Civil Spitfire F24

Hello Joe, that was a really interesting article.I enjoyed reading it, infact the article was the reason for my buying that particular edition of Warbirds International. Look forward to hearing more. Cheers for now.

Hello All,

Wanted to say hello to those on the forum who are interested in this thread, and thank you for reading the article in Warbirds International. The Spitfire 22/24 and Seafire 46/47s have always been favorites of mine, and it always bothered me in the past to read authors’ opinions that “they almost were no longer Spitfires…” To me the “Spiteful” tail or 22/24 vertical tailplane has always looked fantastic. The chasing of N7929A has been a lifelong desire, and hopefully it will be a small spark that starts a larger (spit) fire.

The photographs that exist of VN332 are few in number, and a few surfaced as part of the search for the article. The ones I haven’t seen before were the color shot of the plane in the fiberglas cover and the opening shot on the article. It is possible that there may be two (previously unseen) more photographs of the plane taken on March 20, 1953 at Teterboro Airport, however those negatives/shots have not yet been located in an archive. I am hopeful they can be found. I believe all of the running photos of VN332 show MW Fairbrother in the aircraft in Minnesota, the one shot that shows the aircraft prior to painting in its civilian scheme being the proof of that. Locating a shot of the plane at Teterboro is still a goal…

As for the bits, yes there are a few. The impact shattered the aircraft, and sadly at the same time shattered the new family that was being started. I hope to find photographs of Peter Freytag, and would like to write a much more complete story of a family that seems very interesting. His father Paul was a German WWI POW who was captured and sent to the USA aged 39 years! Finding opportunity in the USA led the family to the only Spitfire 24 that came to North America. I hope that my continued research will find more information….

So if anyone has Spitfire 22/24 parts….

All the best to the Forum and its Members!

Joe

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Wow I’m impressed with your investigative skills on the computer paulmcmillan. Sorry hadn’t replied sooner, but you’ve already found out more than I could have told you. Cheers:)

His age in given as 27 as Pilot of Mexican Lockheed XB-HOD of Eastern Aircrfat Sales Corp which he flew into May 22, 1951

United States Social Security Death

Age: 26
Given Name: Peter
Surname: Freytag
Birth Date: 19 Apr 1927
State: Maryland
Event Date: Apr 1953

Death Notice In BernardsVille, New Jersey
Thursday April 23, 1953

Killed April 17 1953

Mass April 22, 1953 in Maywood New Jersey

Confirms aged as 25
Leaves a wife and two young sons

Navy pilot WW2
born in Bernardsville, but lived in Maywood for last 2 years

Ignore

Found it

http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=7929A

Sopwith

What is the FAA N- number reserve letter,

Thanks Paul

T J ,there was a photo of some Perspex and a data plate laid out on the FAA N- number reserve letter, but apparently he has some more bits. No colour photo of the aircraft in article and he also states that it was very hard finding exact details of Mr Freytag, but article has picture of the gravestone with born 19 April 1927 and died 17 April 1953 inscribed on it. So seems that the article has proof of the dates correct, and reading it, it appears to have been a personal search for this particular Spitfire. Interesting reading.

He was born 19 April 1927 in NewYork according to 1936 immigration. records when he was on Queen Mart aged 9

Are there any photos of the remains in the article? Was the Spit repainted after its sale? According to the headstone for Freytag it says he was born on April 19, 1927 and died on April 17, 1953, which was two full weeks after Good Friday in 1953. Lots of details are not straight forward here then!

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13838059/peter-donahue_william-freytag

T J

I think the 22 and 24 are virtually identical, save for a few minor details.

Certainly doable.

Would Airframe Assemblies have the abilities to build the required airframe components for a Mk. 24?

Just speaking hypothetically, of course.

I guess, if you could come up with the drawings, or a pattern, why not?

Sorry to drag up an old thread but this may be of interest, there is an article in the latest Warbirds International by Joe Scheil. In it he states that the Spitfire was cream and red, and he goes on to say that he visited the crash site in recent times and brought some wreckage back including some data plates. He’s reserved the N number with the FAA too, so read what you like into that. In the article he says Peter Freytag died on Good Friday two days prior to his 27th birthday, so a few years younger than stated previously.

I saw what you did Mark12 :), a 5 bladed Merlin, tut tut.

…is now.

Griffon engine and prop…?

Well, the letter from Wally states that Fairbrother used to fly into Edmonton. If NWA had routes to Montreal as well there is no reason he can’t have seen the Mossie and gone for the same colors. Unfortunately Fairbrother, McVicar and Erickson are all gone by now. The stupid thing is that I was in touch with Wally Erickson 25+ years ago, but in regard to his P-38, so didn’t even touch on the subject of the Spitfire. At the time I was also trying to get hold of Fairbrother, who had retired to Florida. This came to nought as I was informed he really just wanted to be left alone.

Well, at least the time has come to have the author change the colors of the IL2 skin…

http://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Downloads3&file=details&id=1985

T J

Cream and Green reminds me of the Don McVicar Mosquito racer CF-FZG that was a light yellow colour called Diana Cream with a trim strip of Stinson Green.
The cover of his book is a painting of it in those colours http://www.donmcvicar.com/revmosqu.htm
I wonder if one inspired the other!
Richard

‘Cream and Green’

Many thanks, T J.

Mark

While googling for something else I found this thread, and after reading it again I realized I could answer a question pertaining to this aircraft not yet answered (as far as I know). And, instead of making a new thread for that purpose (which would be stupid as all other info is right here) I will challenge those who get offended by old threads being resuscitated.

Mark, do you have more infos about the colors please?

As soon as I re- read this thread I remembered seeing a reader’s letter in an old Warbirds International magazine I was going through recently. This in response to a two- page spread on N7929A. The letter is from the late “Wally” Erickson of Minneapolis, MN. He was a friend of Northwest Captain “Lee” Fairbrother who owned N7929A before selling it to Freytag. The letter states,

Lee, as a pilot for NWA, flew into Edmonton and knew of the Spit for years. Lee flew for the RCAF during WWII, so was given first bid on the aircraft when it became surplus. It was brought down to Wold Chamberlin Field in 1952 and was repainted cream and green by DiPonti Aviation, located on the field. The company also, somewhat, prepared the plane for the Christchurch, New Zealand, race. The aircraft was licensed N7929A and was sold, as your caption states, to American Aircraft Corp. at Teterborough.
I don’t know who ferried the plane to New Jersey, but the pilot for American Aircraft was M. Frytach (sp). Lee told the buyers that the oxygen system was no good and not to use it. They did not change or replace the system and ,as a result, the accident took place – not only killing the pilot but destroying a very rare bird.

Hope this is of interest.

T J

Wow that’s a fair bit of gen. Thanks for all that paul.