Question abot the Manston Spitfire

Manston is now a civil airport which has EUJet services to UK and European airports. See:- http://www.london-manston.com/
There are occasional military movements.
mmitch.

The control is still there but a new tower was built much nearer the main runway after the grass crosswind runway was disused. The airfield boundary at that side is now along the public road that used to have traffic lights. These were used when aircraft were using the old runway. The old control area is now used for scrapping old airliners.
mmitch.

Thanks Mitch

I go through Dover twice a year but never seem to get the time to get to Manston, I landed on that huge runway in ’63 on return from an exchange exercise to the States our base was St Mawgan but was fogged in so our nearest MDA (Master Diversion Airfield) was Manston.

They had a very good foaming system for ‘wheels up’ kites too if I recall correctly as one of our Dominies from Stradishall did a wheels up there in 1966.

Apparently the Black (or is it Blue?) band is an interpretive mistake in the restoration

It should actually be “new” Dark Green which covered the original Sky tail band. On the photo used as a basis for the scheme, the original paint was faded, hence the new paint appearing as a completely different colour. Don’t know how you could replicate that in a restoration though……..

Or at least that’s the answer I got when I raised this elsewhere!

I can live with that.

So this is the fuselage band deletion of late 1944 but before the change to type C roundel on the upper wings in early 1945.

The photo used for reference shows the aircraft without serial for some reason. Perhaps caught part way through painting.

A copyright photo.

Mark

Pat
I took this pic of TB572 at Manston in April 1963, she was sat a short distance from the guardroom which in those days was within the airfield perimeter.

Is the control tower shown in the background still there?

The control is still there but a new tower was built much nearer the main runway after the grass crosswind runway was disused. The airfield boundary at that side is now along the public road that used to have traffic lights. These were used when aircraft were using the old runway. The old control area is now used for scrapping old airliners.
mmitch.

TB752 at Manston in March 1957

Can’t help with the colour scheme, but here’s a pic of my Father in front of TB752 in March 1957.

All silver scheme I would image from central gunnery school.

Manston Spit

Apparently the Black (or is it Blue?) band is an interpretive mistake in the restoration

It should actually be “new” Dark Green which covered the original Sky tail band. On the photo used as a basis for the scheme, the original paint was faded, hence the new paint appearing as a completely different colour. Don’t know how you could replicate that in a restoration though……..

Or at least that’s the answer I got when I raised this elsewhere!

It was of 403 Sqn.?

I have a copy of the period shot of KH-Z, said to be TB752, with the ‘black’ tail band.

I note the yellow on the fuselage roundel is also black.

This has always looked to me to be an ‘ortho’ (or is it ‘pan’) chromatic effect on b/w film of the period.

Mark

Pat
I took this pic of TB572 at Manston in April 1963, she was sat a short distance from the guardroom which in those days was within the airfield perimeter.

Is the control tower shown in the background still there?