Just acquired this on video – great stuff! Love watching VH-HET in the air, as well as the veterans’ recollections.
Strangely, though, I actually find the Spitfire’s original paintscheme more appealing than its current “Grey Nurse” markings – dunno why! :rolleyes:
Just a query, though. There’s a brief shot of a Firefly doing a short flyby. I’m not hot on Fireflies at all, so can anyone tell me more about it?
By: DazDaMan - 30th January 2007 at 19:34
While I’m on the subject, does anyone know of any books/magazine articles recounting experiences of the RAAF Spit squadrons that defended Darwin etc?
I’ve eBayed, Amazoned and Googled, but to no avail! 🙁
By: DazDaMan - 30th January 2007 at 16:29
There we are then! Thanks for that, Ant.
I thoroughly recommend getting a hold of the video, if you can. If you’ve never seen it, it contains footage of the RAAF Spitfires in service (which I had never seen before), interviews with several RAAF veterans, as well as before and after film of MV293/VH-HET being restored and flying.
Also, my video contained another short film of the CAF airshow at Harlingen in 1986 or 87 (I think – judging by the shots of the Buchon NX8575 in there, which crashed in December 1987, and Spitfire MK297 in her Bader markings).
Great stuff! 🙂
By: Ant.H - 30th January 2007 at 16:08
Googled and found another shot of WD826, this time showing the “245” codes. Seems conclusive. 🙂
By: DazDaMan - 30th January 2007 at 16:03
The number “245” is on the aft fuselage (in quite large figures), but it does look very similar to the one depicted.
By: DazDaMan - 30th January 2007 at 15:46
I’ll have another look at it – there’s a number on the fuselage that’s not in that pic (unless, of course, the plane was repainted at some point).
By: Ant.H - 30th January 2007 at 15:35
The Firefly might well be AS.Mk6 WD826, at one time flown by the Royal Australian Navy Historic Flight based at Nowra in NSW. As far as I’m aware, she hasn’t been flown for quite a few years and would need some serious work if she were to fly again. Pic on the link below, is this the machine you’re thinking of?
http://www.adf-serials.com/gallery/Firefly-WD826/AC_N1_WD826
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January 30, 2007 at 3:05 pm