The Fighter Collection

Category: Friends of TFC

  • Weekend news for Friends of TFC

    A weekend  special for Friends of TFC – who can log in to the members pages and see a 5 minute video Martin captured of TFC recent visit to Goodwood.

    If you are a Friend log in HERE

    In other news the Hellcat had an engine run at the end of last week.

    Plans are afoot for the next Fighter Log with an update on the Cr 42 and a review of the year.

  • September Airshow News

    Quite a  bit to  tell  you today.

     

    As well as  the  aircraft  displaying at the  weekend which currently include the Bearcat (see her  below, caught on camera  by  Martyn C.  yesterday  when  Stu Goldspink  arrived back  from a familiarisation flight)

    We will have  both the  Friends of TFC stall and DCS in the hangar.  As  it isn’t   Flying Legends we have allowed DCS to  talk about  jets as well as  Mustangs!  This  is what they  had  to say about the  week end:

    “Hi, DCS will be at Duxford! For both days,  there will be 3 PC’s to come and try the latest DCS modules and have a sneak peek at the new DCS Hawk from VEAO.   Two of the Virtual Horsemen will be there along with staff from both VEAO and the Virtual Aerobatics server.

    Fancy trying a module you don’t already have? Want to ask the opinions of some other pilots? Or just come down to say ” Hi” on the day and enjoy seeing us while   located next to the amazing aircraft of the Fighter Collection at Duxford. ”

    The  Friends of TFC stand will have our  new  merchandise  and other  goodies on show.

    If you can’t make it to the  show you can see  and buy our  new poloshirts HERE

    Speaking of Friends of  TFC,  the latest  Fighter  Log is  due  back from the printer any time  now.  We  also  did  some of the  photoshoot  for our  calendar, FofTFC  members can access a video of the shoot by  clicking HERE and clicking through to FofTFC members pages, which also include  a link to FofTFC special members offer on the new poloshirts offer .

     

  • July update

    Being nearly the end of July it is time for a few housekeeping notices and news updates.

    First a plea from Friends of TFC admin section: Handwriting! The team are struggling with many of the new applications and renewals to Friends of TFC as they try to decipher email addresses and names This really does delay sending out membership cards and updating online access. So please do write clearly on any paper based forms you send in. It really will be appreciated.

    Next: News on the Friends of TFC pages. As mentioned before these are well underway with new sections on archive material, Fighter Logs and photo details of current and past TFC operated aircraft. We will also have a unique special offer to launch these pages so stay tuned.

    Next: Comments facility on TFC diary pages- We are switching these off, not because we don’t to hear from you but because the system is clogged up with spam and offers to buy shoes and handbags. If you need to contact us about feedback on air displays or Friends enquiries etc. please use the contact buttons or Facebook page.

    Hangar update: With Flying legends a distant memory the majority of the fleet are undergoing routine maintenance. The exception being the P-47 which while being disassembled near the hangar door provides a unique opportunity to see the inner workings of this magnificent aeroplane.

    Fighter Log – we are basically rewriting the version we had before Flying Legends and hope you won’t be disappointed with the result.

    Finally the FofTFC merchandise team ask me to tell you that we are all out of XL Polo shirts.

  • Friends of TFC update

    A few notes for Friends of TFC old and new.

    First Fighter Log – this was ready for press before the week end but with much news and coverage of Stephens displays at Flying Legends we have decided a Mk II version is appropriate. We will progress this as quickly as possible with an anticipated August post out date.

    Next: Friends of TFC website pages and log in facility. We have an updated log in system and new pages being tested at the moment. These will integrate with the rest of the site and give FofTFC more information on aircraft and restorations on many of the pages. Again we have an August launch date pencilled in for this. All Friends with a email address registered with us will be notified as the new system comes on line.

    Finally a message from the merchandise and subscription teams. Please be patient, we have had a massive show of support, new memberships and merchandise orders over the weekend, we aren’t Amazon (wish we were) and we will be processing orders as quickly as possible over the next few weeks.

