Duxford IWM has planes from all eras. Here they had posed two former enemies: a MiG 21 and F4 Phantom adjacent. Not really because the F4J was an ex-RAF plane owned by the Hannas. While I was having a film all around the various bits of these jets the Grumman F8 Bearcat came into the circuit and did an impromptu display routine. This is also sad for me as years before we had been passing Duxford and saw Stefan Karwowski beating up the airfield. Still on the sad theme, the ill-fated P38 Lightning turned up with the P51 Mustang. Finally, you can have a quick look at the TSR2 which was outside and the ADV Tornado.

ADV Tornado Fires Missile Upside Down

Tornado ADV take off Abingdon 1990

990 adv

One of the most unusual, daring and elegant airshow 'acts' a couple of decades ago was the pairing of two of RAF Coningsby's denizens, the ADV Tornado and BBMF Spitfire (Mk XIX). Saw this a couple of times and was awe-struck each time. Definitely one of the all time best airshow routines. Wonder if they will do it with the Typhoon and Spitfire. But wouldn't it be sublime if there was an airworthy Hawker Typhoon that could fly with the its modern equivalent? I often wonder whether anyone thought about calling the jet Typhoon II. Maybe that would offend the parnter nations. On that subject the JSF should really be Lightning III maybe? How could they forget the RAF's EE Lightning? I don't.