Interesting Spitfire image…

Any chance it was rebuilt and changed colors? I’d imagine at that point the Isreali’s would have welcomed another Spitfire into their arsenal.

Some have suggested that this aircraft, which was downed on 15 May 1948, formed the basis of D-130, the first Israeli Spitfire. Others have dismissed this as unlikely as the port wing was ripped off in the belly landing, as seems apparent by the multiple photos of the aircraft being craned from the water.

Closer examination of the posted image shows that the Avimos have been disconnected from the cooling pipes, flap rod etc. The wing fillets appear to have been cut through for speed of dismantling. With the evidence of the wing still attached in the one shot I have, I suspect that the aircraft made a good belly landing on the beach with a seized or minimum rotating engine. The dismantling operation seems to have been substantially hampered/delayed by the incoming tide, by which time a crane was used to lift the fuselage, with Starboard wing still attached, out of the water.

I lean toward this aircraft being capable of restoration to flight by the standards and ingenuity of the time and then circumstances.

Mark

Would it be too anal to suggest that the tractor looks like an International Harvester Farmall? It would? I’ll get me coat…

Adrian

The Spitfire is reported to be on Herzliya beach and the downed pilot as F/Lt Mahmoud Barakat.

Spares recovery for the Israeli Air Force. The port wing has been removed by technicians, as other shots show it still attached.

Mark

Any chance it was rebuilt and changed colors? I’d imagine at that point the Isreali’s would have welcomed another Spitfire into their arsenal.

The bomb rack looks like a Light Series Carrier to me – we have a couple in the Museum

TT

Unusual picture. I saw also noticed it in the Google Life archive.

Regarding posting it: After reading the terms and conditions on Google, I have come to the conclusion that in-line linking, or indeed re-posting, is not considered a violation by Google or Life magazine.

Life Magazine still holds copyright to all the archive material, but its available for non-commercial use.

So I don’t think anybody should worry, unless Life, or Google, change the terms and conditions in the future.

interesting shot and angle.

its the same type of bomb rack i was asking about for my Tempest part.

[ATTACH]167185[/ATTACH]

Looks like a light series bomb rack the chap’s holding. Not normal for a Spitfire, of limited offensive use, but possible I suppose?

The Spitfire is reported to be on Herzliya beach and the downed pilot as F/Lt Mahmoud Barakat.

Spares recovery for the Israeli Air Force. The port wing has been removed by technicians, as other shots show it still attached.

Mark

Would be nice to find one in such condition!!

Is it the port wing on the foreground?