[PICS] Hamilton airshow 1985 memories

[Steve T]

August et al--

Oh my...full speed astern down memory lane...

The '90 Canadian Memorial Flight. That was the weekend MK297 dinged her prop; she never flew again. Only one of the aircraft in Eric's pic is still active. That formation, though, is not only soon to be possible again but, all things (and owners) considered, downright likely within the decade. The Mossie and Spit MK297 were both there one other year also..iirc the Mossie in 88 and the Spit in 89. After the Saturday of the '90 show, no Spitfire was ever on an HIAS flying program again...

Far as I know the last time MK923 was at the Hope was that magic day in September 88 when the Lanc was publically demonstrated for the first time. 2000 people, they thought. Hah. Ten times that showed up. What a day...I can certainly confirm that Jerry B brought "5J:Z" to HIAS in '82, also, as I was directly underneath his lawnmower arrival pass that year. (My reaction to The Rotol Haircut was happier and less profane than Alain deCadenet's in that famous video of Ray Hanna... ) Same year and also pre-weekend, was eating a sandwich beside Hgr#3 when Mustang "Lou IV" went scorching past at a Reno-looking speed and altitude, bound due northward...ie. at ninety degrees to the flightline and main runway. Yee-haw!

The Thunderbolts I and II flyby...saw that after a rained-out '82 show day that otherwise consisted of long, wondrous solo aerobatic routines by Jerry B in the Spit and Howard Pardue in his Wildcat. By the time all that happened the weather had turned lovely.

The AIR GROUP NINETEEN Bearcat...I remember that one, viewed from inside Hgr#4, taxiing in, just as he shut down in came a tremendous rain squall. Have always wanted to do a painting of that scene.

Color Me Gone...Tangerine...the XP...hanging round (sometimes out on the grass beyond the flightline) all through arrival day...what times those were. Many thanks for the vivid reminders!

S.

[k5083]

Per Michel's request, here are my other pics of Lanc FM213 from 1985.

Of interest is that CWH had started to install a high-profile Frazer-Nash turret, rather than the low-profile Martin one they eventually went with. The Fraser-Nash would have been more accurate for the paint scheme chosen for the aircraft, although the Martin shows the way FM213 was actually built.

Glad this thread has sparked some interest. I have many more pics from other years, but I'm facing a busy week and some business travel, so I expect it'll be a week or so before I can get them touched up and posted.

August

[JDK]

Of interest is that CWH had started to install a high-profile Frazer-Nash turret, rather than the low-profile Martin one they eventually went with. The Fraser-Nash would have been more accurate for the paint scheme chosen for the aircraft, although the Martin shows the way FM213 was actually built.

IIRC, the position of the Martin turret on the Canadian built Lancs is different to the Frazer Nash, so if the FN was used, it would be in the wrong position. Also the detent rail is very characteristic of the FN turret, and would have required fabrication. The BBMF Lanc PA474 had the upper turret brought back from Argentina by an RN warship in the 1970s, IIRC. Very ironic in 1982.

...but I'm facing a busy week and some business travel, so I expect it'll be a week or so before I can get them touched up and posted.

What sort of excuse is that? Get your priorities in order, man.

[AIRIC]

Some fighters from the early years.

CAF Wildcat


One of Don Plumb's P-40s


Bill Ross and his P-38


Air Zoo's FG-1D




Happy Easter,

Eric

[k5083]

Of interest is that CWH had started to install a high-profile Frazer-Nash turret, rather than the low-profile Martin one they eventually went with. The Fraser-Nash would have been more accurate for the paint scheme chosen for the aircraft, although the Martin shows the way FM213 was actually built.

IIRC, the position of the Martin turret on the Canadian built Lancs is different to the Frazer Nash, so if the FN was used, it would be in the wrong position. Also the detent rail is very characteristic of the FN turret, and would have required fabrication. The BBMF Lanc PA474 had the upper turret brought back from Argentina by an RN warship in the 1970s, IIRC. Very ironic in 1982.

JDK, you are quite right about the turret position and on balance I favor leaving the aircraft in a configuration accurate to the real airplane rather than the paint scheme. For that reason I find it interesting that CWH went so far as to begin to install an FN as shown in these pics. Perhaps their initial thinking was that since the a/c was to be painted to honor a VC winning mid-upper gunner, they ought to restore that position to look like his did, which seems to me also a valid point of view. I'm glad, in any case, that I have the pics to give a hint what the a/c might have looked like with an F-N.

August

[EDowning]

Cool to see my Yale in the first series of pics. I bought it 10 years ago, I think Tom Crevasse still owned it 1985, but I would have to look to be sure.

[Michel Lemieux]

August......

Many, many, many tks for the pics.

Greatly appreciated.

[AirJimL2]

As promised a few more from HIAS 1982. Bombers and Transports this time.

The ill-fated Spanich AD-4:





Briefing Time:



An unknown AT-11:



This one confused me for years, but I think it is Lady Lodestar pre-camo:



Jim

[AIRIC]

Nice shooting Jim. I remember the show well.

Eric

[daveymac82c]

August, I would really love to see as many pictures as you've got of the CWH Lancaster restoration. I think it would be worth a new thread though.

Cheers,

David