Over 40 historic aircraft take to the skies at IWM Duxford’s Battle of Britain Air Show

This year’s Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show will take place during IWM Duxford’s centenary year and will bring to life Duxford’s finest hour as an important Second World War fighter station which defended Great Britain from aerial attack in 1940.

Duxford’s airfield was built in 1917 during the First World War and it became pivotal to the air defence of Great Britain during the Battle of Britain and D-Day operations in the Second World War.  Duxford’s important history and principle role as a vital Second World War fighter station will be celebrated at the Battle of Britain Air Show by more than 40 exceptional historic aircraft taking to the skies including a poignant mass flypast of 12 Spitfires. 

The air show will also feature some of the aerial stars of the 2017 blockbuster film Dunkirk, including Historic Flying’s Hispano Aviacion HA-1112 Buchon and Aircraft Restoration Company’s Bristol Blenheim Mk.IF.

On the ground at IWM Duxford, personal memories of Duxford’s Battle of Britain can be experienced in DX17, a major site-specific contemporary art installation by BAFTA award-winning artist Nick Ryan commemorating 100 years of Duxford’s history and stories. DX17 is a dramatic, large-scale immersive sound sculpture, roughly the same size as a Spitfire. Presented in a dramatic darkened space, it takes visitors on a spectacular and tactile journey as they transfer light into sound to hear more than100 voices and memories from Duxford’s past and present.

Flying displays include:

• The RAF Falcons, the UK’s premiere military parachute team, opening the flying display with a precision demonstration of freefall and canopy skills.
• The unsung Hawker Hurricane fighter aircraft takes a leading role in the opening Battle of Britain scenario with up to six Hawker Hurricanes in formation.
• A magnificent collection of interwar Hawker biplane fighters, including a Mark I Hawker Fury, Hawker Nimrod I and Hawker Nimrod II showing the development of Hawker fighter aircraft in the 1930s and up to the creation of the Hawker Hurricane.
• Immense Second World War heavy bomber Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B, and transport aircraft Douglas C-47 Skytrain will fly in tandem, accompanied by a P-51 Mustang fighter escort.
• Second World War seaplane Consolidated Catalina PBY-5A escorted by naval fighter aircraft.
• Representing the Russian front of the Second World War, a Hispano Aviacion HA-112 Buchon will fly in to ‘attack’ the airfield, accompanied by strafing effects, and will be chased off by a Yakovlev Yak-3 Soviet fighter aircraft.
• The spectacle of the Great War Display Team will present First World War combat tactics with nine replica First World War aircraft including a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2c; three Royal Aircraft Factory SE5a aircraft; two Fokker DR1 triplanes and two Junkers CL1 aircraft, accompanied by flak, bombing and strafing effects.
• Changing pace to the jet fighter era, a Russian jet fighter aircraft will be intercepted by two British jet fighters as a Mikoyan Gurevich Mig-15UTI flies alongside two de Havilland DH100 Vampires.
• 12 Spitfires will take to the skies in a poignant mass flypast and stunning tailchase.
• The Tiger Nine formation team will showcase the aircraft that many Battle of Britain pilots flew when they started training.
• A thrilling finale flypast will be led by a Bristol Blenheim with a Gloster Gladiator on each wing - the lesser-known aircraft that contributed to the Battle of Britain. This will be followed by two formations of Hawker Hurricanes and a formation of Mark I Supermarine Spitfires.
• Elsewhere across the museum, as part of the Battle of Britain Air Show, engaging activities will bring Duxford’s Battle of Britain history vividly to life including:
• A Home Front Village will transport visitors back in time to the Second World War with nostalgic music and authentic living history groups.
• Jitterbug Jive will be teaching visitors to cut a rug with classic 1940s swing dancing.
• Vintage vocal harmony trio The Bluebird Belles will be performing instantly recognisable wartime hits in true Andrews Sisters-style.
• The Home Front Bus is a unique living history experience contained within a classic double decker bus. Detailed reconstructions of a 1940s living room, shop, bombed out street and air raid shelter replicate the sights and sounds of the Home Front.
• Living history groups will represent the Royal Flying Corps of the First World War and the Royal Air Force Observer Corps and the ‘friendly invasion’ of American troops during the Second World War.

Tickets for the Duxford Battle of Britain Air Show must be purchased in advance; tickets will not be available to purchase on arrival at the air show.