So that's Telford over for another year. Nice to see more space available and to note that the organising committee resisted the temptation to fill the extra space with more displays, traders, etc, and instead allow things to spread out a little - and it worked too. I think signs to/from the various halls could have been a bit more obvious and a bit more evident, but that is a minor observation. Good to see the SIGgers and to note that the table attracted its usual quota of the curious and good humoured. Also interesting to note that the number of whifs on the 'straight' displays continues to increase. Maybe next year's display should no actually contain any whifs at all - that
would confuse the punters!
Anyway, as mentioned before I got back from a holiday in Florida just a few days before SMW. On the way to the airport SWMBO and I popped into Kermit Weeks' 'Fantasy of Flight' attraction - part museum, part vintage airrcraft collection that puts Old Warden to shame, part entertainment, part information, all good. It's billing as 'the world's greatest aircraft collection' may be a little hyperbolic (at least according to other major aircraft museums around the world), but it can't be denied that it is very impressive, contains many rarities and probably has a greater proportion of airworthy aircraft than any other such collection - indeed there is a daily flying programme. And it is all owned by one man - so it's probably truer to say it is 'the world's greatest privately owned aircraft collection'. If you're in the area then do go - the whole facility is terrific. For more information check out its website,
http://www.fantasyofflight.com/, but for now enjoy some photos of a small number of the items on display just a week ago:
F4U-4B Corsair
Grumman F3F-2
Gee Bee R-2 racer
Bucker Jungmann
Ryan NYP 'Spirit of St Louis' replica
Fokker D.VIII
Sopwith Camel
PBY-5A (they claimed, I don't know for sure) Catalina
Avro Cadet
DGA-5 replica - note the cowling!
Pitcairn Auogyro, Bucker Jungmeister, Ford Trimotor, Bucker Bestmann and a yellow thingy I can't immediately identify - curved Trimotor leading edge courtesy of the 'stitching' of several photos.
Marauder, Texan and Cierva C.30
P-51C Mustang
FM-2 Wildcat - note the V-1 in the background. Just out of shot is a Bachem Natter.
P-51D Mustang plus Po-2 behind it
C-47 undergoing maintenance plus an L-18 Piper Cub.
Local resident - smiling for the camera!
The mid-afternoon's flying display - a Fieseler Storch.....
.....which then parked by the hangar. All were invited to take a close inspection and chat to the pilot. Note 'airframe touching' - the H&S brief was 'don't touch the cowling'and finally.....
The maintenance hangar. From left to right - Grumman Duck, Storch, Albatros D.V, Gee Bee Racer, Sikorsky S-38 and an Avenger. Behind the S-38 you might just be able to make out a P-40 and a Stinson Reliant. Right at the back and out of sight were a Spitfire LF.XVIe and the world's only flyable, non-restored, as built B-24J. All in this hangar are flyable but unfortunately visitors were not allowed in.