Chugalug (#9260),
...Presumably once stripped of props, engines, instruments, radios etc, they then fell to the scrap merchant's axe...
Yes, in the early days these would have been "British Contract" (ie we'd bought them for scarce (borrowed) dollars). So we could do what we liked with them. In the end all mine (Mk.IIIs) were Lend-Lease; we had to destroy them. I was ordered to chop mine up and
burn them where they stood. Luckily wiser counsels prevailed: we flew them to a MU in Nagpur to be scrapped.
...On second thoughts, have I got it all wrong, and are these not being stripped but assembled? The RAF (as against SEAC) roundels might be a clue?...
Spot on ! These are clearly "fresh off the boat", as evidenced by the protective packing on the front screens, the pristine hand holes along the fuselsge (what does the little notice say ? ["Hand Hold"], I suppose), no sign of SEAC roundels, squadron letters or nose art. Mint condition.
Perhaps this batch were some of the first ones assembled "by guess and by God ", and they hadn't found the (12 ft) propellers (check the box again !) yet. The dark vertical lines on the fuselage have me foxed. Any ideas ?
Cheers, Danny.