Peter Vacher’s beautiful Hawker Hurricane Mk.1 UP-W R4118 will just be one of the historic aircraft taking part in our famous “Battle of Britain Scamble.” With 49 combat sorties, five enemy aircraft destroyed, and being itself shot down in the Battle of Britain, Hurricane R4118 is regarded as the most historic British aircraft to survive in flying condition from the Second World War.

Hawker Hurricane Mark I, R4118, was delivered new to 605 (County of Warwick) Squadron at Drem on 17 August 1940. During the Battle of Britain it flew 49 sorties from Croydon and shot down five enemy aircraft. After being battle damaged on 22 October 1940, the aircraft was rebuilt and taken on charge by 111 Squadron at Dyce on 18 January 1941. There it was flown on patrol over the North Sea and was again in combat. Over the following two years it was used primarily as a training aircraft with 59 and 56 OTUs, and was rebuilt a further three times following major accidents, including hitting a lorry on the runway and being stuffed into a snowbank!

In December 1943, R4118 was crated at Cardiff and shipped to India as a training aircraft. However it was never needed and remained in its packing case in Bombay until 1947 when it was struck off charge. It was donated to a university for engineering instruction. The fuselage was stood outside in a compound with the propeller, wings and tailplane laid on the ground. There it remained until June 2001 when Peter Vacher was able to conclude six-year-long negotiations and R4118 was loaded into a container. The aircraft has been restored to flying condition over the past three years. For more information, please visit R4118’s Website

    

Locally based display pilot Justyn Gorman will be displaying some mind boggling aerobatics over Shoreham this weekend in his Extra 300L. Jusytn has perfected a brand new gyroscopic aerobatic display in 2010 with the help of Diana Britten, a former UK aerobatic champion.

Justyn spent many years short circuit motorcycle road racing to British National and European levels. In 1999 Justyn won the formula 400, and 250 production championships, and the time had come to move on and find another sport. His passion for aviation started as a boy. A simple trial lesson in 2000 was the spark needed and the rest is history. Justyn started flying lessons immediately and gained his licence within 9 weeks (not bad considering UK weather.)

Hundreds of happy hours later, and with significant experience acquired, Justyn felt he needed to progress his skills still further. An introduction to the Tiger Club at Headcorn in Kent gave him access to numerous tail wheel aerobatic aircraft, and in particular the Stampe SV4C. He completed basic aerobatic training in the Stampe and then spent many hours working on technique before progressing to the Pitts Special in 2002. Justyn used the Pitts to hone and further his aerobatic skills to advanced level, and he has competed successfully at numerous competitions. During the same period Justyn was given a chance to join the World famous Tiger Club Turbulent formation display team. He spent many hours in formation training with them before participating in numerous events all over the United Kingdom and France. Justyn also managed to find time to display his own Vans RV-4 and Pitts S-1C Special on the display circuit making a number of appearances at the Shuttleworth Collection’s airshows at Old Warden, Little Gransden Airshow and Redhill Airshow.

    

Over the past few years, Justyn has displayed a number of aircraft including , the Team Road Angel Pitts Special and has even towed Guy Westgate’s glider with the Extra! Justyn is an instructor for the Shoreham based “Pheonix Flying” who operate their own Pitts Specials, Bulldog and Decathlons.

After missing last year’s show due to a tour of Scandinavia and Europe, we are delighted to welcome back Plane Sailing’s Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina. Its military career as a Royal Canadian Air Force Canso A, serial 11005, included wartime usage with 9 (BR) Squadron and a post-war spell with the famous 413 Tusker Squadron which had operated Catalina flying boats with distinction within the Royal Air Force in Scotland and the Indian Ocean Theatre during the Second World War. When 11005 was with 413 Squadron, it was engaged in more peaceful aerial mapping and photographic reconnaissance out of Rockliffe, Ontario, work that mostly took it northward and up into Arctic regions. It also flew with 121 Search & Rescue Flight from Sea Island, Vancouver. After being withdrawn from military service in 1959, it was stored for a time at Lincoln Park and was formally struck off charge in May 1961. After military service it was converted into a “Fire-Bomber” seeing service both in Canada and in France as part of the “Protection Civile.”

C-FNJF was purchased by Duxford-based Catalina Aircraft Ltd in August 2002. The company has been formed to enable 20 shareholders to own a share of this classic piece of aviation history, to participate in its operation and, if qualified, to fly the aircraft as pilot. The aircraft has now been returned to fully airworthy state and was ferried to her new base at Duxford Airfield, England in March 2004, from where she is now being operated by Plane Sailing.

Joining the Catalina will be airshow favourite, B-17G Flying Fortress “Sally-B.” . Since 1982, Sally B has been operated by Elly Sallingboe of B-17 Preservation with the help of a dedicated team of volunteers and the backing of one of the largest supporters clubs of its kind in the world – the Sally B Supporters Club. Sally B is maintained by Chief Engineer Peter Brown and his team of volunteers, and flown by volunteer experienced professional pilots.

Sally B is permanently based at the Imperial War Museum Duxford where she is on static display when not flying. However, the aircraft is not part of the Museum’s own collection and relies solely on charitable donations, sponsorship, sales of souvenirs, and the loyal support of her working team of volunteers and 8,000 Sally B Supporters Club Members, one of the largest clubs of its kind in the world. Bearing this in mind, it is incredible to think that this aircraft has been flying in the UK for over 30 years.

     

We are once again lucky enough to host a display on each day of the show by the Blades Aerobatic Display Team. The team is led by Myles Garland and this year the team has a brand new partnership with the Royal Air Forces Association making their appearance at Shoreham all the more appropriate.

The Blades are part of the impressive 2Excel Aviation organisation based at Sywell Aerodrome in Northamptonshire and set up by Chris Norton and Andy Offer OBE. Gathering together a group of individuals (each an acknowledged expert in their field), they created the UK’s only full-time civilian formation display team and the world’s only globally-accredited aerobatic airline.

 2Excel provides the corporate sector with a unique suite of high-impact communications tools: unforgettable corporate flying events, exceptional air displays and a truly through-the-line flying bill-board.

The Blades are all ex-Red Arrows display pilots and are led by Myles Garland (Blade 1). The Blade 2 position is shared between Andy Offer, Dave Slow and Chris Carder. Andy Evans is the ‘ambidextrous’ member of the team as he can fly on the either the right or left hand side of the box as Blade 2 or 3. Finally, Blade 4 and the solo pilot in Mark Cutmore.