2xB2s in to Fairford approx 1415 today

[anonymous-user]

Being reported on other forums, 2 B2 Spirits are due in to Fairford approx 1415.

[FourWheelDrift]

Not that stealthy then if everyone knows.

[anonymous-user]

Apparently not People guessed when a Cargo 747 turned up earlier in the week from Whiteman AFB.

3XB52s are already there for Exercise Sabre Strike.

[anonymous-user]

Apparently both have now arrived at Fairford.

[Vocal Minority]

Aaaaaahhhhhh.

I was outside my parents house helping to repair the drive, heard a plane and looked up for no particularly good reason, before getting a little too excited and saying to my old man and Brother in Law 'look a B2! A B2!'

I did wonder why on earth it would be flying over.

Yesterday I also had a spitfire fly over my house at low level. It had another plane with it with square tipped wings, I only say them briefly and assumed it was a hurricane, but the silhouette didn't look quite right - may have been a Mk XVI I suppose.

So a productive weekend for incidental plane spotting for me!

[dandarez]

I saw it today but sod's law I hadn't got my camera. Was at Witney car boot sale (B2 was heading towards Fairford) as it flew overhead, and as luck had it he circuited back to give us all another view - obviously couldn't land first time in.

By then I'd got my mobile out - bit distant but no mistaking it.

[onyx39]

Apparently he did not get "three greens" on undercarriage, so did a flyby to check before landing.

[probedb]

If you can view it, here's one from the RIAT Timings group on FB:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-...

https://www.facebook.com/Royal.International.Air.T...

[Eric Mc]

Vocal Minority said:

Aaaaaahhhhhh.

- may have been a Mk XVI I suppose.

Having cut down wing tips is not an indication that a Spitfire is a MkXVI. Spitfires that were built for low level missions often had the cut down wings. The versions that tended to be adapted as such were the MkV, the MkIX, the MkXVI and the MkXII.

The MkXVI was actually a MkIX but fitted with the US manufactured Packard Merlin. The MkXII was Griffon powered.

[Vocal Minority]

Eric Mc said:

Vocal Minority said:

Aaaaaahhhhhh.

- may have been a Mk XVI I suppose.

Having cut down wing tips is not an indication that a Spitfire is a MkXVI. Spitfires that were built for low level missions often had the cut down wings. The versions that tended to be adapted as such were the MkV, the MkIX, the MkXVI and the MkXII.

The MkXVI was actually a MkIX but fitted with the US manufactured Packard Merlin. The MkXII was Griffon powered.

Oh ok.

Every day is a school day!

[mcdjl]

Vocal Minority said:

Oh ok.

Every day is a school day!

I don't know where you are but a spitfire (I think the RR pr one) and a hurricane with canons sticking out of the wings did a nice low flyby donington park. They could have been on their way home as the RR lives at east mids airport.

[otolith]

Someone happened to be passing Fairford at about the right time, noticed a group of loitering plane spotters and shot this;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm4dWrGmZk4

[Eric Mc]

Vocal Minority said:

Oh ok.

Every day is a school day!

The subject of Spitfire wings, their shape and armaments is a whole subject on its own

[Yertis]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Do you know how long they're there for?

[Vocal Minority]

mcdjl said:

Vocal Minority said:

Oh ok.

Every day is a school day!

I don't know where you are but a spitfire (I think the RR pr one) and a hurricane with canons sticking out of the wings did a nice low flyby donington park. They could have been on their way home as the RR lives at east mids airport.

I am in Worcester. So not outside the realms of possibility. As I say, I heard noise, thought it sounded interesting and by the time I had jogged to the front door from the back of the house, they were already passed over head and getting a little small. As I say, something about the silouhette didn't look quite right for a hurricane, but by the time I had started trying to figure it out they were a bit distant

[Eric Mc]

Spitfire wings tend to stand out (even when clipped) because of their elliptical shape. Most other fighters of that era tended to have straighter wings. Examples would be the Hurricane, the Me-109, the P-40 and the P-51 - types which are likely to be seen flying in the UK, especially in the airshow season.

[Pionion]

Yertis said:

Do you know how long they're there for?

This... Any idea's how long they are there?

[aeropilot]

mcdjl said:

Vocal Minority said:

Oh ok.

Every day is a school day!

I don't know where you are but a spitfire (I think the RR pr one) and a hurricane with canons sticking out of the wings did a nice low flyby donington park. They could have been on their way home as the RR lives at east mids airport.

Almost certainly the BBMF then (rather than the RR PR.19) as the only cannon configured Hurricanes in the UK belong to the RAF.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Spitfire PRXIX, PS915, 'The Last' and Hurricane MkIIc, PZ865, from the BBMF displayed at Cosford yesterday so you saw them either on their way there or their way back.

[mcdjl]

At least I knew it was a PR Spitfire! ;-) From down by Starkeys bridge they looked low and didn't hang around