This is one of my most favourite airplane fighters in IWM Duxford as it endured distance to get to and fight in Berlin (which was the combination of engine and additional fuel); as produced in California – its colours are humorous and personalised to the wife of the famous US pilot; it is highly optimistic it was the plane which helped defeat Germans in 1944 due to its engine and drop tanks and it is run by a classic – Rolls Royce’s famous Merlin engine (on this engine I shall post more later). There are two of them in Duxford ‘Etta Jeanne II’ and ‘Ferrocious Frankie’, both incredibly attractive.   

This is the engine used for Sea Harrier type of aircraft for short-take off and vertical landing that combines helicopter and subsonic jet capabilities.

This is the Turbomeca Adour 104 Turbofan engine for Sepecat Jaguar type aircraft that was used in Gulf War and Kosovo.

This pilotless aircraft (SD1 Drone) was fitted with cameras to take photographs of the enemy. It was used by British Army for battlefield reconnaissance in the 1960s. It was flown by an operator on the ground using radio control. As it did not have undercarriage for landing it would be brought safely to the ground with the parachute.

Big planes, small planes, strange planes and experimental planes at IWM Duxford.

Fabulous display of Rolls Royce didactic section coloured in red and blue so to reveal fully parts of the engine (including lines of cut) at IWM Duxford. I shall be posting many more engines later.

These are WWII instruments Course and Speed Calculator, Astro Compass and Bubble Sextant.