Sensational Sywell Spectacular

[Ratch]

Michael.Clegg1 day ago

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Welcome to this latest edition of Aerodrome and our regular look at the fascinating world of aeroplanes and the historic aviation scene around the UK.

When it comes to the UK Airshow scene, it’s really rather rare for enthusiasts have a new and exciting event to look forward to these days, but as we all looked to fill our diaries at the start of this year, there was definitely something interesting occurring in Northamptonshire during June. For those with a leaning towards airworthy classic aeroplanes, the Sywell Airshow weekend promised to be something really special, particularly as the people behind it had classic aeroplanes in their blood. The first Airshow event to be held at Sywell for around ten years, this event really did look like being one not to miss and might hopefully end up being the first event in many an enthusiast calendar in the years to come.

As hinted at in the previous edition of Aerodrome, this latest post will be the first of a comprehensive two-part review of the Sywell 2024 show, where we will initially be looking at the pre-flying entertainment available on both days of the show, how suitable the venue was for an event of this type and the static aircraft display arranged for our viewing enjoyment. We will follow this with a look at the flying element of the show in the next edition, but with both featuring a selection of photographs taken during what proved to be a hugely enjoyable weekend.

For those of us who were there, these reviews will hopefully bring back some very pleasant memories indeed, but for those who were unable to attend, I’m afraid they will definitely just confirm what a superb event you missed.

‘Clear prop!’, were Sywell bound in the latest edition of Airfix and Corgi Aerodrome.

Ultimate Warbirds at Home

The mighty P-47 Thunderbolt ‘Nellie B’ is one of the aircraft which calls Sywell home.

For those of us with a passion for vintage Warbirds, the Flying Legends Airshow occupies a special place in our hearts, an Airshow without equal which brought us the rarest and most exciting Warbirds in the world, all set in the historic surroundings of Duxford airfield. For one memorable weekend each year, this show took us back to the 1940s and how we loved it!

Unfortunately, after being spoilt for more years than we should have probably anticipated, Flying Legends has endured something of a challenging few years of late, with the last Duxford show taking place back in 2019 and a new event held at Church Fenton airfield in North Yorkshire being held in 2023, but nothing planned for this year. Rumours had previously circulated that the historic airfield at Sywell might serve as a future venue for the show, but with Sywell announcing their own show at the start of this year and the Flying Legends team keeping their cards very close to their chest, was Sywell Airshow going to be the Warbird event of the year?

The interesting aspect of this development was the fact that the airfield at Sywell is now home to Air Leasing Ltd, a specialist restoration and maintenance facility for WWII era aircraft, a business which is run by the Grace family. With a wealth of aviation experience and heritage to call upon, the business also offers the opportunity for members of the public to fly in a restored Warbird through Ultimate Warbird Flights and with a name like that, if you have the money to do so, why wouldn’t you want to partake of their services? 

Would this be the Warbird event of the year and even more than that, would this show become the annual Warbird extravaganza enthusiasts had been hoping for? There were so many questions to ponder the answers to, but while we did, tickets had to be secured, and arrangements made for a weekend stay in Northamptonshire towards the end of June.

The airfield at Sywell has a reputation for being something of an Art Deco treat for those paying it a visit, in addition to being described as one of the country’s finest general aviation airfields. In addition to all its aviation attractions, the airfield also boasts a celebrated restaurant, art deco hotel, a resident Warbird operator and even a museum on the perimeter of the airfield, run by a team of passionate volunteers who are determined to preserve the aviation heritage of Northamptonshire.

The airfield itself dates back to 1927, when land was leased to some local farmers who must have been rather intrepid back then, as they owned their own aeroplane and wanted to operate it locally. The following year, an aviation pageant was held at the site, which officially became recognised as Sywell aerodrome. The 1930s saw the arrival of the Brooklands Flying Club and later, a government contract to train pilots for service in the RAF Volunteer Reserve.

As war clouds gathered, Sywell would secure another government contract, this time to overhaul and repair Vickers Wellington bombers, and it’s estimated that almost 2,000 of these aircraft were worked on at the airfield.

This veteran of the Battle of Britain movie, Hispano Buchon ‘White 9’ was restored by Air Leasing at Sywell  from 2017 onwards and is now usually hangared down at Biggin Hill. 

