Private Tour Pt 1

[61_OTU]

So after our day out at Hendon we were off to Duxford for the autumn show, but not before we got a private tour of a couple of hangars. I don't want to say too much, they're not my planes, but if anyone knows anything about them then please share.

First we got a great view of these walking up, two of them, due to star in a film about the Berlin airlift. I'm reliably informed they are DC4's



A star of Band of Brother's apparently, a DC3, and a very sad looking B25  :(



Inside, and what appears to be Doug's very own B25 . Considering it's name this one looked much happier



And outside the cave of wonders, a Gnat!



What's inside I wonder?  :o

[beaky]

Swee-eet!
That "Gooneybird" is technically a C47, but- same thing, really.
Hadn't heard about the Berlin airlift movie; that should be interesting.

[C]

Ahhh, North Weald...

First pic is the C-54 which I thought had been here and finished filming last year  (I think its.

The C-47 is certainly in the right place for Band of Brothers - the take off shots were taken at North Weald too. The B-25 is a lomg time resident of North Weald. It's been in that state for years...

Douglas C-54D-DC N44914 (c/n 10630/361) looks really brilliant, while parked here at North Weald. It's decorated with a fake USAF serial: 44-42914.


It's history does date back to the US Army Air Force, to which it was delivered on 20Mar45, but the serial assigned was 42-72525. It was transferred immediately to the U.S.Navy, as BuNo 56498. It was converted to a C-54Q during 1962. This veteran retired in Apr72, stored at Davis Monthan AFB,AZ.
It went to civvie street for Biegert Aviation of Arizona as N44914 in Oct75. Biegert converted it to a bug-sprayer. During 1979 it operated its last bug-spraying mission when Biegert's contract ended. N44914 sat in the Arizona desert, awaiting better times. By 1995 there were only 21.051 flighthours on the airframe.
More than 50 years after its initial delivery it was bought, in 1996, by Atlantic Warbirds Inc (New Hampshire, USA) and they were responsible for a complete restoration and this magnificent (MATS Atlantic Division) colourscheme ! With (BuNo) 56498 on its tail it was seen on various air shows. By June 2002 the airframe hours totalled 21.085.
On 03Sep03 it was bought by Sherman Aircraft Sales Inc and registered that same date to Aces High US Ltd. It arrived together with N31356 at North Weald on 27Sep02 from Reykjavik, for Aces High UK.

http://www.ruudleeuw.com/uk2003.htm

"Grumpy" is the former Fighter Collection B-25 which was sold last year. I obviously hasn't made the trip across the pond yet...

Nice Gnat too...

[ozzy72]

Wonderful snaps Steve