Spitfire Photographs.
Thank you all for the links to these wonderful photos ! As a very old Spitfire driver, I should like to add a few words in comment:
The Duxford photos
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1.& 4. Nearest on the line is a Mk9(T). Only 20 of these conversions were built (IIRC), and I have never been convinced of any operational requirement for them at the time, but they have been of immense value since as providing the "Spitfire Experience" to many who would otherwise have had no chance of it.
9. The real treasure ! I remember the Mk1 Cockpit well. The Mk.1 was my first Spitfire: I had them on my OTU at Hawarden in '42. Everything is much as I remember it. I think that the oxygen panel was down on the lower right in my day, and I don't think we had an emergency supply. The gunsight is a much later model. I can't understand the two fuel gauges; we had only one which read bottom tank with power on, and top if you pressed the button.
The finish on the Duxford work looks superb. Is it true that, as the Spitfire was designed for an operational life of only six months, all the rivets on these old aircraft had corroded and had to be drilled out one by one, and replaced by fresh, longer lasting ones ?
Meier photos
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No.2: They look like L/R tanks. Would they have flown the delivery flight Filton - Bremgarten in one hop ?
Nos. 4.& 5: It seems to be the thing now, to have a bright Red "Jemmy" (in case you don't know it's an item of Emergency equipment ?) I believe all the Memorial Flight Spitfires have that too, I don't think there was one in the Hurricane, but then you didn't have a door anyway.
I've (clumsily) translated a bit of the Meier text (in italics):
"Angeblich wurde das flugzeug von der RAAF für 25 Pounds verkauft"
Reputedly was the aircraft from the RAAF for 25 Pounds bought
(- in 1949 - didn't the Sydney Technical College do well ! I think I'd £200 in the bank, then. Just think of it, eight old Spitfires tucked away in a barn ever since at a million a throw now ? Why, oh why, didn't it occur to me then ?)
"dann tauschte Lamplough die Spitfire gegen 7 Lotus Rennwagen, wobei
then swopped Lamplough the Spitfire against 7 Lotus Racing cars, of which
2 davon die legendaren JPS-Lotus waren. Die Rennwagen wurden versandt
two the legendary JPS-Lotus were. The Racing cars were sent
und im Gegenzug kam die Spitfire am 1979 auf dem Schiffsweg wieder
and in exchange came the Spitfire in 1979 by the sea-route again
zurück in ihr Geburtsland.
back in the land of her birth.
Would that be a fair swap today ?
D.
Last edited by Danny42C; 13th Nov 2013 at 20:51.
Reason: Wrong Place !