Roydon after dark - a Blast from Steve!
Old Buckenham Airfield
American Taildragers Day
Sunday September 25th 2011
Old Buckenham was home to the Liberators of 453rd Bomb Group December 1943 - May 1945. Part of the airfield is now used by the Touchdown Aero Centre.
Photographs by John
Thursday 22nd September 2011
Photographs by
John & Gerry
Goodnight!
Binham September 2011Photographs by John
Lieutenant Lionel Peter TWISS
OBE DSC & bar
Peter Twiss - OBE, DSC and bar is a British Pilot
who came to prominence as the pilot of the Fairey Delta 2, a British supersonic
research plane, which broke the world speed record in 1956.
Born on 23rd July 1921, Lionel Peter Twiss was
educated at Sherbourne School. As a boy, he had an interest in birds and
birdwatching, and later took up bird photography. This interest in flight
developed further, and in 1939 he applied to join the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm.
He was initially turned down, but the outbreak of WW2 intervened and he became
a Naval Airman second class. Peter Twiss initially Flew Hawker Hurricanes
from catapult ships, and in 1942 flew convoy escort protecting the convoys to
Malta. Serving with 807 squadron he flew Royal Navy Fairey Fulmar and Supermarine Spitfires from the British
carrier HMS Furious. When he was 21 he received the DSO (Distinguished Service
Cross) for these operations. During "Operation Torch", the Allied
landings in Morroco and Algeria in late 1942, his bravery was again recognised,
and he added the bar to his DSO.
After completing his part in "Operation
Torch", Peter Twiss was posted to the Naval Air Station at Ford,England to
fly long-range intruder operations over Germany. By the time the war ended, he
was a lieutenant-commander.
In 1944, Peter Twiss was to start his career
as a Test Pilot, with the Operational Research Unit. He travelled to the United
States, to evaluate test activity there and had the chance to try his first
Jet aircraft.
After the war, Peter joined Fairey Aviation as
a Test Pilot, where he was to fly many new Fairey aircraft including the Fairey
Primer, Fairey Gannet, Fairey Firefly and the Fairey Rotodyne
compound-helicopter. In 1954, he started his work on 
the Fairey Delta 2, and
flew the first Fairey Delta 2 (WG774) for its maiden flight on 6 October 1954.
Testing the Delta 2 over the Wash he managed to exceed 1,000 mph and sent a sonic boom echoing over the surrounding Fens.
On 10th March 1956 Twiss broke the World Speed
Record, achieving a speed of 1,132 miles per hour (1811km/h) in level flight.
This comprehensively beat the previous record of 822 miles per hour, set by a
F-100 Supe
r Sabre on 20th August 1955.
In 1959, Fairey Aviation was sold to Westland
Aircraft, a British Helicopter manufacturer, bringing to an end the Test flying Career of Peter Twiss. In 1960, he joined Fairey Marine, where he was
responsible for the development and sale of the companies fast day cruisers. He
appeared in the Bond film "From Russia with Love" driving a Fairey
Marine Speedboat, and also in the film "Sink the Bismark" where he
flew a Fairey Swordfish.
Click on the Fairy Delta 2 to watch the Pathe News covering Peter Twiss and his record achievement.
Many model flyers have never attended the BMFA’s annual National Model Flying Championships at RAF Barkston Heath
near Grantham in Lincolnshire. This week-end, over the August bank
holiday, the main BMFA event of the year takes place in the county of
Lincolnshire.
Just
next door to Norfolk & Cambridge! It's a must if you want to find
out what the rest of the UK are flying and how they fly
The
event is well attended and come rain or shine, it seems to get bigger
every year too. Whether you compete or not, it’s a weekend with
something for anyone who loves model flying, one of those events that
serves to inspire, re-invigorate or relax. It’s a chance to catch up
with old friends, make new ones and see a whole host of flying
disciplines at the highest level.
The
site is huge so most visitors use a car to drive from one flight line
to the next. In the process you’ll see the national competitions for F3A
aerobatics, scale and helicopter along with IMAC, pylon, fun fly, scale
free flight and of course, the two-day showline. Throw in all things
control line, the massive Sunday swapmeet, the legendary evening free
flight session, all-day and evening indoor flying in the hangar and a
huge trade village bigger than you’ll find at any UK show and you’ve got
the basis for a fine weekend. If you get bored of all that then the
silent flight championships (F3K, F5B, F3B, F3J) take place just down
the road at RAF Cottesmore.
Harmony Twin
A good selection of electric foamies
flown by a good selection of ...
Classic warships
and
powered gliders!
In the land of the setting sun,
illumination may be required
for that final raid!
