Duxford Aviation Society header British Airliner Collection header British Military Vehicles Collection header

The DAS Blog

Winter work in the workshop 3

On board the Ambassador volunteers Ray and Cliff were doing major renovation work on the freight door. This heavy structure has been increasingly difficult to open in recent years and Ray has been keen to reinstate the spring and cable system that makes it possible for one person to open the door with ease. Last used in 1971, this powerful mechanism presents a temendous challenge but... more >

By Bob Wright, 18 April 2023

Winter work in the workshop 2

The BAe146 axle stands have been created and painted also in for a repaint were the BAC 1-11 engine support panels.  more >

By Bob Wright, 18 April 2023

Winter work in the workshop 1

The aircraft workshop looked pretty clear early February but new challenges arrived mid month. Huge fibreglass engine blanks were laid out on a bench for a clean and polish. These belong to the VC10 which has a full programme of anti-corrosion work planned in the spring.  more >

By Bob Wright, 18 April 2023

STROND Concorde Watches

A recent visit to Duxford provided the opportunity to showcase the STROND watches in Concorde 101 G-AXDN's cockpit. Each watch contains a part of a genuine panel and so is a unique way of owning a part of this historic aircraft. The watch is available in both manual and automatic movements https://www.stronduk.com/product-page/strond-g-axdn-24h-automatic https://www.stronduk.com/product-page/ssc-101-24h-gmt-all-stainless-steel-blue     ... more >

By Bob Wright, 6 February 2023

STROND Automatic Concorde Watch. Act soon for a discount

*** Act soon to get a pre sale discount on this fantastic watch ***   An exciting new watch has just been released by our partner STROND Please click on the link below to see details of this beautiful timepiece which incorporates a part of our iconic Concorde 101 G-AXDN https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/astburyandkent/world-famous-concorde-inspired-101-automatic-watch  more >

By Bob Wright, 13 August 2022

DAS Museum 360-degree tour.

Click on image below to enter the DAS Museum 360-degree tour. Click on image below to enter the DAS Museum 360-degree flight deck tour.     more >

By Steve Jeal, 11 May 2022

New home for the Herald

New home for the Herald

  We can now confirm the rumours that Handley Page Herald G-APWJ will be moving from Duxford to Morayvia near Inverness.   Morayvia is an aviation and technology museum and, like Duxford Aviation Society who own the British Airliner Collection, a charity. Morayvia have a reputation for excellence and have done some amazing work in restoring and conserving... more >

By Bob Wright, 26 January 2022

BAe146 flies into Duxford

BAe146 flies into Duxford

Over 100 members of the Duxford Aviation Society, IWM staff, press and TV gathered at IWM Duxford on Monday 24 January, to await the arrival of the newest addition to the British Airliner Collection, ZE701, a BAe146 Statesman newly retired by the RAF.   ZE701 flew in just after noon having made a flypast for the keen photographers and press and is pictured with the flight... more >

By Bob Wright, 26 January 2022

Royal Aircraft Retires to Duxford

British Aerospace 146 ZE701 from the RAF’s Number 32 Squadron (the Royal Squadron) is flying in to IWM Duxford on 24 January to retire and join the British Airliner Collection The most successful British jet airliner, the BAe146 is an important addition to the world’s premier collection of post-Second World War British civil airliners at IWM Duxford which attracts thousands... more >

By Bob Wright, 23 January 2022

Trident Passenger Cabin 360° Pano

Click on image below to enter the Trident 360-degree flight deck tour.   more >

By Steve Jeal, 27 October 2021

Avro York 360 degree tour.

Click on image below to enter the York Flight Deck 360-degree tour.   Click on image below to enter the York Wireless Operator's position 360-degree tour.   Click on image below to enter the York Navigator's position 360-degree tour.   Click on image below to enter the York Fuselage 360-degree tour.  more >

By Steve Jeal, 9 June 2021

Marksman – Back on Track Video

Click on image below to see the Marksman video.    more >

By Steve Jeal, 6 June 2021

FIRST RUNNING OF 2021

Today saw the first IWM Duxford flying day of 2021, which gave us the perfect opportunity to put on our own show of Military Vehicles. Heavy rain overnight made for a rather muddy arena, challenging some of the vehicles on their first outting in over a year. Below is a selection of photos from the day. It was great to see the vehicles running and we will be back demonstrating... more >

By Carol Archer, 19 May 2021

Trislander Flight Deck & Cabin 360 degree Tour

Trislander Flight 360

Click on image below to enter the Trislander 360-degree tour.      more >

By Steve Jeal, 10 May 2021

BAC 1-11 360 degree flight deck tour.

