Booker Spitfire Mk.1 AR213 G-AIST (merged)

Hello Spiteful,

Thanks for the kind comments, the lads have worked long and hard to get her back in the air where she belongs 🙂

Tom

Thanks Tom, that explains it!

She really does look fantastic. Can’t wait to see her in the metal at Duxford.

Hello Spiteful and Daz,

The ejector chutes were covered with fabric, originally they would have had newspaper doped on to stop moisture entering the guns, but it doesn’t last very long 😉

Must put a bit of red dope on them sometime….

Tom

Great article and photo’s of AR213 in this month’s Aeroplane magazine. She looks fantastic.

I noticed on the underwing photo’s that there are no ammunition ejector chutes? Where they covered over during the restoration?

Agreed. A spot-on job by PPS, by all means! 🙂

I never noticed the missing ejector chutes in the pics 😮

Mind you, I don’t remember if they were there prior to the recent rebuild, either…. :confused:

Although I did notice the removal of the strengthening plates on the starboard wing!

Great article and photo’s of AR213 in this month’s Aeroplane magazine. She looks fantastic.

I noticed on the underwing photo’s that there are no ammunition ejector chutes? Where they covered over during the restoration?

Can only imagine the rush Mitchell got when he saw the first fly, or wonder if he ever really knew what he had created or the history it would make. I must have been shaking for an hour after i took this shot.
Thanks for looking chaps.
Dean:)

Mitchell did get to see it fly- there is a picture of him with the prototype taken by his son, Gordon who is now a retired Doctor (its actually the only one of him with his creation, IIRC)

re

what a fabulous picture, congrats to the photographer. Makes you think RJM never did get to know what a legend he created – did he get to see the prototype fly?

Phwoar! 😀

A classic beauty

Cheers

Cees

Got treated to a bit of a flypast about half an hour ago, she sure does look (and sound) beautiful.

Dean:D

I see. I had never noticed there was any difference. I’m not worried about the accuracy of the finished product really, it looks close enough so if it does something which means there’s a benefit to the engine I’d say go for it.

I’m SO glad somebody brought this up!- i was too embarrassed to mention it!

Will someone please tell me the difference between a MkV oil cooler and a Mk I/II oil cooler? The internal fittings may be different but I can not see any difference it the cowlings which they are enclosed by. Maybe I’m just being thick, if so please forgive me.

Originally the Mk.I/II oil cooler was semi-circular in shape, but changed later on to the more familiar circular style we see on the restored AR213 and P7350. Simply for better oil cooling, I think?

Hello Dan,

AFAIK the Westland-built batch of MKIs all had the MKV type of round oil cooler.

Well done for getting some pics up Propstrike, we were up the far end by the blister hangar to get ‘the full effect’ 😀 sounded and looked great.

Tom

Will someone please tell me the difference between a MkV oil cooler and a Mk I/II oil cooler? The internal fittings may be different but I can not see any difference it the cowlings which they are enclosed by. Maybe I’m just being thick, if so please forgive me.

Great Air to Air of her in this months Aircraft Illustrated (DO hope i’m not banned for mentioning another Mag!)

AFAIK they are trying to get together as many airworthy Spits as possible, there was definitely talk of landings during the preliminary stages, not sure what the current plan calls for though.

Tom

Tom, this started life as a very big idea – bringing in Spitfires from all over the place (inc. abroad). I think its started to get scaled back now but hopefully they will get some sort of event to happen.

It would be great to get her and BBMF’s baby Spit up to Eshott at some point in the reletively near future. If we could nab IWM Lambeth’s Spit, we could make it a nice Eshott Trio….

Amazing work – well done. (And nice to see a little of Northumberland’s heritage back in the air again – yes I know she’s representative of her time at Hawarden, but there’s Northumberland in the air….)

Lindy,

It would be great for her to do a tour of her former ‘haunts’, we’ll have to see what can be arranged 😉

Tom

Landing?

AFAIK they are trying to get together as many airworthy Spits as possible, there was definitely talk of landings during the preliminary stages, not sure what the current plan calls for though.

Tom

Any idea if this will just be a flying display or will she be landing?

I’m not sure at present Ollie, after looking through the website:

http://www.projectpropeller.co.uk/

… I’m still none the wiser!

Tom