Shuttleworth’s Wings & Wheels made its debut in 2026, replacing the long‑running Military Airshow, which now occupies a late‑August slot. Expectations were mixed going in — not helped by the late withdrawal of Tom Harris’s desert‑schemed Grumman Wildcat — and the early programme felt light for those seeking a strong military presence. But as the afternoon unfolded, the show built steadily toward a genuinely rewarding finale.