Does anyone know what the future holds for Spitfire XVI TE184 that is sitting at RAF Halton at the moment?
Is it still flying and who owns it now?
I visited Halton today. There has been some Spitfire activity there and I thought I would try to have a look. There didn’t seem to be any activity on that front today, but I did get to see TE184 sitting in a hangar looking in a dreadful state.
The exhausts were rusty, the tyres were flat, the undercarriage looked shorter, I guess the air has leaked out and not been replaced, the cowlings were hanging off and it was covered in god knows how many months worth of dust and dirt.
Some one has even written “Please Fly Me!” in the dirt. I thought that type of thing was saved for the back of dirty white transit vans, not a million pound Spitfire or any other aircraft come to think of it!
How can anyone let a ‘flyable’ Spitfire sit in this state. The owner should be ashamed. How much effort does it take to keep an aircraft in a reasonable state of upkeep? Even if it is not flown, it should still be looked after.
Even the plastic Spitfire sitting on a pole outside of the RAF museum at Hendon looks more airworthy than TE184…
Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me at the time, otherwise I’d try and share the experience with you.
Please, who ever owns this Spitfire, do something about it before it’s undercarriage collapses under the weight of the dirt sitting on it.
Charlie
By: ozplane - 20th March 2004 at 11:53
Just for info, the red MG convertible rushing about on 17 March at Duxford was in fact a Smart coupe being used in a children’s programme for Channel 5. It had “wings” attached and the “star” was wearing my flying helmet!. The car itself was not too smart (ouch) as it self-immobilised and they had to bring in a replacement.
The only other Spitfire, other than the Grace version, that I saw flying was one of the B of B PR blue machines. The ferry pilots arrived in one of the black B of B Chipmunks which then departed along with the Spitfire.
Hope this helps.
By: JDK - 17th March 2004 at 23:00
“What, jump out of a perfectly servicable aeroplane? Not likely, old boy.”
P/O Prune.
By: Manonthefence - 17th March 2004 at 21:25
Not big enough for my mixed Halifax / Lancaster flight, being grass
You’ve obviously never seen it at 12500ft whist heading vertically towards it at 140mph 😀
By: JDK - 17th March 2004 at 21:04
Weston.
Not big enough for my mixed Halifax / Lancaster flight, being grass. 😉
Bicester’s got some historic hangars – had a look around last year on the Heritage Open Days, very impressive domestic quarters.
Cheers
By: Manonthefence - 17th March 2004 at 20:30
That’s my local RAF airfield
What about Weston on the Green?
By: andrewman - 17th March 2004 at 17:26
Halton might be busy but its not my sort of thing.
The place is full of spam cans and other stuff like that.
By: JDK - 17th March 2004 at 17:21
Anyone fancy buying Bicester? It’s for sale! 😮
That’s my local RAF airfield.
By: Tbirdman - 17th March 2004 at 17:10
Unlikely to return due to acute hangar space shortage at Halton. RAF gliders moving in from Bicester at some stage which will make for a very busy airfield indeed.
By: andrewman - 17th March 2004 at 15:49
Nice to see something finally being done with that spitfire.
If it flew into Duxford it can’t be as ****ed as people have been making out.
By: Ashley - 17th March 2004 at 15:41
Well there was a small camera film set up apparently filming someone sat in/next to what looked like a red MG convertible when I arrived at work this morning…thought because it looked like a small crew and they already seemed to be filming, I thought it might be some small piece for local news…I’ll ask around and see what I can find out…
By: Mark12 - 17th March 2004 at 14:48
TE184 reluctant departure
Just a hunch, but my guess would be a film.
Two similar looking Spitfires and a bunch of computer graphics are the accepted minimum these days.
So a matching high back four blade Merlin at Duxford?
Any WWII type films in the pot?
Answers on a post card…
Just a hunch.
Mark
By: DazDaMan - 17th March 2004 at 14:46
Don’t you just hate some people….! 😉 :p
By: Ashley - 17th March 2004 at 14:44
Wheeeeeeee! Duxford! 😀 🙂 :p
There is a Spit flying about here at the moment, but cannot see which it is (must start bringing the binoculars to work again now the flying has started 🙂 The Grace Spitfire was out on the flightline this morning, so guess this is the Spitfire currently being put through it’s paces. I presume TE184’s flight to Duxford was a ferry flight, and inspections and such will be carried out on her before she flies again.
Ashley
By: Moggy C - 17th March 2004 at 14:27
Originally posted by Janie
I bet it was difficult getting her off the ground with all those people hanging on to her.
😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Moggy
By: Chipmunk Carol - 17th March 2004 at 14:23
I bet it was difficult getting her off the ground with all those people hanging on to her.
By: Tbirdman - 17th March 2004 at 14:14
If I told you I would have to shoot you 😉
By: Womanonthefence - 17th March 2004 at 14:14
so does this mean it is bound for ARC or OFMC?
By: DazDaMan - 17th March 2004 at 14:07
Any other info?? This must be a good start! 🙂
By: tcatco - 17th March 2004 at 14:00
TE184 finally departed Halton for Duxford yesterday in the capable hands of Lee Proudfoot. She clearly didn’t want to leave sunny Buckinghamshire after so long and dug her wheels in initially but was persuaded to move again by some keen recruits.
By: Ewan Hoozarmy - 26th February 2004 at 20:28
Heard today that there has been some activity at Halton with TE184, including engine runs.. Maybe this means we will see it airborne in the near future?
Anyone know who has bought it, or where’s it’s going? (It must need some engineering work after such a long time on the ground)
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February 21, 2004 at 7:27 pm