A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Mon Jun 27, 2022 10:44 am

There were also several dioramas and displays of weapons and equipment, each telling a small part of the World War 2 story from different perspectives.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Mon Jun 27, 2022 10:46 am

During the day, there were firing demonstrations and at 2pm, a battle amongst the rail yard as in previous years. Despite the bright day, the strong wind pulled the temperature down, though it didn't stop a good number of public attending the event.

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Additional pictures can be found here - https://www.sacarr.co.uk/mymvs/events/2022/bowes.htm

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 12, 2022 1:57 pm

Chester-le-Street Steam Fair - July 9/10th

I did have a great weekend at the Chester-le-Street Steam Fair in the grounds of the Lambton Estate, however, it wasn't smooth sailing from even before I set off. It began on Friday, while assembling the Dodge roof and I caught two fingers on a sharp piece of wood and sliced two gashes across my knuckles. They've been opening up every time I used my hand. Despite the injuries, I got there mid afternoon and melted as I set up my tent in the roasting afternoon heat. My boxes and cans were emptied from the back of the Dodge while I contemplated where to put them. They'd spend the night in the tent, particularly as one of them had all my cooking gear inside.

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Allocated space was going to be a bit tight on Saturday due to the number of vehicles booked in, so I squeezed all my boxes and Jerrycans in front of the Dodge and trailer.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 12, 2022 1:58 pm

There were about 22 military vehicles there on Saturday and a few less on Sunday. Most were in a row as seen below with camping behind the vehicles. Jeeps only just outnumbered Austin Champs.

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A few other vehicles were displayed in dioramas elsewhere on the site. I had a quick wander around the site on Friday evening, but not everything had arrived and other stuff was under cover for the night.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 12, 2022 2:01 pm

Being a steam rally, there were a good selection of fullsize traction engines, miniature traction engines and static engines on show.

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In addition, there were a wide range of classic cars and trucks. All of the vehicles and dioramas had their own areas around the 50 acre show site.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 12, 2022 2:01 pm

The dioramas and re-enactors weren't all just World War 2, but across a range of time periods, many doing displays in the arena.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 12, 2022 2:02 pm

Late afternoon on Saturday, it was the turn of the military vehicles to display in the arena. A couple of laps around the arena and then interviewed about the vehicles so the public could get a little more background knowledge about each one.

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The Dodge wasn't running very smoothly and felt like it was going to die if it remained on idle too long. I put it down to fuel vapourisation in the very hot weather.

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Wifey and daughter dropped by the show for a little while during the afternoon and during our wander, I lost my camera lens cap through a hole in the pocket of my HBT trousers. I was annoyed. I almost lost my phone too, but that fell out near the truck, which is when I discovered the hole.

Washing up after tea, I managed to slice my left hand open on a sharp edge on the grill pan! Things weren't going well this weekend. My luck changed later in the evening when I went for a wander again, walking the same route I had with wifey. Towards the end of the walk, near the static engines, I found my lens cap!
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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 12, 2022 2:03 pm

On Sunday, there was another military vehicle parade, but I decided to miss it due to the problems of the previous day.

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Since there were a few less vehicles there, the K2 ambulance moved over and I had a little more space to spread out my display.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 12, 2022 2:06 pm

I packed up my tent straight after breakfast, as Sunday was forecast to be even hotter and I didn't want to be packing it up at the hottest part of the day. There was a huge rush of public and exhibitors through the gate at the end of the day, so a few of us hung around for a while until the traffic eased. Eventually it was time to leave, so I go to start the Dodge and it fires, coughs, splutters, revs and dies - then wouldn't restart. Just what I needed at the end of a hot and tiring weekend.

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Despite only fitting a new condenser earlier in the year along with the new plugs, I suspected the condenser was the issue. There was virtually no spark at the lead or points, so the dizzy was stripped and a new condenser fitted. This time the Dodge roared to life and the idle was smooth and steady. The drive out of the site was a different route to the entrance and was a nice drive through the private estate of Lord Lambton. The trip home was uneventful.

Lambton Estate Drive Videohttps://youtu.be/lmmMPhfN-5I

Once home, the Jeep had to come out of the garage so that the trailer could go in at the back of the garage. Over recent weeks, with the Dodge pulling the trailer quite a bit, the trailer was left at the front of the garage. Next week, I need the Jeep for the Breighton Aerodrome 1940s weekend, so the trailer was put away at the back again so the Jeep was easily accessible.

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Further pictures can be found here - https://www.sacarr.co.uk/mymvs/events/2022/cls.htm
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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 19, 2022 7:17 am

Breighton Aerodrome "Lancaster G - George" Day - July 16th

Due to the rising fuel prices, I towed the Jeep down to Breighton on Friday afternoon, rather than a three hour drive there. It was an hour faster and much cheaper to tow! "Jessie" was in RAF markings for the event as it was more appropriate at the old RAF bomber base.

It took a while to set up camp in the strong wind as the tent wasn't playing nice. The ground was so dry, the poles wouldn't grip the grass and were blown out several times by the tent acting like a large sail until I could get enough pegs in. I ended up pegging around the bottom of the poles to keep them in place until enough pegs were in on the upwind side.

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I got there in the end and then went to explore the remains of the old airfield where I could. Most of the wartime airfield has been turned into an industrial estate. This picture is at the East end of the main runway, looking North West across the end of the main runway.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 19, 2022 7:17 am

The next picture is on the East end of the main runway, looking West South West, back along the main runway. All three runways survive, though heavily built on by the industries that are there.

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The picture below is on the country lane on the West side of the airfield. The gap in the hedge is almost in line with the end of the runway, but allows a view back towards the surviving T2 hangar.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 19, 2022 7:18 am

I gave one of the guys at the airfield a go driving the Jeep and in return, I got to drive his Lotus. To finish the Friday evening, I waited until the sun was low in the sky and took my Jeep onto the airfield for a photoshoot with the dH89a Dragon Rapide.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 19, 2022 7:19 am

The following day was hot before 08:00hrs. The event took place over the UK's hottest heatwave, though the peak temperatures occured after the event. Military and classic vehicles started arriving early, as did fly-in visitors.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 19, 2022 7:20 am

There's around one hundred classic aircraft based at Breighton, many of which were brought outside or flew during the day. Most of the Real Aeroplane Company aircraft flew at least once during the day, including the recently restored Bucker Jungmeister seen in the first picture below. This was the first time I'd seen this aircraft fly.

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As the day went on, parking spaces started to run out and judging by the number of normal cars there, turnout must have been around two thousand members of the public. Historic Aero Engines were there with three of their aircraft engines.

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Re: A B-17 Fortress, Two Jeeps and a Dodge - My Ongoing MV Journey

Post by armyairforce » Tue Jul 19, 2022 7:21 am

Around 12:45hrs, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster thundered over the airfield, making a number of passes. The Lanc was meant to be at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, but the crew rearranged their day so they could fly North to Yorkshire to display at Breighton before heading South to RIAT.

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