    Sorry that wasn’t finally, this is: Messages for Stephen and photos from the week end. All messages have been duly forwarded both from Facebook and those received through the website – they are all appreciated. Photos – keep them coming. Please be aware we have had a massive amount submitted with some fantastic views. If we haven’t replied immediately it isn’t because we don’t like your pictures!

    If you have any enquiries please use the following email addresses

    Memberships and Merchandise: friends@fighter-collection.com

    General enquiries and messages about Flying Legends 2013 (This is a better way to send photos than Facebook): help@fighter-collection.com

    Thank you for your support from FofTFC

  • July 11th – Final thoughts

    What a  great day, if you look on the various  forums  I am sure they are  filling up with  photos of the action from today.

     

    A few  housekeeping notes for you:

     

    The FofTFC guys will have a stall in   hangar 2 on Friday.  Your  chance to join FofTFC and get that  priority access to the  Flightline Walk and entry to the FofTFC  marquee (see below) over the  weekend.  Also a  chance to  get the  all new 2013   polo shirt or a FofTFC  hat ready  for the week end – oh yes you  can talk warbirds as well – we  quite like that sort of  thing – but please  no questions   when will the  beaufighter fly!

    Next, the FofTFC marquee – all ready for the week end

     

    and if  you were there tonight at about  21:20 looking out at this  view your  evening would  be  disturbed  by the  sound of the  Horsemen returning – that is an exclusive you won’t  find on other  sites 🙂

    Be  back with  more from Duxford  tomorrow

  • July 10th July – 2 Friends of TFC information

    A reminder that the world famous FofTFC enclosure and marquee has a new home between the Gold Tent and the control tower – thisi s how it looked today, it will look different by the week end!

  • A thrilling line-up announced for the Flying Legends Air Show Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July 2013

    Over 50 aircraft are booked to appear at the Flying Legends Air Show, on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July,
    in a spectacular aerial celebration of historic aviation.

    The Bremont Horsemen Flight Teamwill present the worldwide debut of their thrilling new display in a
    trio of Supermarine Spitfires, including two rare Mark I variants.

    To showcase the incredible lineage of the Supermarine Spitfire, we are proud to present variants ranging
    fromthe Mark I to the Mark 19, flying alongside their old adversary, the Hispano Buchon (Messerschmitt
    Bf 109). These aircraft will take part in choreographed dogfights reminiscent of the Battle of Britain above
    IWM Duxford’s historic Second World War airfield.

    The Fighter Collection is pleased to present a melee of Mustangs including two rare blue-nosed
    Mustangs, Moonbeam McSwine and Princess Elizabeth. They represent aircraft flown by Captain William
    T Whisner of the 487th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group at RAF Bodney, Suffolk in 1944. When the
    352nd Fighter Group discovered that they were to be honoured by a visit from the then Princess Elizabeth,
    they decided to christen Bill Whisner’s aircraft in her honour. Unimpressed by this imposition on his
    beloved Mustang, Bill soon changed the name to Moonbeam McSwine. Princess Elizabeth arrived at
    IWM Duxford in May this year to display as part of the Eagle Squadron commemoration at the Spring Air
    Show. This is a rare opportunity to view this US-based aircraft in the Duxford skies once more before her
    return to the USA.

    Making a welcome return is the Flying Bulls’ Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair reg. OE-EAS. The Flying Bulls’
    stunning aerial performances always wow the crowds at the Flying Legends Air Show.

    The biplane era will be celebrated by a four-ship display comprising of two Hawker Nimrod aircraft, a
    Hawker Demon and a Hawker Hind. These glorious aircraft are instantly reminiscent of the golden age of
    adventurous aviation.

    Continuing this bygone theme, we are pleased to announce that two Gloster Gladiator aircraft will fly
    together for the first time at the Flying Legends Air Show and indeed anywhere else in the world.

    A celebration of Curtiss aircraft includes The Fighter Collection’s Curtiss P-40B Warhawk , the only
    remaining airworthy survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack on 7 December 1941, and their Curtiss P-40F
    Warhawk, one of only two airworthy examples of this variant in the world.