BAC 1-11 360° pano

Click on image below to enter the BAC 1-11 360-degree flight deck tour.      more >

By Steve Jeal, 9 April 2021

BAC 1-11 360 degree passenger cabin tour.

BAC 1-11 Passenger Cabin 360°

Click on image below to enter the BAC 1-11 360-degree passenger cabin tour.  more >

By Steve Jeal, 9 April 2021

Viscount 360-degree passenger cabin tour.

Viscount Passenger Cabin 360°

Click on image below to enter the Viscount 360-degree passenger cabin tour.    more >

By Steve Jeal, 10 March 2021

Viscount 360-degree flight deck tour.

Click on image below to enter the Viscount 360-degree flight deck tour.      more >

By Steve Jeal, 10 March 2021

Ambassador 360-degree passenger cabin tour.

Ambassador Passenger Cabin 360°

Click on image below to enter the Ambassador 360-degree passenger cabin tour.    more >

By Steve Jeal, 5 January 2021

Ambassador 360-degree flight deck tour.

Click on image below to enter the Ambassador 360-degree flight deck tour.    more >

By Steve Jeal, 9 November 2020

Britannia 360-degree passenger cabin tour.

Click on image below to enter the Britannia 360-degree  passenger cabin tour.   more >

By Steve Jeal, 4 October 2020

Trident 360-degree flight deck tour.

Click on image below to enter the Trident 360-degree flight deck tour.   more >

By Steve Jeal, 3 September 2020

VC 10 360-degree passenger cabin tour.

Click on image below to enter the VC10 360-degree cabin tour.   more >

By Steve Jeal, 3 September 2020

VC 10 360-degree flight deck tour.

Click on image below to enter the VC10 360-degree flight deck tour.     more >

By Steve Jeal, 8 July 2020

Comet 360-degree flight deck tour.

Click on image below to enter the Comet 360-degree flight deck tour.    more >

By Steve Jeal, 17 June 2020

Britannia 360-degree flight deck tour.

Click on image below to enter the Britannia 360-degree flight deck tour.      more >

By Steve Jeal, 10 June 2020

All in a lifetime

Alcock & Brown

100 years on the 15th June 1919 the Vickers Vimy of Alcock and Brown 'landed' in Ireland to complete the first non stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.  Landing is a loose term but as the old saying goes, 'if you can walk away from it, then it is a landing.'  Since the intrepid days of Alcock and Brown, who it must be remembered had no guarantee of even surviving... more >

By Bob Wright, 2 July 2019

First of the Many

First of the Many

  On 13th June 1965 the prototype Britten Norman BN2 Islander G-ATCT took off from the grass airstrip at Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. 54 years later the aircraft is still being produced, albeit now on the mainland at Lee on Solent in Hampshire. Not many vehicles stay in production for over 50 years and the Islander is still recognisable now, with the only major... more >

By Bob Wright, 2 July 2019

May Airshow - Breitling Team Display

Breitling team

Breitling team in formation A great display. Fantastic picture! Photo Charles Butler  more >

By Bob Wright, 8 June 2019

May Airshow - Boarding our aircraft

Boarding

A great day out! It’s always busy and DAS volunteers work hard but showing the public the result of all that work is very rewarding. Photo Charles Butler    more >

By Bob Wright, 8 June 2019

May Airshow - A Busy Day

Herald

Boarding now! Sales of Boarding Passes were brisk. The British Airliner Collection aircraft welcomed visitors on board for a unique opportunity to compare the interiors of post-war aircraft. Photo Charles Butler  more >

By Bob Wright, 8 June 2019

May Airshow - Hold on Tight!

Aero Super Batics Stearmans

Hold on tight! Aero Super Batics gave an astonishing display of skill, bravery and elegance. Photo Charles Butler  more >

By Bob Wright, 8 June 2019

May Airshow - Sally B fires up!

B17 Sally B

Sally B fires up The Boeing B-17G starts up in a cloud of smoke ready for her display. A firm favourite at every air show. Photo Charles Butler  more >

By Bob Wright, 8 June 2019

MAy Airshow - Viscount at her best

Viscount

The oldest surviving Viscount shows off her new paintwork Seen outside in the sunshine, no one would guess her age. The paintwork is a tribute to the skills of the DAS team. Photo Charles Butler  more >

By Bob Wright, 8 June 2019

May Airshow - Apache Fire

Apache

Fire! An exciting display by the Attack Helicopter Display team (AHDT)  featuring an Apache AH1 gave the Duxford Fire Crew a chance to display their damping down routine. Photo Charles Butler  more >

