Mk IIa Spitfire P7540

Yes, when we got her, she was a very bare fuselage, with nothing in it or on it! Shame.

You divert if you like – its your thread!

Bruce

The QB has been a complete fuselage on wheels for quite some time now; restored as LF789. Come and have a look!

All the best

Bruce

Sounds interesting in 1977 she was a complete fuselage on undercarriage with her fuel tank on cabane structure and all the radio gear etc was in boxes.As was the best part of the wing structure.Obviously time robbed it of a lot of bits. have some pictures somewhere .Will take you up on your offer one of these days.

Sorry for diverting from the thread.

They were traded with another restorer about 15 years ago.

Not a lot left as I recall.

Bruce

Very good question about the wings. When I saw the Spitfire about 10 years aho I was told they were going to be using fibreglass wings and always assumed they had been destroyed in the crash, maybe this isn’t so…

Some nice pics here:

http://www.dumfries-divers.com/spitfire/spit11.htm

Cees

This is an excellent selection of pix and a good read.

But what happened to the original wings that this website states were found and recovered?

Stored.

I can think of a few aircraft MB293

Sorry to go off topic, but what’s the status of this one? Would be nice to see an early Seafire.

The QB has been a complete fuselage on wheels for quite some time now; restored as LF789. Come and have a look!

All the best

Bruce

Oh indeed – I just suspect you would have had rather less work had you received the aircraft straight from the Loch!

I do know a thing or two about Spitfires!

Bruce

Yes it would have been nice but I was nailing aeroplanes back together in warmer places at the time !!!!.

Oh indeed – I just suspect you would have had rather less work had you received the aircraft straight from the Loch!

I do know a thing or two about Spitfires!

Bruce

I know that

By the way how is my Queen Bee these days I understand you ended up with her ?.And a few other things

Oh indeed – I just suspect you would have had rather less work had you received the aircraft straight from the Loch!

I do know a thing or two about Spitfires!

Bruce

From beyond a watery grave !!!!

Indeed – had it been recovered within the last 10 or so years, it would have been a very viable candidate for return to flight.

I suspect that by the time you’ve restored the restorations, there wont be much original material left.

Bruce

Surprising how much is left after an aircraft hits the drink.And what you can do with it.
I can think of a few aircraft MB293 ,Z3055 and a lot of stuff coming out of water is today flying I can think of lots of Undercarriage legs,some centre sections and a lot of other stuff. Chrome seems to com eout of the sea as good as 50 years earlier when it went in. I lowered the undercart of a Hurricane using its own system in 4 hours. Pressure still in the bottle,inner tubes still partialy inflated.and chrome as good as new.All from 45 metres under the med. Oh Ye of little faith !!!!!!. You can do miracles with water !!

I’m amazed at how clean the inside looks. How far through the job are you?

I do not know much about previous work all I know is what we have done so far .This has invovled taking off all the fusleage skins except for two.Building Brand new frame 5 firewall,fitting out the cockpit area with all the fittings and brackets we can locate and salvage from the remains of the original aircraft that we have with us.And the manufacture of new fuselage skins and panels except for a couple of originals we have managed to rework.
The wings to be fitted will be new build aluminium ones.
The aircraft is due to roll out again late 2011 some parts are still being sought.

Some nice pics here:

http://www.dumfries-divers.com/spitfire/spit11.htm

Cees

On a bad day, maybe… 😉

Spooky…put Mark 12 in tweed and you have a passable Sean lookalike. Daz, does that mean that you look like Harrison Ford?

Anne

I believe Daz is the spokesman for this venture. 😉

“What book?”

Indeed – had it been recovered within the last 10 or so years, it would have been a very viable candidate for return to flight.

I suspect that by the time you’ve restored the restorations, there wont be much original material left.

Bruce

And when can we expect “the book”?:D

I believe Daz is the spokesman for this venture. 😉

And when can we expect “the book”?:D