Which Spitfire is this?

RE: Which Spitfire is this?

Don’t know about ‘red’, but if you mean the small round panel under the leading edge of the tailplane, that’s an access panel. Not entirely sure what it would have allowed access to – my guess is elevator and rudder cables and linkages – but it’s certainly not a fuel cap! 🙂

Looking at that tail photo, there’s another clue; there’s a ground tying shackle on the underside of the fuselage, which the GRP replicas have to stop the wind from chucking them around.

Also noticed that the nose profile on the full shot is more in line with the cowling and spinner shape of a Mk IX, so my vote’s with Christer’s analysis – she’s a GRP Mk IX. Nice though…

RE: Which Spitfire is this?

Whats the Red cap in the tail that looks like a fuel cap?

RE: Which Spitfire is this?

I´ve had a look or two as well and these are my thoughts:

The propeller is totally wrong, the shape of the blades suggest a right hand tractor which is correct for a Merlin but the blade pitch would make it fly backwards.

A lot of structural detail is wrong, lacking rivetting handholes, movable details seam to be fixed etc.
The close-up of the tail shows black aluminium rivets, never seen those before.

Symmetric under wing radiators exclude all variants that doesn´t have a two stage Merlin so, Mk II or Mk V it isn´t. Most single stage Merlins also had two-into-one exhaust ejectors, not twelve separate.

For what it´s worth, my bet is on a GRP model of a Mk IX.

Christer

RE: Which Spitfire is this?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 04-11-02 AT 04:07 AM (GMT)]It could be that both of you ar right.. i mean it could be the dammaged airframe that was repaired and had some parts replicated and fixed in,, yes the prop looks bit suspicious.. but then the colse up of the tail section is authentic enough.,, what ever the case its a very good looking example.

As for the model.. its hard to say with only shoot form bellow.. id say its one of earlier modesl, due to the underside of the nose.. the latter models had different shape in order do fit bigger engine… Id say its either MKII or MKV.. could be wrong though

1.MKII
2.MKV
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RE: Which Spitfire is this?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 04-11-02 AT 00:02 AM (GMT)]I think my money is on it being a replica.The prop goes the wrong way,the canon blisters look too small and it has a plasticcy look about it to my eye.I’d also say that the ailerons look to be moulded into the wings,as opposed to being seperate pieces, there are no holes in the undersurface of the wings for the spent cartridges and there don’t seem to be any gun bay access panels.It’s hard to tell from the lighting etc in the pic,but it also looks as if the radiator fairings have no ajustable exit doors.It’s damn hard to tell from the piccies though,so I could well be wrong on all counts (nowt new there!).
If it is a replica,I have to say that it does look incredibly realistic,and well done to whoever went to all the trouble to do the finer detailing,it’s certainly been worth it. 🙂

RE: Which Spitfire is this?

My videocamera (Sony DCR PC110E) can also be used as a digital photo camera. Only 1.1 mil pixels, but the lens is a 10 times zoom Carl Zeiss. Translated to 35 “language”, I shot the tail photo with something like 450mm. The question remains however, did I shoot an aircraft or just a model???????? BW Roger

RE: Which Spitfire is this?

Maybe this close up shot gives a clue. According to the museum staff the aircraft was “real” and the V-1 was a replica. I don’t know what it is. Looking at the detail shot it looks convincing enough for me. Real or fake, I don’t know (yet).
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RE: Which Spitfire is this?

Just looking at the photo it certainly doesn’t appear to be a genuine Spitfire – look at the thickness of the cables suspending it and the apparent lack of substantial fixings to the fuselage.
I’d say its a glassfibre replica.
But as always I’m willing to be corrected!! Note I’m not putting money or beer on this! 😉