According to “Air-Britain News” this month, amongst the aircraft “building permits” issued by the Swedish civil aviation authorities recently was one on 23.12.05 for:
Spitfire PR.IV (HAI/6S/132536-1295) for S.Kindblom of Sollentuna. This aircraft is reputedly “ex Soviet AF and BP929.
I can’t find any ready reference elsewhere to BP929 having been in Soviet service.
I note that some sources have previously mentioned that a PR.IV wreck from a crash recovery has been held since c. 1989 by the Norwegian AF at Gardermoen. Is there any connection?
Can anyone expand on this report?
By: SierraEchoFred - 12th May 2006 at 00:05
This Spitfire PR.IV crashed in service with the Soviet Maritime AF. And, yes, it is currently being rebuilt to airworthy condition: Swedish EAA project no. 1295.
By: Spiteful - 11th May 2006 at 21:07
I didn’t know any PR IV’s still existed. Excellent news to hear one does.
Can anyone please tell me a little more about the aircraft? Is she being restored to fly?
Are there any pictures of her? – either today, or as recovered?
Thanks,
Sean
By: Consul - 11th May 2006 at 02:06
Ex Soviet ‘Orator’ or follow-up machine.
Mark
I don’t have a personal copy of Spitfire International … but from another source I scanned I had the impression that those PR.IVs that “survived” Orator use were only then given over to the Soviets. Did the example in question crash during Orator operations or subsequently i.e. was it at the time in RAF or Soviet service?
By: VoyTech - 10th May 2006 at 12:02
I can’t find any ready reference elsewhere to BP929 having been in Soviet service.
Is this serial not mentioned in ‘Spitfire International’?
By: Mark12 - 10th May 2006 at 08:29
Same aircraft.
Ex Soviet ‘Orator’ or follow-up machine.
Serial number is provisional and not 100%. It is still under investigation.
’92’ and a larger what appears to be a further ‘9’ was found in pencil on the firewall beneath the data plate when it was drilled off.
Mark
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May 10, 2006 at 12:26 am