Stateside Seafire

I meant to have written “another Seafire Mk.XV” project. Likely being stored elsewhere, the other Seafire Mk.XV that Wes Stricker owns is SR462:

SR462 has moved on and is now in the UK at the start of a restoration to airworthy.

Mark

Thank you for the report, Roger, and I’m looking forward to seeing some of the photos you took!

I meant to have written “another Seafire Mk.XV” project. Likely being stored elsewhere, the other Seafire Mk.XV that Wes Stricker owns is SR462: http://www.warbirdregistry.org/spitregistry/seafire-sr462.html

The P-51D you saw under restoration is the 353rd FG combat vet (yellow/black checker noses) “Kansas City Kitty III”: http://mustangsmustangs.net/p-51/?survivors/serial/44-64122 The other P-51D in the hangar, “Archie”, is owned by/registered to Lee Maples: http://mustangsmustangs.net/p-51/?survivors/serial/44-73350

[QUOTE=JohnTerrell;2129729]Wes Stricker has had the Seafire Mk.XV on static display at each of the annual “Salute to Veterans” air shows held at Columbia Regional Airport (Missouri), where his aircraft are hangared – so if you get to that show, you’ll be sure to see it. I think he has another Spitfire Mk.XV project and a Mustang which is a 353rd FG vet with possible ‘kills’ to its credit – “Kansas City Kitty III” – which they’ve been re-restoring and, last I heard, trying to get it back into its original WWII markings if possible.

Here’s a great page of photos of the Seafire Mk.XV from the “Salute to Veterans” web site: http://www.salute.org/Seafire.html……QUOTE]

I was welcomed into the hangar late this morning (I think my British accent might have helped) and was talking to Scott and Jim. What an Aladdin’s Cave! Seafire, P-51 complete, P-51 under restoration, TBM Avenger under restoration, Goose(?) under restoration, stripped Citation, stripped Cessna, several Savia Marchetti SM1019 being worked on, a black helicopter and two sizeable biz-jets. Didn’t see any sign of a Spitfire though. The way conversation went suggested doubt on the Seafire (or others from this hangar) being on display at the “Salute To Veterans” weekend on 24th/25th May despite several of them appearing on the website.
http://www.salute.org/
Isn’t it typical been in Missouri for three months virtually starved of aeronautical activity and that event is on 8 days after we fly home!! 🙁

Took a fair number of photos and will attempt to post one or two (and some more scribe) over the next couple of days.

Roger Smith.

This aircraft should have been secured back in the 1970’s for a U.K national museum. It was an incredible lack of foresight that meant it ended up being exported. The present owner has invested a great deal in her and must be congratulated for it .

And if you haven’t seen this before, here’s a video from a few years back of Jim Smith flying his Seafire 47 from his (gorgeous!) private airport – the runway sits right next to a golf course. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YioXYhbVPA

Goose bumps!

Memories!!! My favourite aeroplane.

Crystal Lakes, 20 May 2005.
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J Boyle is absolutely right. But for the present owner’s investment and Ezells excellent restoration, this aircraft would probably still be in pieces gathering dust somewhere. It was a great privilege to be able to see and hear it in the air in May 2005.

Good to see more examples of the type following this aircraft back into the air.

Wes Stricker has had the Seafire Mk.XV on static display at each of the annual “Salute to Veterans” air shows held at Columbia Regional Airport (Missouri), where his aircraft are hangared – so if you get to that show, you’ll be sure to see it. I think he has another Spitfire Mk.XV project and a Mustang which is a 353rd FG vet with possible ‘kills’ to its credit – “Kansas City Kitty III” – which they’ve been re-restoring and, last I heard, trying to get it back into its original WWII markings if possible.

Here’s a great page of photos of the Seafire Mk.XV from the “Salute to Veterans” web site: http://www.salute.org/Seafire.html

And if you haven’t seen this before, here’s a video from a few years back of Jim Smith flying his Seafire 47 from his (gorgeous!) private airport – the runway sits right next to a golf course. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YioXYhbVPA

Lovely photo of the FR.47 – one of my favourite aeroplanes, thanks for posting it up Mark12.
If I had a choice of which flying ‘guest visitor’ I could see perform at flying legends then this would be it.

And yes I have to agree about the owner and his sizeable investment in the project to get if airworthy, as no one else sermed to have done much with it since its export from the UK!

Rob

Likewise my television stories about the project and the Ezells.

Do you still have the video I sent?

Hard to believe it is coming up ten years since I was there.

The word and requests I am getting would suggest that a museum is in the planning.

Mark

….both of which have been parked for several years now, away from public view.

Rich guy’s prerogative. 🙂
I see the same thing all the time with classic cars.

But, I have to give the Mk 47 owner credit…he spent a huge amount of money at Ezell Aviation for the restoration, if it weren’t for his efforts (read money) it wouldn’t be restored in the first place. It would be a dusty project somewhere.
But it least it’s with us…even if we can’t see it. It’s not ideal, but I’m okay with that.

….both of which have been parked for several years now, away from public view.

There are so many Spitfires flying that not publicly demonstrating a merlin-engine Seafire is hardly a crime against humanity.

On a happy note, the USA seems awash in Seafires with this Mk. 15 and the Griffon Mk. 47 in Montana.

I’m sure that ‘owner’s wishes’ would be the main reason it has hardly been flown. The Seafire arrived a few days before Oshkosh, remained parked on the grass all week, and flew out again a few days later after everyone had gone home. Still, it was nice to get to see it, if not in the air.

John Beattie has been seen lately flying Tim Manna’s Skyraider and Seafire. I believe he retired from the RNHF some years ago.

Mike J, thanks for that update, I was abit over eager to post the link thinking it was recent and I also once met the pilot, I had recceived it via e-mail from a friend in Oregon, also it was the first link I had posted with no help, part of the reason for the X-47B!.The pilot John Beatie I had met some years previously on a return Bournemouth Jersey Herald flight with Channel Express, he used to fly with the RNHF from Yeovilton not sure if he still does.
It is a pity that the Seafire became to be locked away in a hangar after the superb work by the retoration team, after Oshkosh it must have been in much demand for airshow appearances, just curious to find out the reason

Best regards, Gerry R

An earlier thread here

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?127139-Seafire-restoration&highlight=seafire

At least this one looks a little less like an X-47B!

It is an old film from 4 years ago, I understand that the aeroplane concerned has been parked up in a locked hangar since appearing static at Oshkosh that year (2010)