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BBMF - 60 Years on

Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic photos in here please.
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F3
Posts: 2966
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:06 am
Location: Rotherham

BBMF - 60 Years on

Post by F3 » Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:39 pm

It is 60 years ago that the BBMF was conceived as the brainchild of Wing Commander Peter Thompson DFC an ex Hurricane pilot who, after being appointed OC RAF Biggin Hill in 1957, discovered the RAF's last airworthy Hurricane IIc in his charge and resolved to perform a flypast over London in it on that year's Battle of Britain Day in company with a Spitfire which he set about finding. Despite the availability of a trio of PR XIXs from Woodvale's recently disbanded THUM Flight a Mk. XVI which had been on static display at the Royal Tournament was selected as a more representative type and this was the start of the BBMF which was officially established the following year. After a somewhat nomadic existence moving from one base to another, mainly due to successive closures, it arrived at Coningsby in 1976, where it has gone from strength to strength and currently operates no less than a dozen aircraft of five different types. Altho' the Flight will doubtless be commemorating its 'official' 60th. Anniversary next year this year is the 60th. Anniversary of its conception.

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Hurricane IIc LF 363 provided the inspiration for the BBMF when it was 'discovered' @ Biggin Hill in 1957

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Spitfire PR XIX PM631 is the longest serving example of the type with the Flight

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Spitfire Vb AB910 was donated by Vickers in 1963

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Spitfire IIa is the oldest example operated by the Flight and the only one to have flown in the Battle of Britain. It was acquired in 1969 from all those sourced for the making of the epic film of the Battle

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Hurricane IIc PZ865 was the last example of the type to roll off the production line and retained by the Hawker company which donated it to the Flight

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Lancaster Mk.1 PA474 arrived in 1972 from RAF Waddington where it had been preserved under a previous Conservation scheme whereby individual stations had responsibility for the care of historic aircraft

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Spitfire PRXIX which joined the Flight after being rebuilt by British Aerospace is one of the ex THUM Flt. examples

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Dakota ZA947 joined the Flight in 1993 as replacement for a Devon support aircraft which was sold


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Spitfire LFIXe MK356 which arrived in 1997 is a genuine D-Day veteran which has since been repainted in an all silver scheme

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The trio of 'baby' Spits in line astern formation

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Lancaster flanked by Spitfire and Hurricane, the BBMF trademark formation

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Line up of Flight aircraft with Tattershall Castle in the background

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paddyboy
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Re: BBMF - 60 Years on

Post by paddyboy » Tue Jun 13, 2017 4:15 pm

Wonderful selection. buddy :thumb:

To be fair, The nascient BBMF would not have been kicked out of my beloved Colt, where they had resided for many years, had it not been for the massive numbers of Jags that were being installed ;)

Best regards and thanks for posting :thumbs:

Paddyboy :clap:
XH558, always the first lady in my life
Just remember, please don't tell the wife


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F3
Posts: 2966
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:06 am
Location: Rotherham

Re: BBMF - 60 Years on

Post by F3 » Wed Jun 14, 2017 9:58 am

Seems like a case of 'every dark cloud....' then PB! Historic aircraft or heavy metal which is better? Only one way to find out...

slogen51
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Re: BBMF - 60 Years on

Post by slogen51 » Wed Jun 14, 2017 6:51 pm

Excellent post.

Really interesting stuff.

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