Spitfire XI PL983

Well fire will not melt major steel components such as undercarriage legs and prop hubs. So were the remnants of these two Spitfires just bulldozed and ‘skipped’ with the general fire detritus or are they perhaps waiting their turn?
Mark

Mark, As I understand it, the fire was severe enough to melt or at least badly distort steel. There was very little rescuable of any of the stuff. The fire crews got stuck in rush hour traffic. Not much left when they got there.

I doubt if anything much was even recognisable in the skip!

Ah, so no such luck on seeing ‘297 again in any way, shape or form?

The ‘thick plottens’.

Daz,

I know the gentleman who submitted that listing on North American Spitfires to Flypast.

It was a requested but raw and unedited printout from his data base and he was anticipating some discussion and refinement prior to any form of publication. 😮

Mark

Mark

I think it was in the recent Flypast article on North American Spitfires – could be wrong, of course, but I’m pretty sure (about 80%) that’s where I saw it.

Mark,
Have you checked if the nice people down in the Flypast office have some photos?

I know my memory is failing at an alarming rate, but when the CWH fire was reported (in Flypast or the other one…) I seem to remember there where some photos of the Hurricane wreckage. Maybe they have something on the Spit as well.

Spitfires MK297 & BS464 – lost in hangar fires.

Which leads me to ask on the status of the CAF’s old Spitfire, MK297. I keep reading in various sources that the aircraft is currently a “project”, even though it was destroyed by fire in 1993.

Daz,

I have not read that MK297 is a ‘project’. Please tell us more about this.

I would be interested in bottoming this out. All my communication at the time would only elicit that both of the above aircraft were totally lost in their respective fires at Canadian Warplane and Paris. Well fire will not melt major steel components such as undercarriage legs and prop hubs. So were the remnants of these two Spitfires just bulldozed and ‘skipped’ with the general fire detritus or are they perhaps waiting their turn?

There were no injuries or fatalities in these fires so may I ask if anybody has any photos of the post fire remains?

Mark

The truth today is that virtually no amount of damage could render a Spitfire unrebuildable such is the value of the aircraft and the technology and resources that have evolved to support it.

Which leads me to ask on the status of the CAF’s old Spitfire, MK297. I keep reading in various sources that the aircraft is currently a “project”, even though it was destroyed by fire in 1993.

(Sorry if I’m digging up something really old here!)

Pl983

happier days

The truth today is that virtually no amount of damage could render a Spitfire unrebuildable such is the value of the aircraft and the technology and resources that have evolved to support it.

PL983 is in the caring hands of Propshop/ARCo – she will someday soon fly again! 🙂