1951 Film,"Wing to Wing"

Bloodhound1949 wrote:

blob:https://www.youtube.com/d78648e6-77d9-42b7-984b-adfbaf4a8532

I saw the above film in 1963 when I was an Air Cadet-The footage is very good but some of the commentary is a bit doubtful.I think the Washington shots were taken at Coningsby,the aircraft takes off on a runway marked 08 which seems to be at the eastern side of the airfield-This is now marked 07/25(I think it was designated 08/26 at one time)..If it was taken at Coningsby then the runway heading marking convention must have changed since 1951-perhaps someone may know.

A few shots of the Canberra are shown ,it looks like binbrook where the firs squadron formed in 1951.

When the Washington is airborne, it flies over the 08 threshold hence it took off on 26.

Carnaby wrote:

Bloodhound1949 wrote:

I have had another look and at 5.44 it appears to read 08
. I had a look at 6.36 and I think is shows a B36.

Yes you're correct (all these 'B' bombers look the 'b' same to me)

Re the B-36 at 6.36 mins etc:

From: forum.keypublishing.com/archive/index.php/t-91126.html

B-36s were never based as such in the UK, but they did regularly detach units over here, usually to Forward Operating Bases at Greenham Common, Fairford, Upper Heyford, and Brize Norton (21 B-36s in June '52). Burtonwood was also used, not sure in what capacity.

Only Brize had an '07' runway in 1955.

It's not Brize. It enters the runway from the north via a taxiway at threshold of runway 07 and there appear to be at least 2 taxiways north side; at Brize the single north side taxiway enters the runway east of the threshold and aircaft either backtrack or cross the runway and go round a loop for a full length departure.
I've looked at all the other SAC Rotation bases in the UK and as far as I can see, none has a taxiway configuration like that , so I have to conclude it's not UK.

The B36 carries the tail letter "J" which was allocated to the 7th Bombardment Wing.In January 1951 they rehearsed their War Plan by flying non-stop to make simulated attacks on targets on Heligoland in northern Germany,they later landed at Lakenheath....Could this possibly be the airfield shown in the B36 footage ?

Lakenheath's longest runway was originally 05/23 but due to the change in magnetic variation is now 06/24, so it's not Lakenheath either.