RAAF Mseum to maybe acquire Spitfire

The story on WIX is an example of what happens when poorly informed people get involved in wreck recovery. I suppose that there may have been little reaction if there were no human remains. Glad that a full ceremony will take place.

I have talked to several farmers in the UK over the last 30 years who have similiar views to the French museum chap and they maintain the wrecks belong to them, despite the law.

Update on WIX…Not looking pretty 🙁
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=39649&sid=1853587fbce787b27b6d18908038bd76

A telephone call just in from a contact in France who has his finger on things in Normandy tells me that the French gentleman who recovered the wreck, and who found the unfortunate pilot, is not best pleased that the aircraft wreckage has been “gifted” in this way.

Watch this space…..

Nice tailsection, just a lick of paint and it is as good as new.

Cees

It’s easy to criticize on a forum but committing scant resources, manpower and money to rebuilding such a wreck is not the best idea.

If the RAAF wont we will 🙂 Err hang on…
http://spitfireprojecta58-27.blogspot.com/

LZ844 a Mk V, but with Mk VIII bearer, cowlings and four blade prop.

Personality clashes aside, logically this is the Spitfire, LZ844, that should latterly have been acquired by the RAAF Museum and ‘gone through’ to bring up to Mk V display condition. It wasn’t perfect by any means but it was likely to be the best chance for the RAAFMus to fill a very large hole in their collection.

Give that man a beer

..and an assessment that they did not “cover themselves with glory” over a pile of “fuzz” that was once a Spitfire is nonsense. It’s easy to criticize on a forum but committing scant resources, manpower and money to rebuilding such a wreck is not the best idea. Keith Gaff

And where did I suggest for one moment that they should have restored it?

I had more the politics and personalties in mind.

Mark

Any pics of the Spit yet ?

I believe the empennage from BR545 was incorporated into the Barry Coran Mk I/II/V/VIII/etc project….

That would not be my belief. 🙂

LZ844 a Mk V, but with Mk VIII bearer, cowlings and four blade prop.

Personality clashes aside, logically this is the Spitfire, LZ844, that should latterly have been acquired by the RAAF Museum and ‘gone through’ to bring up to Mk V display condition. It wasn’t perfect by any means but it was likely to be the best chance for the RAAFMus to fill a very large hole in their collection.

Mark

Spitfire

I agree with Mark 12, that Spitfire should have been left in the mangroves, not because it was some noble eco tourist attraction, but because it was an absolute piece of rubbish. I believe it was the home of a salt water crocodile. The corrosion was rampant and restoring / rebuilding it was out of the question. You might as well have started from scratch and built a new one.

The RAAF Museum has a proud history of resurrecting historic airframes for display at Point Cook including the Supermarine Walrus and the Hawker Demon and an assessment that they did not “cover themselves with glory” over a pile of “fuzz” that was once a Spitfire is nonsense. It’s easy to criticize on a forum but committing scant resources, manpower and money to rebuilding such a wreck is not the best idea. I favour the Mosquito currently being restored at Point Cook: it’s rarer and far more relevant to the history of the RAAF and the Australian aircraft industry. As for the latest Spitfire that’s being recovered: maybe we could give it to the croc to replace the home he lost.

Keith Gaff

I believe the empennage from BR545 was incorporated into the Barry Coran Mk I/II/V/VIII/etc project….

Details I have are FLTLT Henry Smith of Sydney was 453 SQN ‘A’ Flt Commander. He had previously flown with 66 and 132 Sqns RAF. Aircraft was Spitfire LF.IXB MJ789 FU-B shot down by flak over Normandy. Hit near Ouistrehain, forced landed in canal and flipped over.

So Mk 12, what are your feelings about the possibility of this 453 Sqn Mk IX going to the RAAFM?

Fizzed away like an Aspirin..Don,t think there is very much left.Mark12 might have the answer.

It has a two page entry in Vol. I with an ‘in service’ b/w shot at Darwin and colour shots at the recovery point and Point Cook storage, where I first saw it.

The RAAF Museum have not exactly covered themselves with glory on this one and in my view it would have been better to have just left it where it was in the Regent River for eco-tourists, where at low tide it looked rather majestic.

I understand the remains are not available for viewing by researchers, even by prior arrangement. Far better, to my mind, to pass it and its ID over to a non commercial rebuild group, of which there are several in Australia.

Mark

They allready have the remains of one BR545 from memory , what ever happened to it , it has never being on display .

Fizzed away like an Aspirin..Don,t think there is very much left.Mark12 might have the answer.

Details I have are FLTLT Henry Smith of Sydney was 453 SQN ‘A’ Flt Commander. He had previously flown with 66 and 132 Sqns RAF. Aircraft was Spitfire LF.IXB MJ789 FU-B shot down by flak over Normandy. Hit near Ouistrehain, forced landed in canal and flipped over.

They allready have the remains of one BR545 from memory , what ever happened to it , it has never being on display .

cheers dave

It will also save them waiting for a Spitfire to be extracted from that mine shaft, I suppose!

R.I.P FLt Smith

…They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them…

i couldnt have said it better paul

R.I.P FLt Smith

…They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them…

Well they already have a tank built ready for it..They just have to empty out the remains of the last Spit they had in it.:diablo:

Thanks Daniel hadn’t heard about what was going to happen to the airframe.