Cosby Victory Show
Saturday 31st August - Sunday 1st September 2024
The Victory Show is truly an event like no other. After overcoming CAA regulatory challenges, it has won our accolades ever since, becoming an unmissable event. In 2024 though, it really was a tale of two halves; falling short of the mark on the Saturday but going back to its best on Sunday.
reports from a weekend at Foxlands Farm for UK Airshow Review. Photography by the staff team.
Such is the excellence of recent Victory Shows at Foxlands Farm in Cosby, that it is a no brainer to attend at £25 (when bought in advance) or £32.50 on the gate. The ticket price is well worth it for a day full of Second World War history, including reenactors, vehicles, aircraft and trade stalls. The ground element of the show remained as strong as ever this year, featuring a static appearance from the restored, ex-Bovington gate guard FV4005, M-36 Jackson, M-18 Hellcat and T-34-85 amongst others, complemented by reenactors portraying just about every theatre of operations and unit you can think of. From the Finnish soldiers of the Winter War, to the Wasbies with a themed Burma display, there were plenty of historic memorabilia, vehicles, stories and artefacts to occupy visitors of all ages and interests. The RAF reenactors who usually set up camp behind the static Spitfires at the centre of the showground were pushed back this year and replaced with a USAAF display, complemented by P-51 Mustang ‘Jersey Jerk’ and helped keep this aspect of the show fresh. This, as always, is a highlight for any warbird enthusiast, walking amongst all of the aviation equipment and kit associated with the warbirds we know and adore, adding an element of interest to the static aircraft before the flying display starts.
Though the ground element of the Victory Show this year was excellent as always, Saturday’s airshow really fell short of the mark. Cancellations of the Lockeed 12A Electra Junior, Hawker Fury II, P-51D ‘Miss Helen’ were unfortunate and meant Saturday’s flying display was full of gaps between displays. A last minute addition to the show in the form of Bob Davy in his Yak-3UTI also very unfortunately had to cancel en route due to a tech issue. Coupled with dark grey skies and a stiff breeze, it was a miserable experience. It was a real shame in particular that the Saturday-only appearance from B-17 ‘Sally B’ was set against a very dull and uninspiring backdrop - in comparison to its British counterpart the Avro Lancaster, which opened Sunday’s display in better and brighter conditions.
Sunday’s display was bolstered by several aircraft such as the Hurricane Heritage pair of Hurricane R4118 and Harvard FE511, Peter Kuyper’s Staggerwing, the Rolls-Royce Spitfire PR XIX returning to its base from Bournemouth and the aforementioned Yak-3. These displays bulked up the flying programme and helped it to flow much better with little to no gaps. The BBMF Lancaster, catching many off guard and providing three topside flypasts as the mock battle raged on in the arena was really symbolic of what the show really is; a Second World War experience for all the senses. It had been many years since the ground battle at the Victory Show had seen any sort of aerial action at the same time, and perhaps this could be an element that is re-introduced in future years as it seemed to go down well with the crowd.
Other highlights of the weekend included a powerful and noisy opening solo from Spitfire FR XIVe MV293 on both days, with plenty of topsides round the bend coupled with the throaty engine note of the Griffon. The absolute stars of the weekend however were two early war American fighters in the form of the Fighter Collection’s P-36C Hawk and H-75. Brian Smith in the P-36, leading Patrice Marchasson in the H-75, the displays were limited to a few formation flypasts, though still no doubt simply seeing these two precious warbirds away from their base at Duxford was enough to satisfy enthusiasts. Both aircraft looked stunning up close on the flightline walk, which remains well worth it at £5 per person. This also suggests a good relationship between the organisers and the Fighter Collection, with the Corsair appearing in 2023 and now the pair of Hawks, all being well we will keep our fingers crossed for the rest of the TFC stable to appear at future Victory Shows.
Although Saturday’s airshow suffered with both the weather and cancellations, it must be said that Sunday, surprisingly, was very enjoyable despite any doubts left over from the previous day. The last minute additions of the Hurricane Heritage pair and Yak-3 helped Sunday’s airshow avoid any considerable gaps and left visitors feeling satisfied. This year’s edition of the Victory Show will certainly not go down as a classic, but it was an enjoyable event nonetheless. With the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in 2025, we look forward to what might be in store.