Spitfire low to high back

Yep drawing 30027-171-G shows the mod nicely..

Here’s one they made earlier! I believe there was an alternative construction method that split the frames at the datum, as opposed to longitudinally.(or top to bottom even!)

There is a mod to convert low back frames back to high back ones, originally for the T9 I think. It was used for some of the early conversions done in the late 80s by Trent Aero.

I don’t think the South African Spit will be flying again – static only was the last I heard/read.

The “Mk Haddies” (low backs mocked up as high backs for the BoB film) were just that, a frame over the original, and skin but for a flier, it means new frames from cockpit to tail, so not reversible. It’s regretable to lose the low backs, but a high back spit is more valuable so inevitable when a rebuild is considered. The classic high back shape is what most people want, not the later cabriolet version 😉

I would not have thought that a high back would be more valuable than a low back, if it was a conversion, as it would not be original and originality seems to be the trend now. If that is the case eventually the low backs will become so scarce that their value will soar.
I have always liked both types, especially the low back South African Mk 9, hope when that is rebuilt it doesn’t get converted to high back.

Just for clarification I’m talking about fliers.

As do I….

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(photo from www.vintagefabrics.co.uk)

but for a flier, it means new frames from cockpit to tail, so not reversible.

That’s what I was afraid for. Shame some get modified into something they were not. I like the low-backs.

No structural or frame modifications. Just a simple two piece single curvature cap, lightly affixed.

Mark

I think TE311 a Mk16 Spitfire owned by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight was temporarily modified from a low back to a high back for the Battle of Britain Film. In that case and as it was a static or ground run only I think they just added new top frame parts and metal sheeting and not completely new frames as previously mentioned. I am making a Mk16 low back replica for my next Spitfire as I like the shape and also some original parts are easier and slightly cheaper to get hold of than for earlier Spitfires.

You take the high-back and I’ll take the low-back…. :dev2:

Full frames I belive.

Good question Fouga23 I had also wondered if it was done with half frames too.

The “Mk Haddies” (low backs mocked up as high backs for the BoB film) were just that, a frame over the original, and skin but for a flier, it means new frames from cockpit to tail, so not reversible. It’s regretable to lose the low backs, but a high back spit is more valuable so inevitable when a rebuild is considered. The classic high back shape is what most people want, not the later cabriolet version 😉

Fouga23

Why would you want to do that ? Unless of course it is for a film or something like that. The ‘low back’ is so incomparably elegant and fine by contrast with the ‘high back’.