Old Buckenham
OLD BUCKENHAM: Military aerodrome later civil private aerodrome
Note: The first picture was obtained from Google Earth ©. The local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Military user: WW2: 8th USAAF 2nd Bombardment Wing
453rd Bomb Group
732, 733, 734 & 735 Sqdns (Consolidated B-24 Liberators)
Operated by: Post 1945: J K Avis
1990: Howard Avis Aviation Ltd
2000: Touchdown Aero Centre
Flying school: Post 1945: Touchdown Aero Centre
Maintenance: Post 1945: Norfolk Light Aircraft, Scanrho Aviation, Touchdown Engineering
Location: NE of B1077, 13nm SW of Norwich
Period of operation: Military 1943 to 1945. Civil ? to today
Note: This map is reproduced with the kind permission of Pooleys Flight Equipment Ltd. Copyright Robert Pooley 2014.
Runways: WW2: 07/25 1829x46 hard 02/20 1280x46 hard
13/31 1280x46 hard
1990: 07/25 750x46 hard
1997: 07/25 600x18 hard
2000: 07/25 750x46 hard 07/25 520x18 grass
2001: 07/25 640x18 hard 07/25 520x18 grass
02/20 500x15 grass
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for providing the following items.
The 1943 vertical is from the American Air Museum.
PICTURES FROM THE AMERICAN AIR MUSEUM
Photo One is of a Xmas Eve party for local children in 1944. Photo Two is the crew of 'Gypsy Queen'.Photo Three includes the film star James Stewart.
Notes: I have found it a constant problem in compiling this 'Guide', trying to get the chronolgy fixed in my mind. For example I was quite convinced that the Curtiss C-46 Commando first flew some time after the Douglas C-47 Skytrain - and I was wrong. The numbering gives it away of course. What I had in mind of course was that the Douglas DC-3 first flew in December 1935, the C-47 Skytrain being the military version.
This turn led me to look up some basic info and I was quite surprised by the results. The C-46 Commando first flew on 26th March 1940, whereas the first flight of the C-47 was on the 23rd December 1941 - over one and a half years later! I knew the C-46 was a larger machine but had never made a comparison. Had no reason to do so of course. Anyway:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Max weight = 11,793kg Power: 2x1200hp Range= 1,400nm No. built = 10,174
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Max weight = 20,412 Power: 2x2000hp Range= 2,000nm No. built = 3,181
Being a simple minded soul, it has seemed to me, that for military transports and bombers in WW2 the trend was usually - the bigger the better. Yet clearly not the case here. Expect there are several reasons for this, possibly production capacity, demand for the engines etc.
The local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database,
NOTES: According to local authority regulations, in the year 2000 microlights and helicopters were prohibited from visiting this aerodrome.
PERSONAL MEMORIES
My first visit to OLD BUCKENHAM was when I flew in from BENTWATERS (SUFFOLK) in the Cessna 172 G-BOEN on the 21st September 2002.
Several years later I was tasked by Touchdown Engineering with moving the DH.82a Tiger Moth G-BLYB and the DHC.1 Chipmunk WP848 (G-BFAW) to and from locations involved in their restoration.
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