The American Air Museum, USAF 8th & 9th Air Forces Europe

[cessna152towser]

Today's trip was by car to Newcastle Airport, Easyjet to Stansted, then a short train ride from there to Cambridge and a short run on Cambridge city bus to the Imperial War Museum's Duxford Airfield. This is a former RAF fighter station which closed during the 1960's. From 1943 to 1945 the USAF 8th Air Force operated from here. It is now a huge museum site housing numerous exhibition halls on land and air warfare. This photo thread concentrates solely on the American Air Museum.

There were two other kilties on the Stansted flight and plenty of kilts in evidence at Stansted - possibly English based ex-pat Scots heading off to Bari to watch the Italy-v-Scotland soccer game tomorrow evening. There are at least six kilts visible in this candid shot taken in the concourse at Stansted Airport.

The large blister hangar houses the American Air Museum, complete with American themed coffee bar and a roll of honour for all the American personnel who gave their lives helping Britain in war.

The plaque at the museum entrance.

The bust of General Doolittle

The exhibition is packed with exhibits including over twenty warbirds, some suspended from the ceiling

A North American Texan or Harvard hangs from the ceiling

Mannequins add to the authenticity.

Such as these mechanics servicing a B-17 Superfortress.

[auld argonian]

My dad was with the Eighth Army Air Force...he's been on several reunion trips to Holland in honor of Operation Chowhound/Manna. Too bad that he's no longer able to travel...he'd love the place.

Best

AA

[cessna152towser]

T-33A Teebird

F-4 Phantom

Mitchell

F-15 Eagle



There are a lot of World War II buildings remaining.

Outside the souvenir shop

The adjacent Air and Space exhibition, seen from the top of Concorde's gangway. The prominent aircraft here is the Vulcan bomber XJ824, which is next in sequence after the Carlisle Airport gate guardian XJ823.

[Tattoo Bradley]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing...

[Fearnest]

Another great travelogue! Thanks for sharing the piccies!

[Splash_4]

Wow!!!! Thanks for sharing those photos! I have hit three of the largest air museums in the US (USAF museum in Dayton OH, the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola Florida and the Air and Space museum in DC) and may have to add that one to my next trip over the pond!

[ccga3359]

Great pics again Alex, just curious what of those planes would you not fly? Seeing these my reminds me of my "war era" dear old dad (RN) used to say
"There's only 3 things wrong with the Yanks;
Over-sexed
Over-payed
&
Over here!"

As an ex-British pat. thanks to all allied servicemen and to the women who ran the factories at home.

[MACKAY]

The photos are stunning. Thanks for sharing.

I love those old war birds and have been to the Reno (Nevada) air races a few times here in the States where you can see many of them still flying and and a few actually racing. A lot of P-51 Mustangs with those big beautiful RR engines in them. Two or three racing overhead is quite intimidating.

Thanks again for sharing a bit of British-American war history.

Lest we never forget -


Brian

[pdcorlis]

Wow Alex - what an amazing place - thanks for taking us along to see such a wonderful collection of warbirds!

[Panache]

C152T,

Thanks for another great photo tour. The Flame-Haired Celtic Amazon Goddess' Grandfather was a bomber pilot in World War II and stationed in England. I never had the pleasure of meeting him before he died. I spent an interesting afternoon with my wife's grandmother where she brought out his dress uniform and his flight logs. It was amazing to read about these long grueling and very dangerous missons summed up in just a few very concise sentences.

This museum is a wonderful reminder of when great deeds were done on a daily basis.

Cheers

Panache