Duxford Air Festival 2018: Crowds turn out in sunshine for aircraft display

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress at IWM Duxford. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

Crowds flocked to Duxford Air Festival on Saturday and Sunday to see vintage aircraft and modern jets take to the Cambridgeshire sky – with more than 12,000 visitors at the airfield on the opening day.

Among the flying attractions was the B-17 Flying Fortress, known as Sally B, the IWMs rare Mark I Supermarine Spitfire and three French Air Force display teams.

The centenary of the end of the First World War was also marked with the Great War Display Team soaring over Duxford, accompanied by anti-aircraft, bombing and strafing effects.

There was also plenty to see and do on the ground, with visitors able to help build a large scale model of a B-29 Superfortress, experience an interactive 1950s RAF mobile control tower and meet the Dawn Patrol living history group, portraying First World War pilots.

The Boeing Chinook. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

Flying returns to Duxford on July 14 and 15 when a host of Second World War aircraft take to the skies for the Flying Legends Air Show.

Visit iwm.org.uk/events/flying-legends-air-show-2018 for tickets.

The Boeing Chinook. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

Two PT-17 Stearman models. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

Two PT-17 Stearman models. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

The crowds turned out in the sunshine for the Duxford Air Festival 2018l. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

The Dassault Rafale C. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

The Dassault Rafale C. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

The Dassault Rafale C. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

The Fairey Swordfish. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

The Farner Werke Schlepp C-3605. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

The Fokker DRI Triplane closes in on a Sopwith Triplane. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

The Hawker Sea Fury. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

Two North American T-6 Harvard planes. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

The PBY-5A Catalina. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

A Spitfire MK1a. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)

A Spitfire MK1a. Picture: Gerry Weatherhead (Image: Archant)