Moving into the post war years, Sywell was to be a star of the silver screen, as it hosted a collection of Spitfires, Hurricanes and Messerschmitts (Buchons) during the late summer of 1968, as the airfield hosted aircraft taking part in filming for the epic Guy Hamilton Battle of Britain movie. The museum has several pictures on display showing some of the aircraft on the ground at Sywell, although most reports state that Sywell was used for many of the aerial scenes in the film.

General aviation has long been a feature of the activities at Sywell, as has the regular hosting of Airshow events, but an event hasn’t taken place here for around ten years or so, therefore, with that being the case, this new event for 2024 was clearly going to be a memorable occasion for everyone involved and no aviation enthusiast worth his or her salt could afford to miss out.

Organiser Richard Grace had done a great job in keeping enthusiasts informed about the new show, appearing as a guest on several podcasts early in the year, where he more than whetted our appetites regarding what we might expect, also suggesting the only thing he wasn’t in control of was the weather. He also established an impressive show website and social media communications which were both visually impactful and contained all the information we needed in advance of the event.

If enthusiasts were hoping for a Flying Legends type of event, well, we did get something a bit like that, however, this was always intended to be a different type of show, one which didn’t just appeal to hardened enthusiasts, but was a true celebration of aviation, allowing everyone to experience the thrill of aviation and classic aeroplanes. This was a show which had something for everyone, and it has to be said, was an absolute triumph for those who worked so hard behind the scenes.

I would go so far as to say that this was without question, the most enjoyable event I attended this year and for all those people reading this who sat on the fence and didn’t make the trip to Sywell, you really did miss something a bit special. All that being said, and as this is supposed to be a review blog, it’s probably about time we looked at a few aeroplanes, don’t you think!

The Grace Spitfire – A D-Day veteran

One of the most famous Spitfires in the world, the ‘Grace Spitfire’ was wearing some new markings in this 80th Anniversary of D-Day year.

In this D-Day 80th anniversary year, and as we’re reviewing a Sywell show, there really was only one aircraft we could open with, and that’s Spitfire ML407. Based at Sywell and unquestionably being one of the most famous historic aircraft on the UK Airshow scene, the aircraft is simply known as the ‘Grace Spitfire’ and was the passion project of Richard’s father Nick, who bought the aircraft and restored it to flying condition, making its first flight back in 1985. Like all two seat Spitfires, this aircraft started out as a Mk.IX fighter, but one which had a rather significant history and documented D-Day provenance.

Of all the privately owned Spitfires which have thrilled Airshow audiences over the past 40 years or so, there's one which not only boasts heritage as rich as any currently airworthy Spitfire, but also happens to possess genuine, documented combat provenance, an aircraft which has a unique D-Day claim to fame - Spitfire ML407. Constructed as a Mk IXc variant at the famous Castle Bromwich 'Shadow Factory' in early 1944, ML407 would go on to write her name in history as the first Allied fighter to claim a Luftwaffe aircraft shot down following the Allied amphibious landings on D-Day, not to mention going on to have an impressive post war flying career which continues to this day.

ML407 would fly operationally throughout the final months of the Second World War, serving with six different squadrons of the RAF's 2nd Tactical Air Force, and amassing 176 combat sorties and 319 hours of combat flying in the process. She was delivered to No.485 (New Zealand) Squadron on 29th April 1944, where she would become the aircraft assigned to Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton in preparation for operations covering the D-Day landings. No.485 Squadron would move to operate from the advanced landing airfield at RAF Selsey, as this was the closes UK mainland airfield to the landing beaches the squadron's aircraft would have to protect on 6th June 1944.

With temporary D-Day stripes and the application of wartime pilot Johnnie Houlton’s personal emblem, Spitfire ML407 was looking rather special for the Sywell show.

On D-Day itself, the squadron was tasked with flying 4 patrols to protect the Allied landings, however, Spitfire ML407 suffered damage to her propeller the previous day, so was unable to take part until the afternoon on D-Day. With Houlton at the controls, he and his wingman decided to patrol an area south of the Omaha beachhead, partly due to the sheer number of Allied aircraft operating in a relatively small piece of sky on the day, but also due to the complete lack of Luftwaffe opposition in their airspace. 

