On a recent visit to Suffolk, I popped into Hannants wearhouse near Lowestoft to stock up my loft insulation. While there, I couldn’t help but notice what appeared to be a restored Spitfire fuselage (with stripped down wings) and an SE5 fuselage, in store there along with several cars, a coach, and 2 Harrier GR3s.
Obviously, being private property, I didn’t investigate too closely, but from what I could see, the Spitfire fuselage was of original construction, ie. not GRP or wood, and looked to be skinned to a high standard. Does anyone know the story behind this ‘Spifire’ and whether it is ‘real’ or not?
I’m assuming that the SE5 is a replica, but if anyone knows it’s history then I’d be interested in that as well.
Obviously, if this is top secret information, then I can expect lots of ‘I know but am not telling’ sort of responses.
Many thanks
Willow
By: Willow - 11th August 2003 at 11:38
Bruce,
thanks for that. Seems to clear it up nicely.
Cheers
Willow
By: Willow - 11th August 2003 at 11:36
Yak11fan,
do you know if many were completed? Do you know of any on display in the UK anywhere?
Willow
By: Bruce - 11th August 2003 at 11:36
The Spitfire was built by TDL as a ‘replica’ rather than a fibreglass clone. They keep it there pending completion.
The work is quite good; using a lot of original fittings and so on.
The SE5 has been there for ages; it is a static replica that was built some years ago. I dont know of its origins.
Bruce
By: Yak 11 Fan - 11th August 2003 at 11:33
TDL were based in Lowestoft and used to advertise in Fly Past. I’m not sure what their machines were made from as I can’t say I’ve been close to one.
By: Willow - 11th August 2003 at 11:23
Yes, the Harriers are the ones on the civil register. I’ve never heard of the TDL Spitfire replicas. Where/are they built to original spec’ in aluminium? If so, then that’s probably what it is.
Willow
By: Yak 11 Fan - 11th August 2003 at 11:18
OK Snapper, here’s your mission this lunchtime. I always understood that the Spit was one of the TDL replicas Spits and the Harriers were held on behalf of a Belgian collector (are these not the ones that were on the UK register recently?)
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August 11, 2003 at 11:13 am