|
Flying Legends is the showcase event of the
world-renowned Fighter Collection, brining together the classic aircraft
of two world wars to soar and loop across the Cambridgeshire skies.
Squadrons of piston-engine fighters and bombers perform daring manoeuvres
and battle formations, in two days of stunning aerial sequences from these
historic propeller-driven combat aircraft, culminating in the inspiring
Flying Legends Flypast finale.
Billed as the
warbird show in Europe, Flying Legends is a joint venture between The
Fighter Collection and the Imperial War Museum, and once again, this
unique two-day spectacular featuring some of the world’s rarest and most
historic aircraft, didn’t fail to impress
There is also an opportunity to see these amazing aircraft at close
quarters when the Flight Line Walk is opened in the morning on both show
days.
As with all Duxford shows, the flying display commences mid afternoon, and
at Legends takes on the form of a three hour frenzy of activity, with tail
chasing, formation flying and solo routines all nicely mixed up and
presented in such a way that quiet moments are hard to come by |
|
A star
of the show for many was the appearance of the extremely rare Polikarpov
1-15bis, an agile little biplane that tumbled across the sky in some
daring acrobatic manoeuvres. Developed by Russian Nicolay Polikarpov from
the earlier 1-5 fighter, the Polikarpov actually replaced the monoplane
1-16 in service in parts of the USSR and is in fact the only example of
its type left in the world, having made the journey from Russia to be at
Legends.
Resident B-17 Flying
Fortress, Sally-B, was this year joined by her French counterpart, B-17
Flying Fortress, Pink Lady which made for an emotive part of the show as
the two flew together. Twenty-six aircraft, including two B-25 Mitchells,
several Spitfires and Hurricanes, took to the skies in the traditional
mass flypast finale to the show, the biggest formation balbo of warbirds
seen in Europe each year and, as ever, a fitting end to a truly timeless
show.
 |