Almost immediately, Houlton caught sight of a Junkers Ju-88 attempting to find cover in the clouds and having adjusted his new gyroscopic gunsight for a longer distance shot, gave the Luftwaffe aircraft an accurate short burst from around 500 yards. With bullets striking the aircraft's engine, the Ju-88 burst into flames, causing the crew to immediately take to their parachutes as their stricken aircraft plummeted earthwards - Houlton and Spitfire ML407 had just become the first Allied pilot/aircraft combination to shoot down an enemy aircraft following the D-Day landings.

The pair would almost immediately share in the destruction of a second Ju-88 and over the course of the next few days, would account for two Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters and the damaging of another, all at a time when the Luftwaffe rarely ventured up to challenge the overwhelming aerial superiority of the Allied air forces.

Having already secured its place in aviation history, ML407 appeared determined that her post war career would be equally significant as her wartime exploits and she would be one of the Spitfires bought back by Vickers Supermarine after the war for conversion to two seat T.9 configuration for the Irish Air Corps. Arriving in Ireland on 30th July 1951, she would go on to wear the fuselage identification number 162 in Irish Air Corps service, and amass a further 762 hours in the air, training IAC pilots how to fly this powerful and extremely capable piston engined aircraft.

With her airframe hours now almost expired, ML407 was later allocated for use by the apprentice training section at Baldonnel as a ground instructional airframe, however, she was still determined this would not be the end of her story.

No longer required by the school, the aircraft was made available for sale and shipped back to the UK for her new owner in March 1968, passing on to a famous Warbird collector two years later and subsequently on to engineer and pilot Nick Grace in 1979. Nick had always had a fascination with Spitfires and dreamt that he might one day own one, so once this famous aircraft was in his possession, he embarked on a painstaking restoration of ML407 to return her to flying condition, a project which would take five years to complete.

Spitfire ML407 triumphantly took to the skies once more on 16th April 1985, in her later two-seat trainer configuration, but with the rear cockpit sporting what would become known as the 'Grace canopy conversion', as Nick preferred a sleeker look to his Spitfire, as opposed to the rather more blown, or bulbous appearance of standard T.9 Spitfire rear canopies. Since that date, this incredibly historic aircraft has been a regular sight in Britain's skies, not to mention the star of many an Airshow, often with Nick's wife Carolyn at the controls, following her husband's tragic death in 1988.

The aircraft is now under the care of Nick and Carolyn's son Richard at Sywell Aerodrome and in addition to performing at Airshows across the country each year, this Spitfire also allows a lucky few to fly as passengers in this genuine D-Day veteran, a thrilling once in a lifetime flight opportunity for those fortunate enough to experience it. If you always dreamt of flying in a Spitfire, surely you would want to have the Spitfire which actually claimed the first Allied aerial combat victory of D-Day in your personal logbook.  

Supermarine Spitfire ML407 continues to be airworthy to this day and was one of the stars of the show at this year’s show – its home event. In commemoration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, she was sporting recently applied ‘invasion stripes’, along with a further historic addition, the painting of Johnnie Houlton’s personal pink elephant emblem under the port-side windscreen. This was a lovely touch by the Air Leasing team.

The ‘Jersey Jerk’

Another of the aircraft which operates with Ultimate Warbirds and therefore also allows passenger flight experiences, North American P-51 Mustang ‘Jersey Jerk’ only arrived in the UK earlier this year, having made the long trip from Australia to grace the UK Airshow circuit. Without doubt one of the most flamboyantly presented Warbirds flying in Britain today, this Australian built CAC CA-18 Mk.21 is resplendent in the markings of Major Donald Strait, who flew operationally from the UK during the latter stages of the Second World War.

Such a stunning looking aeroplane, every UK enthusiast hopes this beautiful Mustang will be staying in the country for many years to come.

As far as distinctive Mustangs of the Second World War are concerned, there can be few that were as colourful as the machines flown by the 356th Fighter Group. Flying out of RAF Martlesham Heath in Suffolk, just a short flight from Britain’s North Sea coast, the group were known colloquially as the ‘Martlesham Playboys’ and the ‘Blue Diamonds’ for obvious reasons. The 356th only adopted the use of squadron colours relatively late in the war, with the 359th Fighter Squadron having yellow tails and spinners, the 360th using red and the 361st taking blue. Operating the mighty Republic P-47 Thunderbolt when the unit first deployed to England, they only received their Mustangs in November 1944, flying their first combat mission on the 20th of the month - the very day that Captain Don Strait assumed command of the 361st Fighter Squadron.

