While I was in South Africa last week I got chatting to a local who told me that when he was younger he would pass a Spitfire on his way to school, it was mounted on a pole in a scrapyard in Cape Town. Apparently the aircraft was later rescued and returned to flight but unfortunatly went on to crash. I’m not to hot on Spitfire histories and was wondering if any of you out there could fill me in?
By: Ant.H - 30th March 2004 at 23:55
Cheers Mark,
Your info rings distant bells,I’ve a feeling the ‘missing wings’ were dealt with on a previous thread ages back. Thanks again.
By: Mark12 - 30th March 2004 at 23:44
Ant,
The wings were only ever ‘static’ items faked up by Atlas Aircraft in South Africa using recovered leading edge sections and a bunch of GRP.
The aircaft was auctioned by Christies in London in October 1986 and joined the Doug Arnold stable.
Mark
By: Ant.H - 30th March 2004 at 23:33
Ahhhhhhh THAT South African Spitfire.Apologies for leading everyone down the wrong path. :rolleyes: What happenned to the wings Mark12?
By: Mark12 - 30th March 2004 at 22:50
BR601
DGH,
Last seen sitting in the Lone Star Museum hangar in Texas in November 2002.
Mark
Photo credit: Dennis Bergstrom
By: DGH - 30th March 2004 at 22:44
Excellent thats what I needed to know, as always getting information from people who arn’t aviation enthusiasts is always going to be a little inaccurate. Good to hear she’s still with us and may one day fly 🙂
By: Mark12 - 30th March 2004 at 22:09
BR601
It is in US now and hasn’t yet flown. It requires wings.
It most certainly has not crashed. 🙂
Here is a shot I took on 8 July 1981 in the scrap yard of SA Metals, Cape Town.
Mark
By: Ant.H - 30th March 2004 at 22:03
Hi DGH,
I posted a thread about this one a couple of weeks back.There is some good info and a couple of pics here…
http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22251&highlight=SAAF+Spitfire
🙂
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March 30, 2004 at 8:09 pm