Debach And the B-17 "Liberty Belle", Suffolk - 12th July 2008
Nosher is invited over to Debach Airfield to take photos of a secret flypast of the B-17 "Liberty Belle", plus the Grace Spitfire and Maurice Hammond's Mustang, Janie, who are all flying around East Anglia for (the B-17 at least) probably the last time ever. The photo op itself is a bit of a bust, as the three iconic aircraft fly over the control tower of Debach at around 1,000 feet - far too high to get any decent photos. However, it's still a nice morning out of the office (plus it's nice to be invited), and it's always cool to see and hear aircraft like these doing their thing. Meanwhile, however, David "DH" Hardaker is over at Bentwaters (where the B-17 is temporarily based) getting in some cool close-up photos of the planes on the ground. (these photos, 0001.jpg-0144.jpg, © D. Hardaker)
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These are cropped thumbnails. Click on an image to view the full photograph.
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The Grace Spitfire, with Mustang "Janie" (both aircraft are loosely related by engine) in the background |
Spitfire: possibly the most gorgeous plane ever built |
The B-17 "Liberty Belle" taxis down the runway at Bentwaters |
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Liberty Belle with 4 Wright Cyclone engines idling |
The nose-work of Liberty Belle |
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Crowds mill around the Liberty Belle B-17 |
Ready for another trip around the skies of Suffolk |
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Liberty Belle takes off from Bentwaters |
Close-up of the nose-gunner's plexi-glass dome |
The co-pilot's stick in the B-17's cockpit |
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B-17 controls |
The waist-gunner's position |
Meanwhile, back at Debach, the lads put out a station ident |
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"Station 152's" sign is laid out |
Unlocking the control tower |
Poking around in the control tower |
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A view over Debach airfield |
In the museum, there's a nice model of a B-24 "Liberator" (which Nosher's grandfather used to fly out of Aylsham in Norfolk) |
Collections of wartime stuff in the museum |
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Close-up of the B-24's nose art-work - it's called "The Shack" |
Evocative bullet-ridden glass from the back of a gunner's seat |
The lads in the tea hut |
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Getting a brew on the go as we await the fly-past |
A few military vehicles are scattered around the control tower |
Nearby, an MTB boat lies around with some foliage growing up through it |
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The new museum building |
Outside, a toilet is randomly lying around |
A look-out on top of the tower scopes out for action |
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Just a little later than scheduled, the Grace Spitfire (left), B-17 "Liberty Belle" and the P-51 Mustang "Janie" fly over the tower |
Janie, Liberty Belle and Grace fly on back to Bentwaters |
The lads look out for a possible return |
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Just in case... |
Meanwhile, back in the tower, an operative waits for dispatches... |
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