After successfully completing his flight training in the US, Donald J Strait arrived in England to fly the P-47 Thunderbolt in the Autumn of 1943. A native of Verona, New Jersey, he proudly took the name of his home state into combat with the Luftwaffe in the skies above Europe, naming his aircraft ‘Jersey Jerk’. Achieving three aerial victories whilst flying the Thunderbolt, Strait was to enjoy his most prolific period of combat success once his unit converted to the new P-51D Mustang at the end of 1944. Wearing the now distinctive markings of the 356th Fighter Group, Captain Strait and his ‘Jersey Jerk’ were to score a further 10.5 confirmed aerial victories in the final months of WWII, including a rather productive day on 20th February 1945 when he dispatched no fewer than three Fieseler Storch observation aircraft. With a total of 13.5 aerial victories, Donald Strait ended the war as the most successful ace pilot in the 356th Fighter Group.  

Flying 413 missions between 15th October 1943 and 7th May 1945, the 356th Fighter Group had the unenviable reputation of suffering the highest loss to kill ratio in the Eighth Air Force during combat operations against the Luftwaffe. Known as the ‘Hard Luck Outfit’, despite the skill and professionalism of its pilots, they regularly found themselves facing superior numbers of enemy fighters during dogfights, whilst other  Eighth Air Force units were struggling to engage the enemy in combat. Perhaps the Luftwaffe had a particular liking for the distinctively marked Mustangs of the 356th. 

An incredibly beautiful Warbird, enthusiasts will be hoping that this particular Mustang calls Britain its home for many years to come.

Sally B – A much loved old warhorse

The largest static aircraft on display at the show this year, Boeing B-17G ‘Sally B’ is a stalwart of the UK Airshow scene and is now the only airworthy example of this famous WWII bomber still flying in Europe. We’re not going to be spending too much time with her in this review, as next year is going to be doubly important one for her and the incredible group of people who keep her flying for us all to enjoy. As well as being her 80th birthday, she will also be marking 50 years since her arrival in the UK, both occasions the UK Airshow going public should celebrate with her.

We’re intending to spend quite some time celebrating Britain’s beloved B-17 throughout 2025, so I hope you will forgive us only giving her a passing, if affectionate mention in this review. What we will say is that the aircraft starred as the magnificent centrepiece of a bomber airfield vignette during both mornings of the show, something which was absolutely fascinating to see and made for some memorable photographs. Those who arranged this did a tremendous job and if you didn’t know any better, you could imagine yourself being on a bomber station back in early 1944.

Great War Warbirds from Sweden

This pair of classic Great War fighters arrived in Northamptonshire by road from Sweden.

When it comes to the subject of famous fighting aeroplanes on show at this year’s event, not all of them were representing the home team, as some of the most interesting were examples of enemy aircraft types. Making an intrepid road journey all the way from Sweden, renowned engineer, restoration specialist and pilot Mikael Carlson brought two of his aeroplanes to grace Northamptonshire skies, both reproduction examples of two of the most feared Luftstreitkräfte fighters of the Great War.

Both Mikael’s Fokker Dr.1 Dreidecker and Fokker D.VII are relatively recently built examples of these classic fighting aeroplanes, both built to exacting standards using original plans, but as far as I’m aware, both powered by original engines. Not only were we able to witness the legendary manoeuvrability of these fighting Fokkers, but we were also treated to the sound of their classic engines, the same sound troops fighting in the trenches of the Western Front might have heard.

Fokker Dr.1

Perhaps the more famous of the two aircraft, the Fokker Dr.1 was produced as the German aircraft industry continually searched for an aircraft which would give them the air supremacy they had enjoyed during the period known as the ‘Fokker Scourge’. As the technology of aerial combat started to evolve during the air battles of the Great War, the Luftstreitkräfte were the first to introduce a hunting aeroplane designed to dominate the skies and to shoot down other aircraft - the Fokker Eindecker. Initially deployed as single aircraft protecting reconnaissance flights, they would later go on to form dedicated fighting squadrons, known as Jagdstaffel or Jastas, where the entire unit was dedicated to gaining air superiority over the enemy. 

