Now How Did He Get This Here.

[Chelsea14Ian]

Took this photo yesterday on the way to work at London bridge station.

Part of the D-Day events going on here and France to mark the 75 th Anniversary. Spare a moment to remember all those that gave there life for us.

[wombat nee blownup]

Its made out of memory foam, the display herbets carry them in bags, unzip then take to their toes sharpish. 

[Chelsea14Ian]

I didn't for one minute think it landed there,it was my light hearted look .However my message was not.the bravery by those that took part in D-Day was incredible. 

[grendel]

Actually I dont think Wombat is that far off the mark, there is a lightweight display replica around, that comes in pieces so its a case of wheel it into place and then stick the wings on (its either that or its the full sized airfix kit one that James May made.)

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

45 minutes ago, grendel said:

Actually I dont think Wombat is that far off the mark, there is a lightweight display replica around, that comes in pieces so its a case of wheel it into place and then stick the wings on (its either that or its the full sized airfix kit one that James May made.)

It`s definitely not the one James May had built, but you are right in that it is a "promotional kit" where it`s trailered  somewhere and then put the wings on. Whether it`s made from some original parts i don`t know, but i think it may have a few that are no longer airworthy. 

I saw a "clippie" flying over down hear in East Dorset on Saturday, which did`nt sound like a merlin engine, so must have been a Griffon power unit. The Merlin is a sound all of its own, and so emotional and evocative.

 

Here`s a thought, imagine when Alphacraft were still going and put a Merlin engine in their boat called Spitfire. I think the BA s S,O,B would have trouble catching that if speeding?  .

[Ray]

[DAVIDH]

In that grey colour, it looks like a giant Airfix model. Take a lot of Humbro paint to finish that!

[FairTmiddlin]

Near to me at Capel le Ferne (Between Folkestone and Dover)

There is the Battle of Britain Memorial

Built on one of the big gun emplacements. They have two such replicas both of fibreglass.

One of each Spitfire and Hurricane.

It's quite possible the moulds to make these are the original moulds from Pinewood studios, where many replicas were made for the film Battle of Britain. Most of which was filmed three miles away at Hawkinge WW11 airfield.

[Smoggy]

1 hour ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

Here`s a thought, imagine when Alphacraft were still going and put a Merlin engine in their boat called Spitfire. I think the BA s S,O,B would have trouble catching that if speeding?  .

Sob won't be catching anything anytime soon.....

[StillCruising]

I live near Goodwood where there is a spitfire flying school so we often get to hear the wonderful noise of the merlin engine.

Slightly off topic but back in the day I knew John Dodds who had a meteor (downgraded merlin) engine in his car 'The Beast', that went pretty fast albeit being bloody noisy. There some videos about it on Youtube.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

3 hours ago, FairTmiddlin said:

Near to me at Capel le Ferne (Between Folkestone and Dover)

There is the Battle of Britain Memorial

Built on one of the big gun emplacements. They have two such replicas both of fibreglass.

One of each Spitfire and Hurricane.

It's quite possible the moulds to make these are the original moulds from Pinewood studios, where many replicas were made for the film Battle of Britain. Most of which was filmed three miles away at Hawkinge WW11 airfield.

My aunt and uncle lived in Hawkinge in the 60s and 70s. Their bungalow was on the main road through, and their back fence was the also the boundary fence to the airfield  We went down there one weekend expecting to them filming the Battle of Britain. When we got there, they`d all gone, because of a dry spell of good weather, meant they finished filming early. 

We used to drive our go kart around the peri track. 

But the most strange thing was, if you stood with the front of your legs up against my aunts fence, you could hear the cars and normal everyday life. But step over and stand against the fence, and it was deadly silent, and that`s no lie. We used to walk around the peri track to the hangers and technical centre, and you always got a ghostly feeling that someone was with you, and you felt a plane coming into land.  The expression is "You can hear the ghosts", and i swear that this what we experienced.

Ever since those days, i`ve had such a fascination of WW2 airfields and love to visit what few remaining ones there are.

The bonus was, in 91, i started work at West Malling airdrome, and in good weather, often walked around the peri  track at lunchtimes to the back area (disused and overgrown) and got the same feeling. I did so to get that feeling

Very spooky, by also very moving and good for the soul.

 

[Vaughan]

 

The old control tower on Ludham Airfield, visible from the new road between Potter Heigham and Catfield. Photo taken only last week.

History is all around us, if we take the time to look, and reflect.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

1 hour ago, Vaughan said:

 

The old control tower on Ludham Airfield, visible from the new road between Potter Heigham and Catfield. Photo taken only last week.

History is all around us, if we take the time to look, and reflect.

Was there a museum based in here up until a few years back?.  I know it looks derelict, but when left abandoned, buildings often deteriorate very quickly, especially buildings such as these, as they were only built for a limited time, and not to last for longer than the war.

 

[MBA Marine]

If you want to know about the GRP spitfires then talk to GB replicas in Catfield, they are very good at what they do.

[Stationerystill]

I have seen the replica Spitfires made by GB replica's at Catfield. They are incredibly realistic, right down to the last rivet, even when standing very close.

[VetChugger]

2 hours ago, SPEEDTRIPLE said:

Was there a museum based in here up until a few years back?

I suspect you might be thinking of the Radar Museum but that is still open I think!

https://www.radarmuseum.co.uk/

[Vaughan]

Incidentally, Ludham airfield played host in the latter part of the war to Lightning fighters of the USAF, which escorted the bombers on daylight raids over Germany. One of them, damaged when returning, crashed into a house right next door to Tommy Thrower's stores in the centre of Ludham. Maybe the Ludham Archive has a photo of it? 

I saw one once, but can't remember where.

[batrabill]

You can join a guided walk around Ludham airfield and hear about its part in the war. Just did it last weekend and it was fascinating and moving. 

The simplest way is to look at the Ludham Community Archive page on Facebook. 

Bill Bucks runs the tours. 

[batrabill]

https://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/vivacious-vera-s-luck-runs-out-and-it-s-a-fight-to-rescue-pilot-from-blazing-cockpit-1-3983537

[RumPunch]

7 hours ago, VetChugger said:

I suspect you might be thinking of the Radar Museum but that is still open I think!

https://www.radarmuseum.co.uk/

No - there was a control tower museum there back in the 90's - I visited. They also had a fuselage portion of something outside, Tempest or similar I think