Raf museum Spitfires

I understand from a friend who was stationed at Bentley Priory many years ago that Dowding’s “desk” is an oft-repeated misnomer. He was told by Dowding’s PA whom he met there, that he never had a desk, preferring a simple table. The misunderstanding has probably come from the fact that a later incumbent of his office did have a desk brought in.

Did the PR.XIX go back out to the Middle East?

PM651 – Yes, in Bahrain

…are there periodic inspections / regulatory audits of what is exactly still in store, or available for trade ?…

…It’s not a silly question when items other than airframes may have been “lost” one way or another….

Isn’t a Mk 22 loaned to Kennet for their Mk 46 Seafire restoration?
Cees

No it was traded to them for their element of involvement in the seemingly failed attempt to recover Sgt Copping’s P40 to the UK for display at Hendon.

Of which I guess there is no further news

Isn’t a Mk 22 loaned to Kennet for their Mk 46 Seafire restoration?
Cees

Forgive me Father Mitchell for I have sinned. 🙂

There’s not much room to “sin in a Spit”. What do they get to do? 🙂

I could have sworn that said “SIT” before I posted it. Oh well! 😀

One or two were earmarked to go to Australia in the failed A-20 deal, so presumably they are now available again for trade

Did the PR.XIX go back out to the Middle East?

Forgive me Father Mitchell for I have sinned. 🙂

There’s not much room to “sin in a Spit”. What do they get to do? 🙂

Now do you really need to ask?:D

“TB675” (really RW393) isn’t in storage at present – she’s providing customers with the “sin-in-a-Spit” experience within the museum.

Forgive me Father Mitchell for I have sinned. 🙂

There’s not much room to “sin in a Spit”. What do they get to do? 🙂

“TB675” (really RW393) isn’t in storage at present – she’s providing customers with the “sin-in-a-Spit” experience within the museum.

Not many Spitfires left in store as of 2014.

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As to the Stirling and Stafford in general, it’s reminds me of the last scene in the Indiana Jones movie.

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But when I first was taken round Cosford it was a similar scene not on public view.

Ross

Indeed it would be very fitting to see it on display somewhere!

Curious thing is that most musea have their prize exhibits in storage. Why not show them to the public? The Stirling tailsection shoud really be put on display to give the public the chance to see the size and grandeur of the type.
Cees

I suppose putting the desk on show is too controversial? They have Dowdings as well.

I had a look around the Reserve collection at Stafford when I collected a seven store bomb rack for XM655 a few years ago and there were a few Spits in store there and as Roobarb says they are used to trade with other museums etc. I was amazed looking round Stafford, the place is full of rare and interesting stuff such as Sir Arthur Harris’s desk, bits of Stirling and many other rare artifacts.

This is a nice topic. When the RAF people decided to trade some remaining gate guards and store survivors, they virtually assured these airframes will live in perpetuity. Restored either to flight, or refurbished as another countries’ museum piece, their individual provenance and “sacredness” means they will never die. Those data plates and histories, and our awareness of preserving these surviving, precious relics at all costs assures us they can never be “written off”.

They were never “sold” they were traded for airframes that the museum had been unable to obtain, as well as a load of fibreglass Spitfire and Hurricane replicas to replace a number of real aeroplanes on duty as gate guards.