The final incarnation of German fighter deployment tactics was the creation of the Jagdgeschwader, or fighter wings, the most famous of which being Manfred von Richthofen’s JG.1, the celebrated ‘Flying Circus’. Only the finest pilots were invited to join these units and with the Red Baron as their enigmatic leader, how could anyone afforded the honour of joining this unit possibly refuse? A specialist fighting wing, Jagdgeschwader 1 was made up of Jastas 4,6,10 and 11 and was intended to be a highly mobile hunting unit, deployed strategically to areas of the front where their skills were needed most. 

Such an iconic view, despite the fact that the Fokker Dr.1 was one of the most famous aircraft in aerial warfare, only 320 of these aircraft were produced.

The title ‘Flying Circus’ came about partly because of the array of distinctive colour schemes applied to aircraft of the wing, but also to the fact that they had their own dedicated rail transportation to take them to and from the various combat zones along the front lines. Wherever the fighting was at its most intense, you could be sure the ‘Flying Circus’ would soon be in town. 

The notoriety of the Dreidecker was gained purely because of the aircraft’s association with Manfred von Richthofen, even though he used various Albatros fighters to score the majority of his victories. His reign as the most feared airman of the Great War came to an end whilst flying his red Fokker Dr.I, although it is interesting to note that only a relatively small 320 of these aircraft were actually built.

Fokker D.VII

Without doubt one of the finest fighting aeroplanes of the Great War and definitely the most capable fighter to ever see Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte service, the Fokker D.VII was developed in response to the introduction of several new Allied fighter types, aircraft which gained a hard-fought superiority of the skies over the Germans. Aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel and Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a had managed to turn the tables on the Luftstreitkräfte in the skies over the Western Front and the Germans knew something had to be done. The Military Aviation Bureau decided to hold a major competition to find a new fighter to redress this imbalance, inviting all the major aviation manufacturers, plus a few smaller companies, to send their aircraft for evaluation by current air aces, with the victorious aircraft almost certain to go into immediate production.

In the opinion of many, the Fokker D.VII was the finest fighting aeroplane of the Great War and was the only aircraft specifically mentioned in the terms of the armistice. 

Famous Dutch designer Anthony Fokker was sure that a design he had been working on was capable of winning this competition and instructed his talented lead designer Reinhold Platz to head the project, using all means at his disposal to have the aircraft ready in time. The new aircraft incorporated everything he had learned whilst designing combat aeroplanes, in addition to including some innovations never seen on an aircraft to this point, ensuring this machine had the best chance of success. Crucially, although initially intended to be powered by a rotary engine, the availability of the Mercedes D.IIIa engine gave the Fokker team access to a powerful, proven engine, which would allow for trouble free operation, something which would be crucial if this aircraft was to be introduced in large numbers and to have a combat impact.

The prototype aircraft was delivered to the Adlershof airfield near Berlin for the trials in January 1918, where it was pitted against around thirty other competing aircraft, which interestingly included several other Fokker designs. Flown by some of the leading air aces of the day, including the Red Baron himself, Manfred von Richthofen, their D.VII design emerged victorious, after receiving enthusiastic support from von Richthofen and an initial order for 400 machines was placed immediately. With the aircraft proving to be everything the Luftstreitkräfte had been hoping for, the Fokker company were simply incapable of manufacturing the number of fighters required, so a deal was struck to allow their long-time competitor, Albatros Flugzeugwerke, to build the Fokker D.VII under licence. Eventually, three factories would be employed in producing this magnificent fighting aeroplane, Fokker at Schwerin and Albatros at Johannisthal and their subsidiary factory at Schneidemühl in Poland (OAW - Osterdeutsche Albatros Werke). 

A star aviation attraction, Mikael Carlson brought his beautiful Fokker D.VII all the way from Sweden to captivate the Sywell audience.