    Favourite aircraft returning to the Flying Legends Air Show include the Deutsche Lufthansa Berlin-
    Stifutung Junkers Ju 52 and Messerschmitt 108; B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B; Dakota Norway DC3

    On Sunday 14 July only, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster will join the Flight’s Spitfire and
    Hurricane for a commemorative wartime display.

    The wartime atmosphere continues across the museum. The Vintage Village, situated on the hangar
    base next to Wing Co Joe’s Café, offers the perfect nostalgic destination for some rest and relaxation.
    Enjoy authentic thirties and forties songs sung in true Andrews Sisters-style by The Manhattan Dolls, who
    will have flown directly from New York to perform for visitors to the air show. The Wilmslow Concert Band
    will be performing 1940s swing band classics.

    Don’t miss the chance to clamber aboard the Home Front Bus! This unique living history experience
    contains detailed reconstructions of a 1940s living room, a wartime shop, a bombed-out street and an air
    raid shelter. Enjoy a glass of fizz fromthe Prosecco Bar and take the weight off your feet in our traditional
    deckchair seating area. Complete your 1940s day by sitting in a replica Supermarine Spitfire!
    Ops 1939-45 represent Battle of Britain-era RAF pilots and ground crew with uncanny accuracy. They will
    present a dispersal point display at the Flying Legends Air Show, where they will be chatting to visitors as
    they await the call to scramble. They will also be hosting Bomber briefings, where, as members of
    Bomber Command, they will tell you about your target for tonight and get you ready for your bombing
    mission.

    The 42nd Field Hospital portrays US Army medical personnel from the Second World War, while the
    Screaming Eagles Living History Group will be representing servicemen who served with the 101st US
    Airborne Division, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Easy Company during the Second
    World War. They will have displays at the air show and will be bringing the 1940s to life in US style.
    We’ve got fun family activities happening between 10amand 2pm, in AirSpace, next to the Lancaster,
    where you can get hands-on with RAF Bomber Command historical objects.
    If you love the sound of a Merlin engine, don’t miss the dynamic display of seven instantly-recognisable
    historic engines on the airfield jet pan, including two Merlins, a Griffon, two Leonides, a Napier Lion and a
    Hercules.

    Join us for another unforgettable Flying Legends Air Show! Advance booking has now closed but you can
    still purchase your ticket on the gate on each day of the air show.

  • Flying Legends update for FofTFC members

    We will have an engineering update in the next couple of days but not surprisingly the TFC Chief engineer is a bit busy with that manic look in his eyes that occur roughly three weeks before Flying Legends.

    In the mean time some interesting news for Friends of TFC members – we are moving. That is the Friends tent is moving to a different location. So please make a note now. We will be located just east of the the Control Tower with frontage on to the Flightline.

    Limited seating will as usual be provided but you are more than welcome to provide your own chairs. Note : NO STEPLADDERS!

    We should have more news of interest to Friends of TFC as arrangements are confirmed.

  • More things to see in Hangar 2 this week end

    Just t o  update  you on what we  have in Hangar 2 this week end.

    As if the  opportunity to win 2  gold passes for  Flying Legends 2013 was not enough.  We also have the  ever  cheerful Friends of TFC team on hand to talk about  old aeroplanes and stuff, and  Friends of TFC merchandise to  prepare your self for the  airshow  season.

    Finally  you can have a go at  Flying a Mustang, well not a real one but Two members of The Virtual Horsemen will be on hand in Hangar 2 at Duxford on the Sunday, showcasing The Fighter Collection’s / Eagle Dynamics latest flight simulator, DCS: World. We will have a PC  set up, with all available modules including A-10C, Ka-50 Black Shark, P-51D Mustang & the Huey, for you all to try your hand at flying the latest generation of PC simulation.

    More information on the Virtual Horsemen can be found at http://www.virtual-horsemen.com

    So before the  flying starts  do call in and see us,