiday weekend just 24 hours away, here's one to spring on any of thse in the area who might want to get themselves to a fantastic display of British Cold War heritage!

Also, get yourselves over to the forum to keep up with the latest.

[/heads up!]

[simi_av8r 0]

Well, no responses but then again it was very short notice, and the weather wasn't particularly pleasant to say the least!

Unfortunately XM558 wasn't allowed out of her hangar due to missing a few parts - i have it from one of the engineers down at the TVOC hangar that XM558 i sgoing to miss the Falklands event on Pall Mall taking place on 17th June, but Waddington is a possible as they've still got 5 weeks!

Anyways, here's the few shots i managed to get before getting totally drenched and fleeing for home!

Royal Navy Bucanneer doing engine run-ups, and just so you can get an idea, i was standing around 20 foot away from it taking this, and there was very little (read practically zero!) zoom used!

and another..

DH Comet Mk.4c - hokked up to her generator and going over systems checks - she'll be the first out today...

and here we have a short video of the fast taxi run completed by the Comet.. bit of a noisey bird, shame it's not reflected in the clip :wink:

Ahh, here she is, undoubtedly the star of the show, the English Electric Lightning. This is XS904, based at Bruntingthorpe and maintained by the Lightning Preservation Group. Here she is dong her taxi warm-up

.. turned around now and both RR Avon's are spooling up... getting a tad noisey now!

... and away she goes, with both Avon's at full re-heat, shockwaves fly out and a rattle through you like an earthquake from the vibrations - now thats an awesome sensation!!!

And here's a Victor K2 tanker, XM715 "Teasin' Tina" hooked up to her generator and checking systems. Unfortunatey, i'd had enough of the weather before she raced down Brunty's 2mile runway and released her drag chute.. but i'm sure somebody's got a picture elsewhere!

overall the whole time spent there gets a massive !

[allardjd 1,853]

Wow, amazing stuff. You don't get that close at US air shows and there's a fence....always a fence between

me and the good stuff. :sadblinky:

 

Great photos. Thank for sharing them. Can't beat the sound of warbirds turning kerosene into noise.

 

John

[mutley 4,495]

Stunning stuff Simi, I would have loved to have been there even in the rain.

The video looks great too, thanks for prompting me to getting the embedding sorted.

Cheers :yes:

[simi_av8r 0]

Stunning stuff Simi, I would have loved to have been there even in the rain.

The video looks great too, thanks for prompting me to getting the embedding sorted.

Cheers :yes:

thanks dont worry about missing yesterday, most of the more intersting items were cancelled, which was a shame. they had a full line up of super-cars, including the Ferrari Enzo and that Koeningzeg thingy, that were supposed to be racing teh Lightning, a Hawker Hunter and an EE Canberra!

Also cancelled due to the weather was the appearance of the Jet cars - like the one Top Gear's Mr. Hammond destroyed, and a Canberra fly-past as said aircraft made its way southward to the Southend-on-Sea airshow this bank holiday.

and thats not mentioning the numerous other things cancelled too.. they even had a 1/8th scale RC model of XM558 powered by two RC jet engines, and unfortunately that too was grounded!

it was still a very good day, and from what i overheard i think that there'll be another later on this summer. Also of note will be the LPG's (lightning preservation group) Lightning QRA day on July 22nd, so if you want to get over, mark the day in your diary, its an experience not for the faint hearted!!