On making its combat introduction, the Fokker D.VII came as an unpleasant surprise for Allied airmen. With an appearance which was neither as streamlined as the Albatros D.Va nor as menacing as the Fokker Dr.1, the new fighter looked almost agricultural in comparison, with its thick wings and boxlike fuselage. This appearance was extremely deceptive, as the D.VII was a thoroughbred fighting machine and Allied airmen quickly learned to respect their new aerial adversary. Possessing ample power and exceptional low speed performance, reports started to circulate that the D.VII could almost hang vertically on its propeller, firing at Allied aircraft from below, then diving away to build up speed for its next attack run. 

As greater numbers of this capable new aircraft began to appear over the Western Front, so German victory tallies began to increase, and Allied airmen were once more forced into an attritional battle for aerial superiority above the trenches. In August 1918 alone, Fokker D.VIIs accounted for no fewer than 565 Allied aircraft destroyed, quickly earning such a fearsome reputation that it would later become a specific requirement of the armistice terms delivered by the Allies - all remaining Fokker D.VIIs must be surrendered to the Allies.

Compared to the 320 Fokker Dr.1 Dreidecker fighters manufactured, the Fokker D.VII absolutely obliterated its predecessor in terms of numbers produced, with 3,300 of these capable fighters eventually leaving the various manufacturing plants.

The Flying Bulls and more

The Flying Bulls take up residence at Sywell aerodrome for one fabulous weekend in June.

As I have already gone on a bit with this review, I’m going to save my detailed look at the stunning Flying Bull aircraft until the next instalment, but not before including a series of images featuring these classic fighting aeroplanes. They will head this final selection of static display images taken at this year’s Sywell 2024 Airshow Weekend, but prepare to go airborne in our next edition.

The largest aircraft of the Flying Bull fleet at Sywell, the other aircraft all formatted on this gleaming B-25 Mitchell.

A popular performer on the European Airshow circuit, this Mustang joined the Flying Bulls squadron in 2021, where she received their trademark highly polished finish.

A potent performer, this F4U-4 Corsair was one of three examples on display at this year’s show.

Pride of the fleet, this stunning Lockheed P-38 Lightning has been with the Flying Bulls since 2009.

Although it was hoped that several C-47s would be at this year’s show, only US based ‘Placid Lassie’ actually made it.

Unquestionably the most famous Spitfire in the world, is MH434 now the most famous historic aircraft in the world?

Absolute aviation culture, this Beech GB-2 Staggerwing is a stunning looking aeroplane, particularly in these Royal Navy colours.

A brute of an aeroplane, this Spitfire FR.XIV must be something of a handful to handle.

Another view of the mighty Jug, ‘Nellie B’ is now a regular and popular performer on the UK Airshow circuit.

The Suffolk Spitfire is one of the most unusual Spitfires on the UK Airshow circuit, as she marks USAAF use of the Spitfire during the Second World War.

I’m afraid that’s all we have for you this time, but we will be back again in four weeks’ time with more news and pictures from the world of aviation. Thank you for your continued support and as always, if you would like to comment on anything blog related or suggest a subject you would like to see covered in a future edition of Aerodrome, please do drop us a line at aerodrome@airfix.com, where we would be delighted to hear from you.

[Ratch]

The event was held over two days; I attended on the Sunday. In terms of flying, the only difference was that an F-35 made an appearance on the Saturday, and the Red Arrows closed the Sunday show. Apparently this was the largest grass airfield, piston powered display in Europe.

A few of the 1900 pictures I snapped.

[Ratch]

[Ratch]

[Ratch]

[paul71]

19 hours ago, Ratch said:

A few of the 1900 pictures I snapped.

sound a bit like me ratch i can get get a bit carried away with the camera too, you got some really nice pictures there.

[Ratch]

The good thing about digital photography is that you don't have to print/show the rubbish pix (and there were lots of those). Also, when taking shots of flying (or anything moving) I use the continuous shot function in the hope of capturing one good image 😉

[paul71]

I've got lots of pictures of random heads too, sometimes that one good shot turns up and makes it worth while 😁

[A J Rimmer]

Some excellent photos Richard - it looks like a good show. 

[Ratch]

It was a great day out.

[modeling maniac]

Nice day out by the looks of it. How did you manage to take 1900 photos though?

[Ratch]

I have two DSLR cameras.

[A J Rimmer]

He has a very sticky shutter button! 

That is one of the plus's of digital I suppose. If you were to have taken that amount on film, at £15 a roll and £15 developing, that would have set you back about £1,500!