By Bob Wright, 8 June 2019

May Airshow - Biplanes in Formation

Tiger 9 Team

Bi-planes in formation In an impressive display on a gusty day, the Tiger 9 Formation team showed just how manoeuvrable a bi-plane can be in the right hands. Photo Charles Butler  more >

By Bob Wright, 8 June 2019

May Airshow - Concorde Nose Lowering

Concorde nose

Concorde’s ever-popular nose lowering drew a large crowd at the Air Show. Restored to full working order by Heritage Concorde, there’s a demonstration on the last Sunday of every month. Photo Charles Butler  more >

By Bob Wright, 8 June 2019

MV restores Colchester barracks gate guardians

Rheinmetall gun

Two 20mm anti aircraft guns have arrived in the yard for refurbishment on behalf of the Parachute regiment, Essex.  The guns have a dark history as they were used by the Argentine Air Force against British forces during the Falkland's war.  After the war ended these  guns were shipped back to UK and used as 'Gate Guardians'.  DAS brief is to refurbish... more >

By Mark Webster, 31 March 2019

Shining a light on the work of the MV team

Searchlights

Three impressively big lights arrived in the MV Wing workshop for restoration on behalf of IWM Duxford Measuring 90cms in diameter IWM plan to use these searchlights as part of a new Battle of Britain display. The brief was to dismantle as far as possible, refurbish all the components, paint and reassemble. Once completed the searchlights will be fitted with modern LED lighting.... more >

By Mark Webster, 28 March 2019

Nellie steps into the breach

AEC Militant

A wet Sunday saw the dedicated DAS crew shifting the Trident into the Conservation Hall for repainting. On the day, the tug wasn’t happy so Nellie stepped in like the old soldier she is, and did a great job. Nellie is a 20 ton GVW post-war military AEC truck of a type introduced in May 1951, available as 6x4 and 6x6 variants. It has a 6-cylinder overhead valve diesel engine... more >

By Mark Webster, 15 February 2019

Concorde: Fifty Glorious Years

Back in March 1969 - the second of March to be precise - test pilot André Turcat gathered his thoughts and his crew. Together, they walked out of their office at the Aerospatiale works at Toulouse, home of the Caravelle, and across the tarmac to the waiting plane. However today it was not a Caravelle they were going to fly. It was the Anglo-French Concorde prototype.... more >

By Keith Bradshaw, 14 February 2019

Repaint for the oldest surviving Viscount

Our Viscount moves out for her new coat of paint

It’s always exciting to see one of the British Airliner Collection aircraft moving down the runway as if it just might take off. The Viscount’s journey from its position on the pad into the Conservation Hall in AirSpace also featured the Military Vehicle Wing’s newly restored tug. The trip couldn’t have gone more smoothly but it’s the excitement on the... more >

By Chrissie Eaves-Walton, 14 February 2019

Berlin Airlift Exhibition on Avro York

In 1948/9 the York was one of a fleet of Allied aircraft which delivered the largest humanitarian airlift ever attempted. The interior of Avro York G-ANTK has been reinterpreted for visitors to Duxford to celebrate the 70th anniversary of this record-breaking event. G-ANTK is part of the British Airliner Collection and visitors can board and experience a partly-loaded aircraft... more >

By Steve Jeal, 8 February 2019

Barbara Relives a Historic Flight

Barbara Halbert and the Comet meet again after sixty years

Barbara Halbert made a special trip from her home in Guernsey to be aboard her beloved Comet 4 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first jet passenger service on  4 October 1958. Sixty years ago, Barbara was on board our Comet 4 at Idlewild in New York, preparing to take off on the flight that set a new non-stop trans-Atlantic record and beat Pan Am by making the inaugural... more >

By Chrissie Eaves-Walton, 1 February 2019

Happy 50th, Mike Uniform!

BAC 1-11 on the tarmac at Heathrow

Our BAC 1-11 first flew exactly 50 years ago today on 29 January 1969 and still looks as good as new thanks to the efforts of DAS staff and volunteers. 1969 was a momentous year. Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Turbo-charged blues were blasting from out from Led Zeppelin, the Who wrote Tommy and the Beatles performed on the roof of Apple Records’ studio. In the aviation world,... more >

By Giles Beale, 29 January 2019

Changing Track

Changing a track on a 432 APC

Losing a track on the battlefield is rarely good news. The hard shoulder on the M25 might be a dodgy place to change a flat tyre, but at least it's unlikely that anyone will be shooting at you. We were reminded of this when we recently needed to change a track on the 432 Armoured Personnel Carrier. It's a case of everybody out, and then a lot of sweating and swearing as you... more >

By Jem Shaw, 25 July 2018

 
 

Registered Charity No. 285809