Seafire PP972

Looking lovely.

One question on the undercarriage doors – as a Seafire, should the front corner be cropped off to avoid tangling the arrester wire, or was this a local mod on some aircraft? I recall that Spitfire IX EN199 in Malta has this done on it’s doors as they were restored/remanufactured from some recovered with Seafire II MB293.

There’s a great front-3/4 view of the said beauty here: http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=55778

I may be half a world away but I’m very excited to see it fly.

Thanks Bruce.

Not yet, but I don’t think its too far off.

Now that would be nice! You can get decals for that aircraft in 1/72 scale – so tempted to do that for one of my Heller kits…!

Speaking of ‘The Boo…’ What are the chances of RW393 getting out of Stafford (and back in the air)? Looking at the photos of her in the all white AOC, Fighter Command scheme, I think I’m in love.

They do, but I’ll cross it off my list when it has actually been finished. Don’t forget the Seafire had a ground run… for about 30 seconds! And how many years ago was that, and how many counties has it been to since Earls Colne…

I’m also still waiting for the book 🙁 the TFC Mk22 is the only Spit I’m dying to see in the air.

Still waiting for the boo…k to arrive. The later Griffon Spits ooze power and their preservation/recovery stories are less known.
At least to me.
Cees

TE517

I thought the Biggin Hill boys had this one? :confused:

And maybe even PK624 too!

“Never in the field of Supermarine Aircraft, has another one airframe visited so many restoration shops, in so many counties…”

and still it rumbles on…

and on…

and on…

One day, PP972, TE517 and MV262 will get finished by someone!

Isn’t the Shearwater museum the one with a ‘fly it once then park it’ policy?

The best chance at the moment of seeing a Firefly MK.1 in the air is the example at Shearwater (http://www.shearwateraviationmuseum.ns.ca/exhibits/firefly.htm)

As to Seafire values -with the Jerry Yagen Spitfire MK.IX on the market at £2.2 million asking I suspect that £2 million is the market value for MK.IX’s .Whilst Seafire III’s are particularily rare – its hard to see that they would be substancially more valuable as there is no established market
indicator for the type and all the examples that will come to market will be very extensively rebuilt examples.

The FAAM Firefly I was with Skyfame before IWM bought the collection. Before that it was a Swedish Target Tug if I remember correctly. Surely the best chance of seeing a Firefly I in the air is the example owned by ARC at Duxford. This is also an ex-Swedish TT

Evelyn Tentions isn’t in store anymore, it was on display as of last year.

Regards a deal – an airworthy Merlin Seafire is going to retail at something like 1.5-2 million

I would suggest closer to £2.0m to £2.5m.

The deal was an equitable one as both the IWM and FAAM got something they wanted! The value isn’t relevant as neither party spent money and effectively its . one airframe replacing another . As to the Seafire -its time for preservation was before it left France. So much of it has been replaced for various rebuilds to fly that as a museum artifact its of limited interest. Regards a deal – an airworthy Merlin Seafire is going to retail at something like 1.5-2 million -an airworthy Firefly
I guess might make 500 thousand if you can find someone sufficiently motivated to buy one !

Speaking of Fireflies – there was a rumour that a North American flyer (or soon to be flyer) was en route ‘to Europe’ – I may have missed an update but does anyone know more?

Seconded – apart from the fact the Firefly in question was reported as ‘SOLD’ by Platinum Fighter Sales, nothing has been heard since.

Firefly for Europe

Anyone?

Yes, an AV-8A which ended up in their rather dull Mancunian shed.

Crumbs, that wasn’t a great deal was it! Thanks Mike