Spitfire PRIV

Spits in Sweden

Kenjohan

I don’t think Swedish enthusiasts will have to wait too long before they have a Spitfire on their civil register.:)

Mark

You were correct in that assumption. SM845 flew here for a while before the fatal crash and RW386 still flies in Sweden.
I know of a Sea Fury (ex. Paul Morgan) undergoing restoration to fly not far from where I live. But I wouldn’t hold my breath… 🙂

Ken

“Although tentatively identified as ―BP929 in the past, research carried out in early 2008 by
Gordon Riley and Peter Arnold confirmed that this aircraft, recovered from Northern Norway in
1989, is actually BP923 one of the original three Spitfires flown to Vaenga as part of Operation
Orator at the beginning of September 1942. Examination of the firewall data plate from the
crashed aircraft revealed a constructor‘s number of HAI/6S-132536 but pencilled on the firewall
behind the plate were the numbers ―9, ―2 and another figure which was initially thought to be
an overly large ―9 but which is now clearly a straight topped ―3. The technician responsible
for riveting the plate onto the firewall would probably have noted the serial to ensure that it was
installed in the correct aircraft – this is what led Sven Kindblom to make the initial supposition
that the aircraft was BP929.”

Sorry to back to an old thread, but is there any news on the restoration of the PR IV? Thanks.

SE-BIR 😉

Perhaps not on the register as of today, but you weren’t kidding were you…! RW386 is now in Sweden!

T J

Well fancy that.

Mark

Kenjohan

I don’t think Swedish enthusiasts will have to wait too long before they have a Spitfire on their civil register.:)

Mark

Perhaps not on the register as of today, but you weren’t kidding were you…! RW386 is now in Sweden!

T J

Eleven PR IV Spitfires are reckoned to have been supplied to Russia under operations ‘Tungsten’, ‘Orator’ and ‘Source’.

The serials are known.

Mark

11 Serials were:

AB132
AB423
AB427
BP884
BP889
BP891
BP917
BP923
BP926
BP929
BR658

Delivered as

4 + 7 (1 Spare)

I doubt that this wreck will ever be restored in Sweden. The lack of facilities, knowledge and money are some of the unsurmountable obstacles in the way of a successful outcome of such an undertaking. I’d love to be proven wrong, but until then…sorry, no way.

Kenjohan

Kenjohan

I don’t think Swedish enthusiasts will have to wait too long before they have a Spitfire on their civil register.:)

Mark

Great to see a pic of the remains.

What are the plans? Will it fly or will it become a static rebuild.

Good to see interesting things happening in Sweden.

Sweden: 12 points:)

Cheers

Cees

Thanks, Cees!

Some parts of the wreck will fly, aswell as the plate 😉

Great to see a pic of the remains.

What are the plans? Will it fly or will it become a static rebuild.

Good to see interesting things happening in Sweden.

Sweden: 12 points:)

Cheers

Cees

Well I and the owner have been trying for some time. 🙂

Mark

Yupp, me and the owner aswell. Sven is more or less convinced it is BP929 🙂

Thanks! 🙂

Still not many to chose from… which should make it possible to establish (also) the RAF id

Well I and the owner have been trying for some time. 🙂

Mark

Eleven PR IV Spitfires are reckoned to have been supplied to Russia under operations ‘Tungsten’, ‘Orator’ and ‘Source’.

The serials are known.

Mark

Thanks! 🙂

Still not many to chose from… which should make it possible to establish (also) the RAF id

Eleven PR IV Spitfires are reckoned to have been supplied to Russia under operations ‘Tungsten’, ‘Orator’ and ‘Source’.

The serials are known.

Mark

I doubt that this wreck will ever be restored in Sweden. The lack of facilities, knowledge and money are some of the unsurmountable obstacles in the way of a successful outcome of such an undertaking. I’d love to be proven wrong, but until then…sorry, no way.

Kenjohan

Have you been following progress?

Mark

More than seven. I post this from my office, so can’t quote the numbers, but there once was an article in “Air Enthusiast” on Soviet PR Spitfires, entitled “Unarmed, Unafraid, and Unaccompanied”, which listed them all in detail.
Air Britain’s “Spitfire International” (by Helmut Terbeck, Harry van der Meer, and Ray Sturtivant) also gives the answer to your question.

Ok, thanks! The number seven is from studies made in Russian archives.

I doubt that this wreck will ever be restored in Sweden. The lack of facilities, knowledge and money are some of the unsurmountable obstacles in the way of a successful outcome of such an undertaking. I’d love to be proven wrong, but until then…sorry, no way.

Kenjohan

Hmmm … Of course it wont be easy, but how much do you know about this project? :rolleyes:

Spifire PR IV in Sweden

I doubt that this wreck will ever be restored in Sweden. The lack of facilities, knowledge and money are some of the unsurmountable obstacles in the way of a successful outcome of such an undertaking. I’d love to be proven wrong, but until then…sorry, no way.

Kenjohan

As I have understand it – the Russian Maritime AF recived seven PR.IVs and BP929 was one of them. RAF serials of the other six..?

More than seven. I post this from my office, so can’t quote the numbers, but there once was an article in “Air Enthusiast” on Soviet PR Spitfires, entitled “Unarmed, Unafraid, and Unaccompanied”, which listed them all in detail.
Air Britain’s “Spitfire International” (by Helmut Terbeck, Harry van der Meer, and Ray Sturtivant) also gives the answer to your question.

As I have understand it – the Russian Maritime AF recived seven PR.IVs and BP929 was one of them. RAF serials of the other six..?

All Russian PR.IVs were used by the same unit; 118 ORAP.

This Spitfire was lost in a crash on 29.2.44 when P/O L I Yel’kin flew into the Vaddasgaisafjället (mountain) in Northern Norway during a mision against Altenfjord.

The slow rebuild of this PR.IV continues. The “c/n” quoted is 6S/138536.

…and it is correct. Here is the cockpit data plate.

The provisional RAF serial is based on some crude pencil marks found under the firewall data plate that could be interpreted as ‘929’.

The Russian records will eventually solve this one.

Mark