A few rarities for today’s Thursday Thunder post. First up, we have an exhibition video of a Spanish Air Force Mirage F-1M flown by Captain Amador, the last F-1 display pilot for the Spanish Air Force.
The Mirage F-1M is an upgrade to the Mirage F-1CE developed specifically for the Spanish Air Force. It primarily featured a significantly revised cockpit layout and an upgraded radar. Spain retired their last F-1Ms in 2013. (Wikipedia) However, a number of ex-Spanish Air Force aircraft are now operated in the aggressor role by Draken International.
Up next, how about the last public displays of the Avro Vulcan?
What can I say about the Vulcan? It was ahead of its time, and Britain’s last strategic bomber. It’s a crying shame that engine life is what retired the last flying example to a life of loud fast taxiing.
Finally, we’ve seen the Twin Mustang here before, but really, is there ever a bad time for new footage of two Mustangs in ultra-close formation? Obviously not!
I’ll be honest, the strangest thing about the Twin Mustang is how it looks with the gear down. Those single mains just outboard of each fuselage look wrong somehow. But it all works perfectly, which is a testament both to the genius of the original designers, and even more so to the amazing restoration job done to get this bird back into the air!