Clocking up almost 3,356 hours, XR771 made her last flight on the 23rd of August, 1988 and came to the Midland Air Museum shortly after. Known codes during her service with No.11 Squadron are ‘BA, ‘BF’ and ‘BM’.
One of five Lightning F.2s delivered to the AFDS in February 1963, XN726 was converted to F.2A in 1966 and later served Nos.19 and 92 Squadrons, coded ‘D’ and ‘N’ respectively.
‘Liberty Belle’ will grace the skies once again. Work on the B-17 is underway at Asheville, North Carolina, as well as at the Brooks Aviation Center in Douglas, Georgia. True s/n is 44-85734.
The two Belles over Duxford, with ‘Liberty Belle’ leading ‘Memphis Belle’, B-17G 44-85784, G-BEDF. Both aircraft were built by Lockheed Vega at Burbank, California. True s/n is 44-85734.
A proud Belle on the Duxford platform, three years before she came to grief in a cornfield near Aurora Municipal Airport, Illinois, on 13 June 2011. She is currently under rebuild at the Brooks Aviation Center, Douglas, Georgia. True s/n is 44-85734.
For the time being, this forward fuselage of a Beaufighter IIF is only identified by its Aviation Heritage UK 'serial' BAPC.463. It once served the Cranfield College of Aeronautics. Since July 2016 it is on loan from the RAF Museum to Aerospace Bristol.
Seen here on display in the Grahame White Factory hangar, the aircraft went to Cosford in July 2014. The orignal A8226, in service with C-Flight, No.45 Squadron, RFC, was shot down near Ypres, Belgium, on 27 May 1917, killing both crew.
No.19 Squadron's XX324 on finals to RWY-13 with XX236 joining the base leg in the background. On 24 March 2022, XX324 was flown to RAF Shawbury for storage.
On 4 September 2023, the dismantled XX286 (in No.208 Squadron markings) was noted at the Ulster Aviation Museum at Lisburn, Northern Ireland. XX286 is seen here in her former No.19 Squadron markings, landing at Valley.
At the end of her flying career, XX317, seen here in No.19 Squadron colours, ended up with No.736 Squadron at Culdrose and finally with No.100 Squadron at Leeming. There she was noted in a hangar in November 2023, marked 'CO'.
On display in the Caldwell Gallery is replica Pup N6460 in the colours of No. 3 (Naval) Squadron RNAS, which was flown by New Zealander Captain Harold Francis Beamish, DSC, during June and July 1917. Beamish survived the war with 11 victories.
NZ2336/TE910 is painted in honour of the crew of Mosquito FB.VI NT131/EG-D of No.487 (New Zealand) Squadron, F/O Ronald Beazer, RNZAF, and navigator P/O Andy Munro, RAFVR. During Classic Fighters 2023 she had both Merlin 25s running.
One of two Bell 47’s on display at the Air Force Museum is NZ3705. The Sioux was the first helicopter to enter RNZAF service, with the first batch joining newly-formed No.3 (Battlefield Support) Squadron at Hobsonville in December 1965 and January 1966.
The last remaining Sioux helicopters left RNZAF-service in 2012. NZ3706 was initially retained for the RNZAF Historic Aircraft Flight at RNZAF Base Ohakea, but eventually came to the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, Wigram, in November 2021.
NZ3801 joined No.3 Squadron in June 1966 and was upgraded to UH-1H in the mid 70’s. Amongst the many duties, NZ3801 saw overseas service in support of UN-operations in East Timor early in the new millennium, marked ‘UNO-075’ and later 'UNO-077'.
ZK-SPI made her first flight on the 18th of March 2009, in the hands of recently retired warbird pilot Keith Skilling. The ‘Al Deere’ Spitfire has graced the New Zealand skies ever since. PV270 is flown here at Omaka Classic Fighters by S/L Sean Perre
This aircraft had served with No.118 Squadron, RAF, serialled WA306, before transferring to the RNZAF as NZ5769. The aircraft is in No.75 Squadron colours. In the background is Vampire T.11 NZ5707.
Imported in 1938 by the Hawkes Bay and East Aero Club, in May 1940, the 35W was impressed into RNZAF-service as NZ581. After a brief spell in civilian hands as ZK-AHJ, she was re-impressed as NZ598, serving with No.42 Squadron. Post war she became ZK-APJ.
ECR 46+45 releasing the brakes as her burners add some more heat to the already high morning temperatures. Most of the local Tornadoes made use of the overrun section on this warm day.
Shipped to New Zealand in July 1944, NZ1092 began a long life in the RNZAF and joined the NZ Warbirds scene as ZK-WAR in September 1978. The Harvard (ex USAAF 42-84725; ex RAF EZ361) is based at Ardmore.
NZ7004 performing a Khe Sanh-approach and swooping in low over the Wither Hills for a touch-and-go on RWY-30. The venerable 40 Squadron machine was based at nearby RNZAF Base Woodbourne as support aircraft for the RNZAF Kiwi Blue Parachute display Team.
Graham Bethell’s P-51D-30NA is ex USAAF 44-74829 and ex RCAF 9265. The Mustang is in the c/s of No.3 (Canterbury) Squadron. The original NZ2415 served briefly with this unit from June 1952 until a landing accident at Wigram on 23 January 1954.
No.24 Squadron, RFC, operated the DH.2 from January 1916 until June 1917 from bases in France, including St. Omer, Bertangles, Chipilly and Flez. The original aircraft was part of a batch of 100 built by the Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in Hendon.
ZK-VNM ‘WE434/L' is in the colours of No.14 Squadron, RNZAF, as based at RAF Tengah, Singapore, during the ‘Malayan Emergency’. The RNZAF’s Venoms were on loan from the RAF and were returned when No.14 Squadron was withdrawn to New Zealand in 1958