Headcorn Aerodrome

Author
Discussion

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
Just did a gig there this evening, classical spectacular, you know the drill, with a full on airshow alongside!

Fortunately took my camera so I have a few nice shots, a huge number of planes involved. Seems a really busy airfield

Had a really nice chat with one of the pilots who told me to go to to Flying Legends at Duxford next year, much better than Biggin Hill et al apparently smile

Anybody know anything about the Aerodrome / setup for the gig today / Duxford thing?

I'll post up some pics in a bit...

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
Apologies - picture heavy post!









I think that was the chap I had the conversation with!





Is that one a Mustang?

























NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
Unfortunately most of the "flying" pics weren't great frown

Eric Mc

123,930 posts

280 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
"Big Beautiful Doll" is a North AMerican P-51D Mustang.

"HA-C" is a Hawker Hurricane I.

The red and white bi-plane is a Stampe SV-4C.

williamp

19,843 posts

288 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
I think that Mustang is the one which lives down the road near Ashford.
It usually appear at "woodchurch wings and things" in August. A great day out, if its still going

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
"HA-C" is a Hawker Hurricane I.
yikes Really? I'm very embarrassed, I would have sworn that it was a Spitfire - it looks like it has the Spit wing profile...

williamp

19,843 posts

288 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
NiceCupOfTea said:
Eric Mc said:
"HA-C" is a Hawker Hurricane I.
yikes Really? I'm very embarrassed, I would have sworn that it was a Spitfire - it looks like it has the Spit wing profile...
The Hurricane has the munti-piece campoy, looking like a conservatory. The spitfire has a one-piece canopy, like bubble

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
Yeah, just found pics on the Historic Aircraft Collection website. Considering I had several Spitfire posters on my bedroom wall as a lad I should be hanging my head in shame frown

Eric Mc

123,930 posts

280 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
There are more differences between the Spitfire and the Hurricane than there are similarities.

The Hurricane was made using a aluminium spaceframe method of construction. The engine compartment is panelled in with aluminium whilst the rear fuselage and fin was covered in doped fabric. You can see the marks of the stringers under the fabric covering in the photos. Early Hurricanes also had fabric covered wings and tailplanes but later versions these were meral covered.

The Spitfire was built as an all aluminium stressed skin monocoque - which allowed the fuselage to be less bulky and more streamlined in appearance.

The Spitfire proved far more adaptable an airframe so it evolved over its ten year production life into a wide variety of versions fitted with both Merlin and Griffon engines.

The Hurricane was already obsolete by 1941 so Hawkers decided to concentrate on replacement designs such as the Typhoon and Tornado. Having said that, Hurricane production continued right up to the war's end as the plane was a very good ground attack aircraft and was used extensively in this role in the Middle and Far East.

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
Interesting info, thanks Eric.

jagracer

8,248 posts

251 months

Sunday 26th July 2009
quotequote all
NiceCupOfTea said:
Just did a gig there this evening, classical spectacular, you know the drill, with a full on airshow alongside!

Fortunately took my camera so I have a few nice shots, a huge number of planes involved. Seems a really busy airfield

Had a really nice chat with one of the pilots who told me to go to to Flying Legends at Duxford next year, much better than Biggin Hill et al apparently smile

Anybody know anything about the Aerodrome / setup for the gig today / Duxford thing?

I'll post up some pics in a bit...
Nice pictures there and I'm really pissed that I missed it. I was down that way yesterday doing a weeding with a 1936 RR and could have nipped along afterwards.
When you say doing a gig, what part of the gig were you doing?

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Monday 27th July 2009
quotequote all
I'm a freelance horn player - I was playing in the orchestra smile

mattdaniels

7,359 posts

297 months

Tuesday 28th July 2009
quotequote all
I've flown into Headcorn quite a few times. It's a nice place with a friendly atmosphere. Usually something going on at the weekends, and there are always peeps and spotters about. Not been there for ages but they did used to do an offer where they waived the landing fee if you bought some lamb from the farm shop. It only has an A/G service which is a bloke in a shed so you have to have your wits about you. Especially as it's also a parachute site and the Russian guy in the plane is mental! The rate of climb and descent on that thing is incredible and he doesn't hang about.

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Tuesday 28th July 2009
quotequote all
When I arrived there were loads of microlights taking off/landing, planes everywhere including the acrobatic display guy practising his stunts, and parachutists everywhere too - organised chaos! laugh

williamp

19,843 posts

288 months

Tuesday 28th July 2009
quotequote all
NiceCupOfTea said:
organised chaos! laugh
yep thats Headcorn. Cheaper then most places, so they tend to have everyone visiting.

Its a good little museum too. And down the road is the Smarden bell pub, well known amongst car fans

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Tuesday 28th July 2009
quotequote all
Yes, seemed a great place, still had the feel of a WW2 airfield IMHO (don't know if it was?)

Eric Mc

123,930 posts

280 months

Tuesday 28th July 2009
quotequote all
If it was one, it wasn't a major one.

williamp

19,843 posts

288 months

Tuesday 28th July 2009
quotequote all
I think it was a satellite airfield for the US later in the war

Edit: RAF Lashenden (RAF headcorn was already taken, despite being further away)

Edited by williamp on Tuesday 28th July 12:14

NiceCupOfTea

Original Poster:

25,417 posts

266 months

Tuesday 28th July 2009
quotequote all
Ah yes, a little googling shows that Headcorn was north of the village - the current Headcorn Aerodrome was RAF Lashenden in the war!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lashenden_(Headcorn)_...

mattdaniels

7,359 posts

297 months

Tuesday 28th July 2009
quotequote all
The railway station is called Headcorn too, not Lashenden. Dead handy, that railway line! Not the easiest airfield to spot.