Spitfire Mk 12 EN224 (2009 thread revisited)

Pics man, we want pics! Otherwise it hasn’t happened:highly_amused:
Cees

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?139314-Air-Leasing-at-Sywell&p=2323413#post2323413
“Seen on another forum..(…) in the hangar, along with Spitfire G-FXII in primer”

Exciting times!

Any updates on the rebuild of EN224?
Cees

EN223 engine is currently on display in France: http://www.paris-normandie.fr/detail_communes/articles/2478100/un-vestige-de-la-guerre#.VPtMTPmG9KY

A one metre square section of the inboard section of one wing (including a portion of the u/c bay) from EN224 still exists at Hooton Park in the custody of The Aeroplane Collection (the group which was previously NAPS). It still has a dataplate bearing the aircraft’s serial number.

It went, on loan, to an ATC unit in Wales for many years and it was touch-and-go that we got it back as owner provenance had been lost or mislaid and it nearly ended up being sent elsewhere. It was only a chance spotting of a Leonides engine, which had also been on loan from TAC to the same ATC, at the Classic Flight hangar in Coventry around five years ago that raised the alarm bells and avoided the section of wing being scrapped or given away.

Anon.

Hi Dan ,

You can see the excavation of EN223 here at 31.00 : http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x103y29_39-45-les-nouveaux-archeologues-episode-1_tech

It is the french version of the Canadian one , oddly a far better tribute to Harold Heninger than the BBC one ! Keep cool .

Zorglub

Could I ask if ever some pieces from EN223 ( intact tail wheel and strut for example ) would be used on this Mk XII project ?

Zorglub

Oh no you don’t! EN223 is my Spitfire XII restoration project….as soon as I can afford it 🙂

Could I ask if ever some pieces from EN223 ( intact tail wheel and strut for example ) would be used on this Mk XII project ?

Zorglub

I always thought the intention was to possibly rebuild ‘223 as well, although it would be a long-term job.

Bearing mind that only 100 or so of this variant were built, it’s pretty amazing that one has survived. Wasn’t it this mark that prompted a test pilot to recommend that no more variants of Spitfire were made?

Regards

Could I ask if ever some pieces from EN223 ( intact tail wheel and strut for example ) would be used on this Mk XII project ?

Zorglub

What’s the latest on EN224? The last I saw was an article in FP showed a fuselage frame in the jig at Bentwaters.

These shots were taken in 2012 for the ‘boo’ at ‘satellite’ workshops and I would think, but I am not 100% sure, they are still there in process rather than Bentwaters.

Precedence has focused on getting Seafire III PP972 back in to air…among other things.

Mark

…clipped, cropped and clapped!…

I very much look forward to the day the reconstructed EN224 takes to the air once more. I believe the Mk XII was Henshaw’s favourite of all the Spitfires?

What’s the latest on EN224? The last I saw was an article in FP showed a fuselage frame in the jig at Bentwaters.

Ok back on topic,

It would be great to see the restoration of EN224 finished in a few years time.
Is there full compatibility between the Seafire XV and the Mk XII Spit?
With XV PR503 hopefully flying soon the number of short Griffons flying are increasing, will there be enough spares to keep EN224 operating?

Cheers

Basically yes.

Mark

Ok back on topic,

It would be great to see the restoration of EN224 finished in a few years time.
Is there full compatibility between the Seafire XV and the Mk XII Spit?
With XV PR503 hopefully flying soon the number of short Griffons flying are increasing, will there be enough spares to keep EN224 operating?

Cheers

http://www.maltaaviationmuseum.com/spitfirerestoration.asp

See here for pics of EN199 during her career (keep your tissues handy)

Cheers

What a great thread, wonderful to read something of the level of collecting behind projects,and amazing to see these photos of relics that form the basis of restorations- thanks to Mark 12 for sharing:)
I can see that EN199´s fuselage was substantially scrapped, somebody didnt bother to finish the job…..Malta was littered with half scrapped buses in the 1980s & 1990s too…….

Out of interest why wasn’t Spitfire IX EN199 recovered from Malta as an project if the wings were available?

The background to EN199.

c1947. Donated by the RAF to the Malta Scout movement and erected in their compound.

1950’s. Degraded by normal vandalism to a derelict

1950’s/60’s. Transferred and erected at the Targa Gap Civil Defence compound for training purposes..air crash recovery etc.

1960’s Dismantled and apparently abandoned at Targa Gap.

early 1970’s. Spotted by an RAF enthusiast stationed on Malta.

1971. An approach made by PRA to Prime Minister to secure the wings for the Seafire composite. PRA advised the parts have now been collected for a proposed War Museum and thank you!!

Fuselage and tail group placed in the Fort Elmo Museum car park area.

1985. PRA first visit to Malta. Advised by the management that the parts had been sent to scrap because of continuous complaints of scraped cars!!…and the wings?…may be in a dockside storage area not visited in some years. Patience, find the key and yes they were there but no they were not available to trade at this moment…but maybe in the future. Enquires as to where exactly the fuselage had been scrapped were sensitive due to a then curent request, via a famous Malta veteran, to secure a UK Spitfire Gate Guard for Malta

1989. Trade finally agreed and parts shipped to UK in May. This resulted in a total re-jig of the PRA Spitfire/Seafire collection in to a MK XII and a Seafire 46. No wings, no Mk XII.

1993. Englishman Mike Eastman, a ‘Maltaphile’, locates the further degraded fuselage and tail group of EN199 in the scrapyard and recovers them to a local workshop in conjunction with the new management at the museum.

Restoration to static display commenced. Whilst certainly cursing the loss of the wings just three years prior, using the leading edges and spars of BR108 plus rib 1’s supplied from the PRA collection, a very presentable pair of wings are constructed to complete the fine exhibit we see today.

Moral – Never, never ignore a rumour.

Mark

St Elmo Museum car park in the mid 1970’s

About PK519, see here:

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=76863&highlight=PK519

Cees