The show began with a traditional flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, comprising the Avro Lancaster,
the Hawker Hurricane Mk 1 and the Spitfire Mk IX. (See next image for all three in the same shot!)
The Avro Lancaster is the most famous and successful RAF heavy bomber of WW2. The first production Lancaster flew in October 1941.
A total of 7377 Lancasters were built between 1941 and 1946, but most were scrapped after the war. Capable of carrying a maximum
load of 22,000 lb at speeds of up to 275 mph at 15,000 ft.
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s-1940s, designed and built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for service
with the Royal Air Force. Over 15,000 were built.