Unless I’m visiting a museum, I go to London to photograph things other than aeroplanes. On Thursday I failed miserably. Spitfire Mk1/P9374 had left Duxford in the early hours of the morning as it was classed as a wide load it had to be in London before 7 o’clock. It is going to be auctioned by Christie’s on Thursday 9th July and to cut a long story short See Here. By the time I got to The Clive Steps, between The Treasury and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and facing St James’s Park, the Historic Flying Limited engineers already had the wings attached and the fuselage up on jacks with just the propeller to attach and panels to fix in place and the Royal Parks contractors were uprooting the bollards at the bottom of the steps so the Spitfire could be moved into it’s final parking spot outside the Churchill War Rooms. It was hot and sunny when I arrived, then the clouds rolled in followed by a spot of rain and back to sunshine again for the afternoon. A tent was to be erected over the Spitfire, but I didn’t stay for that.
Sony A6000 CSC + Sony16-50mm/f3.5-5.6 zoom lens.
Brian
By: David Burke - 18th July 2015 at 10:54
Oxfordshire – multimillionaire with time on his hands! – ‘Clarkson’s Revenge’ springs to mind !
By: Mike J - 18th July 2015 at 02:35
🙂
By: T J Johansen - 18th July 2015 at 02:31
Hmmm. I wonder if the answer is in one of the more recent posts…
T J
By: Fournier Boy - 17th July 2015 at 19:51
If those parts is Oxfordshire, my parents who reside up there (and are nothing to do with aviation) have heard exactly the same at a local clay shoot.
By: OyYou - 17th July 2015 at 10:22
There is a rumour round these here parts (OX) that a local farmer has just bought himself a Spitfire. Who knows?
By: 1batfastard - 16th July 2015 at 19:05
Hi All,
Just came across this bit of video and other history info from about Spitfire P9374 courtesy of the Spitfire Restoration Facebook page,I can’t find it anywhere else on the forum so enjoy all apologies if it has been already posted elsewhere, enjoy all…..:eagerness:
Geoff.
By: Arabella-Cox - 15th July 2015 at 08:39
Assembling an airframe and testing takes time
And filling in all the paperwork takes even longer.:highly_amused:
By: Fouga23 - 15th July 2015 at 07:56
Well it didn’t fly at legends so I guess the owner has other plans for her. Maybe she would have had one of the other UK based parties won her.
Do you have any idea about operating aircraft? it isn’t just slap it together and kick it in the air! Assembling an airframe and testing takes time 😉
By: Roobarb - 14th July 2015 at 20:06
It was “at legends”, but wouldn’t have looked good in formation as it was sitting in a transport cradle on the back of a low loader…
It was never likely to fly in the show once it had been placed in the auction. Let’s be realistic. HFL do a really good job but they aren’t magicians!
By: DazDaMan - 14th July 2015 at 19:40
Or maybe there simply wasn’t time to get her back and assembled?
Why can’t people just wait and see what happens before they kick up a stink?
By: hardtarget - 14th July 2015 at 19:23
So I gather she wont be at legends as advertised. I did hold some hope but assembly in a day then flight check with no evidence of her at Dx today I guess she wont be there.
Well it didn’t fly at legends so I guess the owner has other plans for her. Maybe she would have had one of the other UK based parties won her.
By: Mike J - 14th July 2015 at 15:37
Will it soon be paintstripped and highly polished, I wonder? 🙂
By: Arabella-Cox - 14th July 2015 at 15:29
The ‘buzz’ in the saleroom just a minute or so after the hammer went down was ‘European buyer…’ – and this, seemingly, from well-placed Christies staff. However, it may be incorrect. Or a false trail. However, the buyer was on the telephone and was speaking to a Christies member of staff who had been speaking, in earlier lots, in ‘a European language’.
Time will tell.
By: Moggy C - 14th July 2015 at 13:46
I’m told ‘European buyer’ from a more reliable source. But whether that means it stays in Europe or not isn’t even remotely clear.
Moggy
By: Mike J - 14th July 2015 at 13:43
Well, if it says it in the Mail, it must be true. Unfortunately I must have missed that, not being a reader of that much estimed and highly respected journal.
By: Moggy C - 14th July 2015 at 13:29
They haven’t gone and let China into Europe now have they?
Piece in the Mail today, says the buyer is “European”, my bet is German.
Isn’t Greece trouble enough?
Moggy
By: Mike J - 14th July 2015 at 13:16
Surely you’re not suggesting they fly it all the way to China?
By: CADman - 14th July 2015 at 13:09
Hope you are right about re-assembly, and it will not simply be packed into an ISO container 😮
By: Graeme Halliday - 14th July 2015 at 11:06
It was on a trailer behind ARCo on Satuday. Visible from the M11 North off ramp as we arrived for the show.
My guess is it will be re-assembled at Duxford.
By: CADman - 14th July 2015 at 10:47
Is there any confirmed news as to who the buyer was and where the airframe is now ?
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July 4, 2015 at 6:27 pm