I was recently giving one of my slide talks “Aircraft past and present” to a group when one of the slides was brought in question by a member of the audience. This talk is basically a slice through aviation history starting with the Bleriot XI and finish somewhere about JSF. I use a slide of K5054 mock up to illustrate the early spitfire days and , in this case a slide of PS915 to illustrate later types.
Now, i think i am right in saying that PS915 is a PR19 of the BBMF and in this particular slide she was painted rather odd, for a PR19 anyway.Taken a few years ago she was painted with a camoflage upper and yellow underside with the encircled yellow P at fuselage rear, assumedly to represent a prototype or MK change.
The person that questioned my information had served as an engine fitter on both late Spitfires and Seafires,(amongst many other types)so i listened with interest.But he was convinced that this was a later Mark, i did not argue as he was very intersting to talk to.
I think i am right in saying that the MK21 was the next progression and that this had bubble canopy, low back and diffent tail amonst other mods.
So who is right, and what was PS915 representing at that time.
By: Roobarb - 1st May 2016 at 10:57
The info i got from an official source was that 915 was returning in its THUM flight colours when she flew from RAF Woodvale.She was the only PR19 in the THUM flight in an all over silver colour scheme,the rest being in photographic blue.
The aircraft has not been painted in the THUM flight colours. As the person responsible for the research and the application and layout of the new colour scheme I can assure you that it is in the Hong Kong colours. The schemes are different in specific details.
By: viscount - 30th April 2016 at 20:54
Thought PS915 rang a bell, but lost interest when the thread headed out Far East, then the magic initials THum appeared, and I knew where there was a photo that I had scanned several years ago, along with the original caption.
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The last operational R.A.F. unit flying the Spitfire was the THum Flight (Temperature and Humidity Flight), based at Woodvale but making daily visits to Speke. Many of their Spitfire XIX’s are now with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. One such Spitfire PR.19 is PS915, here seen in rather snowy conditions outside the east wing of the Speke terminal. Pity there is no date to this rare photo, although certainly between June 1954 and 10th June 1957, the last THum Flt Spitfire sortie.
I suspect the photo was taken by Liverpool enthusiast Don Stephens, but could wrong. Interestingly the silver is rather battered and appears to show a darker colour underneath, but I could be mistaken.
For those interested in the not too well known final ‘RAF’ Spitfire Unit, my full article on the THum Flight (well really a compilation of several articles written by eminent researchers) can be found on a Liverpoolcentric aviation forum:
http://derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/13753/thum-flight-1953-woodvale-speke
By: spit1940 - 30th April 2016 at 19:37
The info i got from an official source was that 915 was returning in its THUM flight colours when she flew from RAF Woodvale.She was the only PR19 in the THUM flight in an all over silver colour scheme,the rest being in photographic blue.
By: DaveF68 - 30th April 2016 at 17:19
Seems it was a different article I was thinking on…… must dig it out, I know it had images of at least one silver one. Does the BBMF YB have the pics of PS852?
BTW this one is interesting as it has the MSG down to the lower position rather than the high level demarcation usually carried on PR19s
By: Roobarb - 28th April 2016 at 20:40
There are no pictures of PS852 in the Aeroplane Monthly articles, but a nice shot of PS854, the sister aeroplane utilised by Ted Powles for the Chinese overflights. It has many differences from PS852, even though they were most likely repainted into silver by the same unit. PS854 has a silver spinner whereas PS852’s is red and white with a silver back-plate. Both have the anti-dazzle panel, but ‘852’s has a noticeable rake up to the windscreen and in addition the serial number is in a differing location on the fuselage. Even on PS852 the details do indeed change over time, with the windscreen frame changing from silver to black/night. It’s silver at the moment! I de-masked her today on completion of application of the main markings and she is looking very shiny!
By: DaveF68 - 28th April 2016 at 08:45
IIRC from the pics in those articles there were a couple of differences in the scheme over time
By: AirportsEd - 27th April 2016 at 20:17
Many thanks Roobarb. I will dig out my copies.
By: D1566 - 27th April 2016 at 19:39
See the BBMF Facebook page:
Thanks, looks good.
By: Roobarb - 27th April 2016 at 19:28
Hi Roobarb,
What issues of Aeroplane did TP’s articles appear in?
Ed
November and December 1998. Essential reading, though I believe some has been incorporated into the new BBMF yearbook to tell the story of the scheme.
By: DazDaMan - 27th April 2016 at 13:45
Looks rather lovely!!
By: AgCat - 27th April 2016 at 11:11
See the BBMF Facebook page:
By: D1566 - 27th April 2016 at 10:44
Looking amazing in silver
Is there a link to a picture?
By: AirportsEd - 27th April 2016 at 10:30
Hi Roobarb,
What issues of Aeroplane did TP’s articles appear in?
Ed
By: Roobarb - 26th April 2016 at 22:45
Think you’ll find that the Corgi Spitfire is incorrect in its colour scheme in some aspects.
By: markstringer - 26th April 2016 at 22:27
Yes it should look amazing in formation or parked up with SM845. The two Hong Kong schemed aeroplanes are very similar schemes but have subtle differences making them interesting in their own right. It has certainly caused me a bit of head scratching this time but I managed to source the vital photographs courtesy of Mark 12 and the old issues of Aeroplane Monthly with the articles written by Ted Powles. Some way to go yet but it should look great and a lot more eye-catching than before.
And the great thing is my corgi 1:72 Ted Powles spitfire can sit in with the BBMF collection now!!
Great work by the ARCO guys as per usual.
How is the Lizzie coming along???
By: Roobarb - 26th April 2016 at 21:41
Yes it should look amazing in formation or parked up with SM845. The two Hong Kong schemed aeroplanes are very similar schemes but have subtle differences making them interesting in their own right. It has certainly caused me a bit of head scratching this time but I managed to source the vital photographs courtesy of Mark 12 and the old issues of Aeroplane Monthly with the articles written by Ted Powles. Some way to go yet but it should look great and a lot more eye-catching than before.
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