Spitfire TE294. Scheduled to fly this coming June

Official images and video of the first flight here:-

http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/593/The-First-Flight-of-the-Roseland-Spitfire-IX.aspx

🙁 You can remove one after the crash in France 🙁

We like lists John Terrell, think it’s a man thing .

TE476 hasn’t flown in some 16-17 years, and AR501 hasn’t flown since 2005 (as I recall) – I will add them to my list as soon as they’re flying again. Just to keep the list fair/balanced, I put the cuttoff on “recent years” as being since 2010 (though that’s getting quite a time away now). All of those which I’ve included are known to or at least have been believed to have been flown since 2010 (that was my cutoff) and are probably capable of flying at this moment or within a very short period of time/just a check-over. Unfortunately, with the events of today, one of the Spits can sadly be scratched from the list. I like to create/have lists like this, updated over time of course, of various types, including Mustangs, B-25’s, Corsairs, P-40’s, Hurricanes, etc., as you so often hear general/lofty estimates of the numbers of these types flying, but it’s somewhat interesting to have rather very specific numbers.

How about XVI TE476 ??

AR501 must be on that list, too? She’s just about ready to go again after her restoration.

In a galaxy a long long time ago

From the long defunked original Y2K website.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]253984[/ATTACH]

Thank you – list now amended for future reference! I don’t know how I missed EE602, as it’s one of my favorites. I know a few of those in the list in my post aren’t agreed upon by everyone as currently being airworthy – as you say, “airworthy-resting”. ; )

John Terrell,

A couple more for your list. EE602 and RW382 both photographed here at Biggin Hill on 18 August 2015

Mark

By my count, here are all of the Spitfires that have flown in recent years and which are still intact/ready to fly again when the owner decides to do so:

Mk.I’s and Mk.II – AR213, N3200, P7350, P9374, X4650
Mk.V’s – AB910, AR614, BL628, BM597, EE602, EP120, EP122, JG891
Mk.VIII’s- MV154, MV239
Tr.VIII – MT818
Mk.IX’s – BR601, MH434, MJ730, MK356, MK732, MK959, ML417, PL344, PV270, RR232, SL633, TA805, TD314, TE294, TE554
Tr.IX’s – MH367, MJ627, ML407, NH341, PT462, PV202, SM520
Pr.XI – PL965
Mk.XIV’s – MV293, NH749, NH799, RN201 and SM832
Mk.XVI’s – TB863, TD248, TE184, TE311, RW382, RW386, SL721
Mk.XVIII’s – SM845, SM969, TP280
Pr.XIX’s – PM631, PS853, PS890, PS915
Seafires – PP972, PR503, SX336, VP441

(I will not begin to get into which ones have more original parts than others (as if I would know to begin with) – though one easy thing to do is simply search the serial number into Google Images and see what sort of results come up to give you a clue as to its whereabouts over the past 7 decades – whether it has been more/less intact all that time, or if it had to be dug out of the ground, etc.)

One post here states something about “90%+ newbuild” not being original – well what if they’re 89% newbuild? 88%, 87%, etc…what amount draws the line between someone here calling it a “replica” (completely wrong word to use, by the way) and just leaving it be/respecting it as an “original”… Peter brings up the excellent point too, that these rebuilds, even though they might not be able to use much if anything from the original plane they claim to be, they are still going to be full of as many original Spitfire parts that can be sourced elsewhere.

BTW, I think the VWoC Spitfire is absolutely gorgeous (I really like the unique style of the codes). You can really tell that there were some expert metal workers involved. As others have stated, I hope she will be brought to Oshkosh this summer (where the Collings Spitfire Mk.IX will also be).

Maybe, but I seem to recall seeing pics of a new firewall having been built for it using the original as a pattern only
Will try to find them
Either way I am not trying to knock the project . I agree its a Spitfire but just maybe not that Spitfire
It is still a thing of beauty original or not.

Irrespective of origin, let us all be grateful for this astonishing number.

The aircraft that is the subject in this thread for example started out, according to Peter Arnold, with nothing more than a corroded firewall . I am quite sure that that was not reused.

I would put money that many parts from that firewall were refurbished and reused.

Engine mount pick up forgings, all the internal spacer castings on the carry through spars, the longeron attachment castings/forgings etc…and probably the Frame 5 side channels. +++

Mark

Mark12 , thanks , yes I realize that there is a network out there
Was wondering how many were very original as opposed to hardly

I do not understand why this has to be such a touchy taboo subject
There is nothing wrong with having a respectful serious discussion about various degrees of originality . We all know that there are more than a few Spitfires flying that really have barley if not anything original left on them.
The aircraft that is the subject in this thread for example started out, according to Peter Arnold, with nothing more than a corroded firewall . I am quite sure that that was not reused.
There are also Spitfires that are largely original I was just curious as to how many original compared to 90%+ new builds

TE294 looks fantastic, a credit to the many years of hard work that have gone into the project.

A pity the thread has to descend in to another discussion of originality.

…”Data plate Spitfires ” which are essentially all new except for the engine and various instruments ?

Err no.

There is a world wide search and scouring for Spitfire spare parts for the trading of components up and down the food chain to kit out these essentially new airframes that in most cases but not all include recovered sheet metal structure, bracketry etc from the donor.

Not just ‘engines and various instruments’…but windscreens, canopy frames, spinners, back plates, propeller hubs, seats, pedals, control columns, spade grips, undercarriage selectors, exhaust stacks, brake units, oleos and under-carrriage doors, radiators, header tanks, tail wheels and tail oleos, mirrors, radio masts, trim units myriad firewall and cockpit furniture…and anything stainless.

Mark

^^^^^^ You can’t say that on here about Spitfires ,heaven forbid 🙂 there will be alot of indignant huffing and puffing going on.

That is very interesting that the figure now stands at 59 Spitfires flying .
However , I am curious …how many are actual Spitfires as opposed to “Data plate Spitfires ” which are essentially all new except for the engine and various instruments ?

Still has that new Spitfire smell to it as well!