One more flying Spitfire

And to confuse the replica issue a bit: the Dutch Spitfire flight had a replica of MK732 that they carried around during the days when they were fund raising. The photo below shows it at the 1991 Dutch Airforce open day at Twenthe airbase. A few years later MK959 was exchanged for a replica, could this be this same example???

And photo 2. The others are just variations on this theme.

Finally dug out my old photos. So here’s MK959 sometime in the late 80’s I think, just after refurbishment having been recently refitted to it’s pole. The gear was fixed in the up position a couple of days/weeks later.

MK959

Has anyone heard how the flight testing is going?

I don’t think the replica has any landing gear as it was meant to go on the pole after all. So the photo Tom posted is the real MK959 after removal. The banner in the background asks for donations to get MK732 flying again.

I have to dig out some old photos. I’ve got some shots of the real MK959 just after refitting to the pole after refurbishment. The gear remained down for a couple of days/weeks!

I do have this one of MK732 on its first trip to The Netherlands. She was still undergoing testing but made the trip over for the 50th anniversary of 322 squadron. This photo was taken the day after, flying from Leeuwarden to Rotterdam. Pilot was Dan Griffith.

Many thanks,

I think this is the donor plane for MK732, so this is the original one

Two peas in a pod!

Eindhoven 22 November 1991.

GRP replacement is in the foreground.

Photo: Harry van Der Meer.

Mark

Tom,

Welcome.

Is this the original or the very good replica that replaced it?

Mark

Because unlike a Mustang it doesn’t need to be tarted up to make it look pretty! 😉

What is it about a Spitfire in primer that makes it look so damn good? That second picture of MK959 at rest is fantastic – thanks.

Cannon Shrouds.

Bradburger,

Correct for the Dutch but not for the RAF.

This is an ex RNethAF machine.

No long debates as we have done this to death already. 😉

Mark

Stork

Currently preserved @ Dijon-Longvic, France.

An other one…

A close-up of the stork…

© Raphaël Lombaert

Thanks for the heads up Mark.

Looks like Mr Thompson and his team have done a cracking job on this one.

Looks great in that primer too!

One thing though, and you all probably going to want to kill me, but are the cannon barrels E type ones? They look a tad short to me for C wing ones. 😮

Cheers

Paul

Long way to go just to polish her, huh Ash? 😉

One more flying Spitfire…one more to polish 🙂

Good to see her back in the air!

Some of you might be interested in a bit of background on this particular airframe. It has been used for years as a gate guard at Eindhoven Air base, The Netherlands, having flown for the Dutch AirForce. Back in the 90’s the Dutch Spitfire Flight was working to get MK732 back in the air, and as part of this campaign also purchased MK959 as a spares airframe and possible second flyer (or so we thought). As we all know MK732 made it into the air in 1993/4 (cannot remember off the top of my head now) but MK959 was not seen much after it had been removed from its pole, where it was succeeded by a plastic replica which is still in place to this day. After a few years of flying MK732 the group got into financial difficulties and one of the solutions was putting MK959 up for sale. In the end the DSF together with another group formed the basis of what is now the Dutch AirForce Historical Flight, a group which has a much bigger chance of surviving over the years as it is now backed by the Dutch Airforce.

The one thing that is jarring about this episode is the fact that MK959 was not transferred to the DSF to have her sold off. As the Dutch Airforce (who still owned the airframe when she was a gate guard) agreed to transfer her, they probably did so for a small price as the Airforce was also one of the original backers for the DSF (although not as publicly as they back the Historical flight now). I’m sure the DSF though managed to sell her for all she was worth! Also at the time of this transfer I’m sure that the aim was to preserve the airframe inside this country or have her play an active part, but as we now know, this never happened.

In the end we cannot complain, we still have an airworthy Spitfire in the Netherlands (as well as three examples in museums) and MK959 is back in the air. We did lose an airframe with a significant historical link to this country though as the chances of seeing her back here are very slim. And the way in which she left this country doesn’t really qualify for a prize in my view. In the end it is better for her than staying on top of that pole though, so I’ll have another look at that photo of a shiny green Spitfire and shut up now!;)

Originally posted by MK959
DDM & Mk V,

Raybourne Thompson’s Spitfire MK959 is due to be painted in 329 squadron colors with D-DAY stripes, codes 5A-K.

There is a profile on the following web page (in dutch):
http://www.avianet.nl/redactioneel/red1573.htm

Different – but smart all the same. Can’t wait to see her painted up.