Spitfires At Airshows

Great pics 🙂 I’ll have to add them to the screensaver pile! 😉

RW382


PL983



NH238 horible scan 😮 (G-SUSY behind)

Cheers

Paul

Hi stewart1a,

I believe it’s a Pilatus P-2.

Cheers,

Ben

picture

in the first piuc is that a replica stuka?

The three Buchons make a unique sight. They had, of course, just completed filming of ‘Mephis Belle’ and we had ‘collected’ G-HUNN back from OFMC the previous afternoon.

Not wishing to split hairs you understand, but I suspect the Buchons had gathered prior to ‘Memphis Belle’ filming…this was the scene a few weeks later at Duxford (5/7/89) – best ‘free’ airshow I’ve been to, when was the last time you saw three B17s run and break?

And back to the original question, PL983 & NH238 at Duxford 10/7/88 in their ‘Piece of Cake’ colours (yes, it was a rather murky day!)

Leave them in the files, B130, no need to go digging that sad bit of history up 🙁

Eddie why do you always enquire about disasters they should be left alone its not our place to interviene in such matters please leave this touch subject as it can offend forum members!

Any pictures of the subsequent crash of RM689 Bruggen 130 ??

Yes in my files and thats were they’re staying. Iv’e also got a copy of the
accident report,the photo was taken about 30 seconds before the crash.
I always wondered why he did that slow low pass, it just did’nt seem to fit in to his display routine.
Phil.

Personally, I would prefer not to see pictures posted of somebody losing their life.

Any pictures of the subsequent crash of RM689 Bruggen 130 ??

Hi.
A shot of RM-689 Taken at Woodford on 27 June 1992.
A VERY sad day.
Phil.

Good Question Cees.

I too have read about having to ‘undo’ previous work.

The was a good piece in the excellent ‘Spitfires & Polished Metal’ about how HFL would go about restoring an airframe and it states that the partly restored ones were the most trouble.

Part Lineage, metallurgy & dimensional intergrity were cited as the 3 main problems with these airframes although I guess bad or substandard workmanship might also come into play!

Maybe Mark12 or some of those with experience on working with and restoring these machines can give us some answers. 🙂

Cheers

Paul

workmanship.

You gets what you pays for.

You gets what is certifiable and the parts are available for.

Different countries have different certifications and attitudes to rebuilds and authenticity – this isn’t about ‘wrong’ and ‘right’ but about ‘different’.

The quality and possibilities are being raised and expanded respectively. A Spitfire re-built today is (IMHO) better made than a Spitfire built by Supermrines or Castle B – it’s handbuilt rather than mass production. Since about the 1950s, the attitudes to rebuilds and restorations have, generally, improved the breed. D1ck Melton’s work, and Charles Church’s ideas changed the possibilities of Spitfire rebuilds, as did the original HFL.

Lots of restorers run down other restorers. sometimes that’s fair comment, sometimes not. As a journalist (IMHO) it always fails to throw good light on the person doing the ‘knocking’. The best restorers are those who don’t knock, and whose workmanship speaks for itself.

Cheers!

About workmanship in general.

I’m not a technical expert nor will I ever be, but every now and then I read reports in the warbird press about new owners having to “undo” the previous owners work. Harry Stenger said something similar about the ex-Melton Spitfire cache, and the restoration of Spitfire RM797 in Australia was also completely redone, if I must believe what was written way back in 1988 (also in FlyPast, from memory). Perhaps Oscar Duck can confirm this, him being the owner.

Bottom line is:

There are so many different companies busy (or have been, but no longer) working on a lot of Spitfires all over the globe, there must be a whole bunch of different standards of restoration. Is there one standard to name that could be considered “modern standard workmanship”. Historic Flying perhaps, or Airframe Assemblies?

Apart from that, I just remembered having seen a photo of TE184’s cockpit and there was some very “strange” structure in the cockpit reminding me of the structure of the aft cockpit of a Spit two-seater.

Your turn

Cheers

Cees

Those short-span ailerons….

I’ve just found the Pilot article on PT462, and I’ll be transmogrified! I’d NEVER noticed them before, and they were practically in my face! 😮

Sure would! 😉

Cheers

Paul

An example of Mr Meltons mods would be the replacement of quick release cowling fasteners with screws. I have the whole list somewhere.

Would no doubt make interesting reading!

Is “EE606” the aircraft that reportedly saw RR Meteor components (tank engine from Centurion) incorporated in the Merlin engine during the rebuild and that this eventually led to the sad loss ?
Or is this just another rumour ?
Martin

A rumour and I would be 99% sure it was erroneous.

From memory, the failure was due to excess regrinding of the crankshaft through the nitrided layer.

Mark

The ‘Ultimate Spitfire’ article was, I recall, from May 1989.