Mystery Spit at NAS Brunswick Maine

details i have on MB190 are that it arrived at Pax river May 44, had a landing accident few days after arrival. no other further details. but I’ll check with someone else i know, see if he has more details of its life.

Seafire IIc at Tulsa

Concerning the background aircraft in the photo of Seafire IIc at Tulsa, I guess I never stopped to think that anyone would have trouble with an ID of the plane in the background. It is indeed an AT-21 and here is a photo of the plane, taken at the same time as the Seafire shot. The ID of the AT-21 is not certain, but the visible numbers on the rudder says N67XXX. Does anyone have any ideas on this one.
Dick Phillips

My apologies for resurrecting an old thread but I just came across a reference and photo of an all-silver Spitfire F.II, R7143, which was displayed at the Canadian International Air Show at Downsview, Toronto, August 30th 1946.

This was one of three which had been used for photo-recon work in Canada. The others were X4555 (Mk V) and X4492 (Spitfire “F”). The latter aircraft was used on 9 July 1945 for aerial photographs of a total eclipse of the sun – operating in tandem with a B-25 from Rivers, Manitoba, and flown by Flt Lt T. Percival.

Anyone know their subsequent fates?

Hi All,

Since I know the director for Spartan I will contact him over the weekend and see if they have any pics in their inventory.

But it still doesn’t help with my mystery so Mk12 I guess we are back to square one again 🙁

RER

“I was only 24 hours for Tulsa”

http://www.spartan.edu/history/SpartanHistory.html

I did find the article with the picture in it last night. It was in the Air Progress Warbirds International Fall 1983. It did say that the picture was taken at Tulsa Ok . The other aircraft in the picture are the AT21 and the other twins are AT9’s I think they called them Jeeps.
The article requested more information on the fate of the aircraft.

By chance I looked at the Warbirds International Fall 1984 issue, which had an interesting letter from a former graduate from Spartan, who claimed that the aircraft was owned by the legendary Hollywood flyer Paul Mantz. It was at Spartan to be rebuilt by them for him. He dated the picture around 1951. He was unsure what the ultimate fate of the aircraft was.
I do note that there is a book on the history of the Spartan Company and the school of aeronautics, with references to the school, if anyone has a copy of this , it may have further information as well.

MRP

RER,

Here is a shot of the same aircraft but taken later with a few bits missing.

Location could still be Tulsa?

Image from:- Aero Series, Supermarine Spitfire by Edward T Maloney, published in 1966.

Mark

The aircraft at far left is a Fairchild AT-21 Gunner

Martin

Without its tail or turret, presumably.

The aircraft at far left is a Fairchild AT-21 Gunner

Martin

Sorry, I stand corrected…

Rob I don’t think the airplane to the far left is a B-25. The main difference to me is that the nacelle isn’t tall enough over the top of the wing and the landing gear has a forward cant to it, which the B-25 definately doesn’t have. Also, the wing appears to be too short. The other thing is that if that were a B-25, then the windows/open panels on the side of the fuselage would be positions exactly where the bomb bay should be. I know you’ve been in a B-25 and you know there is hardly enough room up there to crawl over the bomb bay so why would windows make sense. Plus, there aren’t any panels to open along there. If that is a B-25, then it has some very strange features to it. Did Spartan have anything weird on record at the time like a one off prototype or something? That could be what we’re looking at.

As to the Seafire, I also remember a photo appearing in a very old Air Classics. I’ll see if I can find it too.

Ryan

Forgive me, but the aircraft in the background look like Beech 18’s??

PDS,

The aircraft to the far left is a B-25, the next 2 aircraft are AT-11s.

RER

Forgive me, but the aircraft in the background look like Beech 18’s??

RER,

Well locating this airfield would be start.

In this side on profile view there is clearer detail of the local geography.

Does this help?

With serial and the RN missing together with non folding wings anyone could be forgiven for thinking this was a Spitfire rather than a Seafire.

Mark

Hi Mark,

Oh that helps, the photo is of Tulsa the tower is a dead give away. By looking at the aircraft in the background I’m guessing the B-25 is one of the three that Spartan had.

Could you please post some more of the photos, also I have a contact who is friends with the schools director maybe they have soime photos in their collection.

If it is the Brunswick aircraft then how did it get to Tulsa.

RER

I have seen this picture before in an old Air Classics or early Warbirds International magazine. The picture was captioned as a Spitfire.
The picture was atributed to have been taken at the Spartan School of Aeronautics at Tulsa, Oklahoma. How it ended up there is another story. I can look through my collection tonight, to confirm this.

MRP

Yep I remember that one too. I was looking for that photo when I came across the one of G-AISU 🙂

I definately remember the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Oklahoma, as part of the caption. Air Classics from back in the late 70s-early 80s

Dan

I have seen this picture before in an old Air Classics or early Warbirds International magazine. The picture was captioned as a Spitfire.
The picture was atributed to have been taken at the Spartan School of Aeronautics at Tulsa, Oklahoma. How it ended up there is another story. I can look through my collection tonight, to confirm this.

MRP

Yes please.

Location

I have seen this picture before in an old Air Classics or early Warbirds International magazine. The picture was captioned as a Spitfire.
The picture was atributed to have been taken at the Spartan School of Aeronautics at Tulsa, Oklahoma. How it ended up there is another story. I can look through my collection tonight, to confirm this.

MRP

That is a great photo Martin that I have not seen before but is of P8332, a Mk.II Spitfire currently in Ottawa. It is painted with the serial 6173 one of three ‘ground instructional’ type serials it carried.

Mark

Is that not P8332?

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/spitregistry/spitfire-p8332.html

The windscreens are different on the two aircraft.

I’d say it could be this one……

link to larger pic:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=742278&WxsIERv=Fhcreznevar%20Fcvgsver%20VVO&WdsYXMg=HX%20-%20Nve%20Sbepr&QtODMg=Pnanqvna%20Angvbany%20Rkuvovgvba%2C%20Gbebagb&ERDLTkt=Pnanqn%20-%20Bagnevb&ktODMp=Nhthfg%201959&BP=1&WNEb25u=Qra%20Cnfpbr&xsIERvdWdsY=C8332&MgTUQtODMgKE=Fubja%20onpx%20va%201959%20juvyr%20vg%20jnf%20fgvyy%20na%20vafgehpgvbany%20nvesenzr.%20Abj%20cneg%20bs%20gur%20Angvbany%20Nivngvba%20Zhfrhz%20va%20Bggnjn.%20Jnf%20hfrq%20va%20pbzong%20bire%20Senapr%20va%201941.&YXMgTUQtODMgKERD=1234&NEb25uZWxs=2004-12-25%2000%3A00%3A00&ODJ9dvCE=6173&O89Dcjdg=PONS711&static=yes&width=1400&height=935&sok=JURER%20%20%28ZNGPU%20%28nvepensg%2Cnveyvar%2Ccynpr%2Ccubgb_qngr%2Cpbhagel%2Cerznex%2Ccubgbtencure%2Crznvy%2Clrne%2Cert%2Cnvepensg_trarevp%2Cpa%2Cpbqr%29%20NTNVAFG%20%28%27%2B%22Fcvgsver%22%27%20VA%20OBBYRNA%20ZBQR%29%29%20%20beqre%20ol%20lrne&photo_nr=1&prev_id=&next_id=485457&size=L

Martin