SM520 T9

It was rotted out on the LHS, out of shot in the image above.

I bought it back to the UK but subsequently gave it back to Peter Sledge who was starting to get ‘itchy’ to collect Spitfire parts again. 🙂

Mark

Shame !!I guess Martin would have tried to use it again if he had had it. Would have been a nice touch .

Steve

Hi Mark12, do you know whether present owner of RR232 has the FWD skin of the lower fire wall. I think when I built it a new skin was used.

Steve

It was rotted out on the LHS, out of shot in the image above.

I bought it back to the UK but subsequently gave it back to Peter Sledge who was starting to get ‘itchy’ to collect Spitfire parts again. 🙂

Mark

RR232

Hi Mark12, do you know whether present owner of RR232 has the FWD skin of the lower fire wall. I think when I built it a new skin was used.

Steve

I think RR232 is the former Peter Sledge airframe whose fuselage was restored to static condition in the late 1970’s by Ian Whitney at historic Point Cook base in Victoria.

I was a lot thinner and fitter as a teenager when I squeezed inside the rear fuselage regularly to do rivet bucking for Ian on that airframe, although I am sure none of those rivets survived the later rebuild to airworthy condition.

regards

Mark Pilkington

MarkP

Yes it was RR232 but at that time the RAF serial was still not known. It was one of the most complete fuselages to be rescued from SA Metals in the first pass by Larry Barnett. Although clearly marked 5632 of the SAAF, then as now there was no definitive list of RAF/SAAF tie-ups.

Larry trimmed and reworked the fuselage for a film before trading it with Peter Sledge in 1975. It was not until 1981, riffling through Larry’s images in South Africa, I found this post SA Metals shot that showed the starboard side rear fuselage with the SAAF serial eroded and revealing part of the former RAF ID. It looked like a RK or RR serial ending in 72. in fact it was a straight topped 3 and RR232 was the only possibility of the known sales to the SAAF.

So after six years restoration at last the project had the provenance link back to RAF. Peter Sledge had incidentally located ‘RR232’ chalked on the the lower self sealing fuel tank but not realised the significance.

Interestingly in 1993 on a business trips to Melbourne and a regular poke around Ian Whitney’s Spitfire stuff I found a discarded lower bulkhead fire guard – the asbestos aluminium sandwich. A little clean in the usually place and there was the familiar yellow stencil RR232.

Another box ticked. 🙂

Mark

Here she is, just after arrival at Roundwood Farm, February 1987.

Hi all, this aircraft is now under restoration to fly, based in exeter, fuselage & port wing done. As is the empenage.

Steve

The ‘Charles Church connection’ is most probably a confusion with RR232, also from the same SA Metals yard, that was shipped to Australia and rebuilt as a static before being purchased by Church in 1987.

I think RR232 is the former Peter Sledge airframe whose fuselage was restored to static condition in the late 1970’s by Ian Whitney at historic Point Cook base in Victoria.

I was a lot thinner and fitter as a teenager when I squeezed inside the rear fuselage regularly to do rivet bucking for Ian on that airframe, although I am sure none of those rivets survived the later rebuild to airworthy condition.

regards

Mark Pilkington

Thanks for clearing that up M12 as I was going to ask as I cannot ever recall seeing any evidence of the aircraft in the seven years I was involved with Charles Church/Dick Melton projects. RR232 certainly was there for a while stored in the mezzanine area at the back of the hangar until the Walrus tail section took its place.

Here she is, just after arrival at Roundwood Farm, February 1987.

The ‘Charles Church connection’ is most probably a confusion with RR232, also from the same SA Metals yard, that was shipped to Australia and rebuilt as a static before being purchased by Church in 1987.

Thanks for clearing that up M12 as I was going to ask as I cannot ever recall seeing any evidence of the aircraft in the seven years I was involved with Charles Church/Dick Melton projects. RR232 certainly was there for a while stored in the mezzanine area at the back of the hangar until the Walrus tail section took its place.

Well that is not actually Peter Tuplin.

The report and the words are totally factual apart from the Charles Church connection which seems to be plugged at every opportunity.

The origins of this project were recovered by the SAAF from SA Metals Yard in Cape Town to the SAAF museum store at Snake Valley. Here a positive RAF serial identity, SM520, was located by a visiting Spitfire Historian on the 21st July 1981. Some time later, circa 1989, the remains together with several other Spitfire ‘sections’ with serial provenance, MH603, TA805 & LZ842, were traded by Steve Atkins and recovered to the UK.

The ‘Charles Church connection’ is most probably a confusion with RR232, also from the same SA Metals yard, that was shipped to Australia and rebuilt as a static before being purchased by Church in 1987.

Provenance – Thin but robust.

Mark

Hi Mark 12, I know that was not Peter Tuplin, and the news artical I saw was not the one that is in carpetbagger link. It was Peter being interviewed by said reporter. It seems strange that Peter described the aircraft as NEW albeit done to origional drawings.

Steve.

Hi, did anyone see the BBC South Today news article about T9 SM520 at thruxton, which is due for auction this month ? What was Peter Tuplin talking about !! A new aircraft !! Surely this blows the provenance out the window ?!
Any thoughts on this Mark 12 ?

Steve.

Well that is not actually Peter Tuplin.

The report and the words are totally factual apart from the Charles Church connection which seems to be plugged at every opportunity.

The origins of this project were recovered by the SAAF from SA Metals Yard in Cape Town to the SAAF museum store at Snake Valley. Here a positive RAF serial identity, SM520, was located by a visiting Spitfire Historian on the 21st July 1981. Some time later, circa 1989, the remains together with several other Spitfire ‘sections’ with serial provenance, MH603, TA805 & LZ842, were traded by Steve Atkins and recovered to the UK.

The ‘Charles Church connection’ is most probably a confusion with RR232, also from the same SA Metals yard, that was shipped to Australia and rebuilt as a static before being purchased by Church in 1987.

Provenance – Thin but robust.

Mark

For as long as it stays on the site…

link

John