SX336 – An Unfolding Story. (Note – 11 Images Suitable For Seafire Afficionados Only)

Nice pictures…

I got my copy of the Crowood Press Seafire book this week, well worth a punt – Seafires usually occupy a chapter at the end of Spitfire books, nice to see a volume dedicated to her.

Torbay Aviation Museum

For the record….the ex-Battle of Britain film replica came first. Liberated from Madame Tussauds as they dismantled their exhibition using various film props, I guess that would have been in 1970 or 71. Then much later came the deal with Peter in which the replica was trailered down to Keith Fordyce’s museum at Torbay. (This was quite an eventful journey I remember, as the transfer gearbox on the new Range Rover I was using as the tow vehicle gave up the ghost just north of Bristol and we were stranded on the M5 motorway with traffic slowing down to see a Spitfire by the side of the road!). I then hauled the Seafire outers and a main fuel tank up to Redbourne and my love affair with SX300 began.

Dear John, do you have any pictures of Torbay Aviation Museum?

The ‘other’ Seafire XVII

Mark,

For the record….the ex-Battle of Britain film replica came first. Liberated from Madame Tussauds as they dismantled their exhibition using various film props, I guess that would have been in 1970 or 71. Then much later came the deal with Peter in which the replica was trailered down to Keith Fordyce’s museum at Torbay. (This was quite an eventful journey I remember, as the transfer gearbox on the new Range Rover I was using as the tow vehicle gave up the ghost just north of Bristol and we were stranded on the M5 motorway with traffic slowing down to see a Spitfire by the side of the road!). I then hauled the Seafire outers and a main fuel tank up to Redbourne and my love affair with SX300 began.

So sad it all ended in tears. The unrestored fuselage of SX300 only went to Peter Wood’s to help with the positioning of those all-important small fittings as SX336 began to take shape in the workshop. Otherwise it would still be safe here in Warwick. C’est la vie!

John Berkeley

Nice pics Mark. I thought I saw you loitering on Sunday.

From your explanation it appears that there are still substantial remains of LA546 but too many type specific parts are absent for an airworthy rebuild. If that is the case someone ought to check in Peter Arnolds garage to see what bits he’s still got in there. He’s a very naughty boy.

Out of interest wasn’t LA546 viable in the more complete form as witnessed in the pictures taken earlier in her life at Newark.

David,

LA546 – Well from frame 12 rearwards it was a nice monococque tube but was pretty bruised form there on forward. Despite its apparent condition SX336 was just loaded with fittings and fixtures, actually the most important and expensive parts. Plus the datum longerons were intact on SX336.

The actual reason for the mating at the time was contractual. Peter Arnold was in a 50/50 partnership with Neville Franklin on the ownership of their principal project LA564 and their collection of LA546 parts. When Peter located and obtained SX336 and SX300, he offered Neville the best of the XVII fuselages, SX336, the back end of LA546, the worst of the two Griffon VI engines, the worst of the two XVII tail units and the prospect of the worst of the inner wings. All this was offered in exchange for his half of the LA564 fuselage project. He accepted.

For the record SX300 went on to John Berkeley in Coventry and in a four way deal, which liberated a full size Spitfire replica, which in turn liberated a set of Seafire XV outer wings from Keith Fordyce at Torbay for Neville and generated an amount of cash to fund the purchase of the Milnathort Seafire outer wings. Everybody happy and two project firmly established..with two in reserve. Golden days.

The front end of LA546 later went on to Craig Charleston who still retains it.

Mark

Great pictures Mark12, Looks like a lot of work and love went into the restoration. Hats off to the owner and restoration crew.

Cheers Dave C

Presumably one of the issues was that LA546 would require Spitfire 20 series wings, so if the Seafire Mk.XV wings were available it swung the balance in favour of SX336

Out of interest wasn’t LA546 viable in the more complete form as witnessed in the pictures taken earlier in her life at Newark.

Un-folding

Thanks for that Mk12!

Another unfolding story.

This one took me a bit by surprise. By the thread title I was expecting a time line of Seafire/SX336 shots, “unfolding” from 1970’s till now. If we could prevail upon you MK12, one “before” and one “after” shot would be nice to see.

Seadog,

Well now that the owner has launched her to the public and the paperwork is all in place I am sure he will not mind the world knowing just what the starting point was for this project. Folding wings, arrester hook, streamlined glazing,a Griffon VI and four blade opposite rotation prop – just some of the unique engineering items on this project that make it most certainly not – just another Spitfire restoration.

Mark

The recovery from the Warrington scrap yard in 1973.

The back end that turned up a little later as the yard was being cleared.

The collected combination of parts from SX336/SX300/LA546 and the outer wings from a Seafire XV, in 1983, that were enough to contemplate a restoration.

In Craig Charleston’s workshop in 1985. Work gets under way to get the basic fuselage back into shape.

Surprise

This one took me a bit by surprise. By the thread title I was expecting a time line of Seafire/SX336 shots, “unfolding” from 1970’s till now. If we could prevail upon you MK12, one “before” and one “after” shot would be nice to see.

Good job the navy didn’t have to do the “quick reaction alerts” or whatever they were called then back in the late 1940s….

Good job the navy didn’t have to do the “quick reaction alerts” or whatever they were called then ack in the late 1940s….

Mandrolic wing folding mechanism. Lovely 🙂

Mark,

Thanks 😀

Who said that the Royal Navy used to be overmanned? 😉

Why use hydraulics when the Armstrong method is available…

Thanks for sharing Mark.