Tag: Spitfire

A Garden Airshow

A Garden Airshow

It’s that time of the year again, and indeed that year again, when the Farnborough Airshow is on.

The last time I went to the airshow was 6 years ago, and once again, I didn’t manage to get to it this time either. However, as I live on the other side of ‘the hill’ to the airfield (its not actually as close as it sounds) was are lucky enough to get aircraft overhead when they are on holding patterns or arriving at the show.

This time though, we didn’t really see the Red Arrows or any of the jets overhead. Maybe this is due to the new rules on airshows and where aircraft go, or can display. The Red Arrows was only a flypast. We didn’t see the Lancaster either.

It didn’t however stop a Spitfire circling above, nor a Yak & Corsair.

So, my garden airshow this time was like this.

Sadly all the aircraft seemed to circled around us, not too close.

Until it decided it was time to head to do its display, and fly right overhead! With this shot, the colours are straight from the camera and caused by the lens, but its created an interesting shot.

Then, an aircraft I didn’t recognise but a quick look on the Airshow website told me it was a YAK 3

This was taken in duller conditions so I made the images black and white and a bit grainy. I think it worked well.

There was definitely less aircraft over the garden this year but still so lucky to see them anyway.

After the show had finished, I was settled back at the computer and heard something noisy and low, I trapped the camera and got this photo of the A380 heading home.

In Preparation for 70th Anniversary of D-Day

In Preparation for 70th Anniversary of D-Day

In preparation of the 70th Anniversary of D-Day, I’ve started creating some D-Day related designs.

This new mousemat shows the reconnaissance Spitfire PR Mk XIX that would have been used to take reconnaissance photo for the D-Day preparations. It shows a mock-up of the map with the landing beachs and the flag of the countries landing on those beaches.

I hope to create a couple more in the next few weeks.

Happy Birthday Supermarine Spitfire!

Happy Birthday Supermarine Spitfire!

Yesterday was the Spitfire’s 78th Birthday.

I think whether you are into old aircraft or not, most people know the Spitfire and it just grabs your attention and you have to admire the men who fly it. Just it’s sound makes you stop and look up!

So many Happy returns!

Spitfire Namer Passes Away in October

Spitfire Namer Passes Away in October

I read about this on the BBC website…

“If it had not been for Annie Penrose, RAF pilots might have found themselves piloting Shrews rather than Spitfires in the Battle of Britain. Her father, Sir Robert McLean, was chairman of Vickers between the wars and worked closely with R J Mitchell who was designing a new single-seater fighter. Mitchell had wanted to call the new plane the Shrew but McLean insisted it was called the Spitfire, the nickname he had bestowed on his somewhat headstrong daughter. After opposition from the Air Ministry he finally got his way. Annie, who was born in India, went on to marry the actor Robert Newton before his drinking and womanising led to divorce. She later married Beakus Penrose and became the chatelaine of the Killiow Estate in Cornwall which she ran well into her 80s.” – taken from BBC website