Northolt/Uxbridge Spitfire
As has already been stated the original Spitfire at Northolt was the same aircraft as the Uxbridge one. It was PK624 and myself and a Jim Dell were sent over to Uxbridge one very foggy morning to dismantle it and load it onto a Queen Mary transporter.
At the time Jim and I were the Crew Chiefs for the Chief of the Air Staffs Valetta VX 580 which also still lives although someone has painted the lovely Oxford Blue cheat line an ugly Red.
It all started when the boss came into the crew room asking "do you two know anything about Spitfires". "Oh yes we said"?? "Get over to Uxbridge and take that one apart and get it back here" So much for smart arsed remarks.
It came apart very easily as all the screws on the fairings and the main bolts were coated in grease and were not rusted. We were worried about the engine as we had no engine sling. That was solved when I got the cowling off to find that a workshop prop' build up stand had been fitted inside the cowl to hang the prop' on. While taking it apart a number of the panels had PK110 stencilled on them so it was a bit of a composite airplane.
All went well in the fog with Jim yelling appropriate commands, unseen, to the Queens Color Guard that were drilling a short distance away!! Then the fog cleared!! We were done by that time and beat a hasty retreat.
The airplane was stripped and painted but before it was put on display I was off to Dishforth to spend a short time with Beverleys. Another story!!
I asked where it was now in an earlier thread and the response was that it was in store at Duxford.
As for the Kermit Weeks collection I was there last year and most surprised to see a Cierva autogiro. I had tried to get my father to let me buy one for 25 pounds and it was behind an old school/convent on the North side of Heston airport and belonged to the Sea Scouts. The one in Florida is the same machine!! Small world after all.
Speedbird 48.