'High Flight' Spitfire mystery.

Thanks Christer & Hatton.
If this is an extant 20 series Spitfire the candidates with their livery and UK location circa 1956/57 are as follows:-
Mk.21
LA198 – Worcester ATC – Silver
LA226 – Albrighton ATC – Silver
LA255 – RAF Cardington Gate – Silver
Mk.22
PK481 – Brighton and Hove RAFA – Silver
PK518 – Larkhill Range – Unknown
PK519 – Larkhill Range – Unknown but probably camou.
PK624 – RAF North Weald – Silver
PK664 – RAF Waterbeach Gate – Silver
PK685 – RAF Kenley Fire Dump – Silver
Mk.24
PK724 – RAF Norton – Silver for 1957 BoB day

The logical candidate is a pre respray PK724 but the tyre treads do not match.
PK624 seems to have very vague ownership at this period and could also be a prime candidate.
The mass scrapping of Mk 22 aircraft at Cosford and High Ercall shortly before this time may be the answer. Any photos out there?
Mark.

Dan,
This is PK481 that was at the Brighton and Hove Branch of RAFA at Shoreham from September 1955. It was subsequently sold to Australia some three years later. It was camouflaged at Gatwick with a white spinner in 1951 but silver as in your photo all the time at Shoreham. The stencils on the prop do not match and I had therefore provisionally rejected this one.
Mark.

The photos reminded me of this one of a Spit 22 from “The Spitfire Log” by Peter Haining

The spinner is more dinged up, but if the caption is correct, this was sold in 1955 to someone. The paint scheme has that same non-descript look. Can’t really tell about the tire tread. And of course I don’t know which Spitfire 22 this is/was.

Dan

Mark,
I´ve got two thoughts or questions:

If I recall correctly, the Met-flight investigated the possibilities of 20-series Spitfires replacing the Mk.19’s and flew a Mk.24 for trials.
Could there be a connection?

In preparation for the Battle of Britain movie, the UK was vaccuumed for potentially flyable Spitfires. There was a piece on the making of the movie in an early issue of Warbirds Worldwide, inluding a list of aircraft. Again, if I recall correctly, the non-flyers were listed too.
Could a cross reference help!?

Christer

info on the film can be found here……

http://uk.imdb.com/Title?0049313

it features everyones favourite home guard sergeant too 🙂

– steve

Eddie,
The oil streaks around the the cowling nose ring have a very authentic and original look about them. The propellers still have the original Dowty stencils. I don’t think the film company would be that sophisticated to distress this machine to this level. Much more likely for them to have it bright and shiny in a museum I suspect. Does the Vampire give us a clue? That display board is pure 1050’s RAF.
The possibility of Fulbeck as a location has been mentioned.
Mark

Mark12 – the scheme on it seems very strange to me – wrap around camouflage, for one thing! That seems like the sort of thing that someone at a film company might apply if they wanted a plane painting…?

If you’ve got a silver aircraft that matches… well. You decide!

Willow,
The film does not show to much. It was a darkened hanger at night and from memory an Anthony Newley shot. These posed stills are not relevant to film as screened but are fully lit. 20 series is as near as I can get it. PK664 at Waterbeach is a possibility but all shots there show the aircraft in Silver unless anybody knows different. Various film web sites list this film as 1956 and also 1958 disribution.
Mark

Well you’ve got me interested now, so I’m still going to have a root about. You never know!

For a short sequence like that, a Spit could have been moved in to any location, filmed, and moved out, all within 2 or 3 weeks. As the time period for the film is 1956/57, a fairly generous length of time, I still feel that it could be a known example ‘off it’s perch’ for a short while.

Although, of course, that doesn’t explain the Tyres, exhaust stubs, and paint.

Hmmm…….

Can you tell from the film whether it’s a high or low back variant?

Willow

Willow
I have the film on video. The suggestion is that this was a ‘Service ‘ museum at Cranwell. The aircraft did not fly in the film.
I have period photos and locations of all the possible mk 21, 22 & 24 Spitfires extant at that time. They have all been checked with a ‘fine tooth comb’ but I cannot make the connection.
Thanks for your help.
Mark

Interesting question, this one.

Do you know any more about the film? Have you actually seen it, or just these stills?

If you’ve seen it, did the Spit fly?

My immediate reaction would be to suggest the aircraft still on the books of No1 Squadron RAF (I forget the serial) which is now at Cottesmore. This would be more ‘mobile’ than an aircraft on a stick at a gate.

The other ones to check would be the Hendon and Southampton examples.

Then, prehaps, the one from Waterbeach, as that wasn’t on a stick either.

This is all assuming that the aeroplane was brought in specially for the filming. In this case, it may well have been partly repainted as well (although it looks a bit tatty in the photos). It may have been repainted directly after filming, before being placed on display elsewhere.

Tyres are easily changed, maybe exhausts as well.

I suspect that you have already done/thought all this, but I’ll check out a few things tonight and see what I can drag up.

Willow

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