RAF Hendon Trip

  It was my Birthday at the end of July, and Nat being the nice girlfriend that she is wanted to make it special for me.  I have wanted to go to Duxford for a while, and she suggested going there and having a picnic as well, but from what I remember of Duxford she really wouldn't like it.  Then I remembered RAF Hendon in Collindale (not in Hendon as it turns out... go figure).  Only takes me an hour and half-ish to get there.  So I decided to go there as it's in London as that meant that Nat could partake in her fav food on the way home (Wagamamas if you wanted to know, I had to let her have something too eh? :P).  On the walk down, we saw two black un-marked cars with their blues and twos on.  One Merc and a Range Rover with suited people inside (and I mean proper black suits not the kind a detective wears), anyhow they where really pelting it down the road... really cool!!! :D

  Anyhow, we spent about 2 hours there, and I am pretty sure I missed something as I am sure there was supposed to be a Sunderland there but I never saw it.  I took about 500 pictures of the aircraft from various angles so I can use for my modeling needs. :)  Here is a selection of the better pictures, oh before I start, I am a little rusty with my WWI planes.  So I get one named wrong let me know.

 Now if you do not know what this plane is... what are you doing reading this blog?  One of the most iconic planes ever (still think the Spitfire is better looking). The North American P-51 D Mustang.  This the... I guess it's the first plane you see when you walk in the main entrance bar the Spitfire (F.21 I think) thats hanging on the wall... oh yeah bar all of the gate gardians too.

  Fokker D.VII a plane I have bought an 1/72 model of, I gotta do that 5 colour lozenge (is that correct?) on the bottom of it.  Looking forward to that!

   I can't remember who makes this (I think Sikorsky) Dragonfly, only thought the Navy had them?

   One of my favs, dunno why... it just looks sooooo damn cool.  The Me-262 COOL PLANE! :D

  This is my fault... I never read the plaque but I don't know if this is a mock-up or a testbed of somekind.  Anyhow the reason the Harrier is now gone and our carriers (some might argue) the F-35 Lightening II.

 Sopwith Camel F.1, I got a Naval version of this to make, which I will be making for the Fleet Air Arm GB on Britmodeller... when I get around to it.

   I think this is a Sopwith Snipe?... Like I said I am not too good with WWI era stuff.

   The nose of the ME-262 again, will be using all of the photos I have of this for my two builds I have lined up... sorry 3 builds.

   Other view of the F-35.

   Harrier GR.3, still think this was a fantastic plane that was taken out of service before it's due date.

   The good old Blackburn Buccaneer, I remember making one of these as a kid in... 1995-ish.  Would love to get one of these in 1/144 with those decals.

   Paveway IV... enough said really, never really realised how big they actually where.

   Tornado GR.1 with the 2,500 litre Hinderburger tanks (from the F.3).  Another very cool plane.

   I never read the plaque again... I hope I can from the photo.  But this TILAD pod was in front of the Tornado.  Hoping to try and make that "Tracy" picture onto a decal at some point.  She reminds me of a lady at work... just the drawing is a lot thinner!!

   This was the nose art from a Victor nose (where did the rest of it go?).  Very cool :)

   The remains of a Halifax... once again I never read the plaque

  Fairey Battle, weird aircraft and I have 2 of these in the stash.  Not too sure if I want to make them now or not...

   Westland Whirlwind SAR, bloody bright aircraft.  Then again for what it does thats to be expected.

   Chinook HC.1 nose (I think) made out to be BN... which I thought was still in service??

   Next time you get decals for the instrument panels, don't moan.  They can't be as bad at that centre console!!! :P

   Bristol Beaufighter, aka the "Whispering Death" as I am sure it was called by the Japanese (if I am wrong please correct me).  Got one of these to make also, in this scheme I believe too...

    The BF-109 E... Where the E models the tropical versions??  With an B-24 Liberators wing above it and the Lancasters tail to the right.

  The Fritz-X guided bomb, the first I believe.  Apparently one of these took out an Italian battleship, altho it has never been confirmed.  Big bugger it is tho...

   Henkel HE-162 Salamander... a cool and weird plane.  Want to make one of these.

   B-25 Mitchel, cool plane.  Will get around to making one of these later on.  One thing that amazed me, is that even after all of these years.  There is still oil leaking from them!!!

  Gloster Meteor.  Cool plane and the RAF's first Jetfighter.

 R.A.E.5??  Cool plane, one that I had to show to Nat that parts of it where actually covered in fabric.

   Classic D.H. Chipmunk.  I only know of these flying with the ATC but I am sure they flew with a lot of other stuff.  I only flew in the Bulldog tho, I missed the Chipmunks by a few years.

 D.H. Venom??  Doesn't look like a Vampire to me and I can't remember what the plaque said either...

  Harvard T-5 Texan, little known fact, quite a number of these aircraft where modified to play the rols of the "Kates" aircraft in Tora-tora-tora... I believe... been years since I read that.

   Republic P-47 Thunderbolt... aka the Jug... mean looking mofo and very cool.  The engine is bigger than me!

   Late mark Hawker Tempest, I dont know the mark specifically.  Wanna make one of these too.

   P-40 Kittyhawk or Warhawk?... those two always confuse me.

  Last and not least as you are about to walk out is the English Electric Lightening, still looks like something from an sci-fi show and looks really fast, even on the ground.  Professor Brian Cox went up in one on his TV show... lucky bastard.  Jealous? Me? Never!   I will get around to building one of these one day.

  Thank you Nat for tagging along with me even tho I am sure you was bored.

  I have more photos, but they are all of various aircraft and various parts.  The lighting in there was really bad, hence a lot of the pictures being dark.

  Peace!

  Dazz