That’s sad.

I do a lot of charity work with my replica Spitfire, donating my own time and money assisting different charities, mainly military, including yours, etc raising thousands.

What you say here is, I give out the wrong message for your company?

The major focus of the Legion’s communications is to raise awareness of its work today – especially for the younger Service Community. But, as an icon of WW2, the replica focuses the public’s mind away from this message and onto the past. This was borne out by the events it attended in 2009 – which were in the main retrospective celebrations.

Does this mean that as a military charity if it wasn’t for Afganistan you guys would have wound up proceedings and ceased trading?

yours confused

Baz

Thanks, Robert, but pardon my apparent ignorance here, why is this trailer so narrow and short, as there appears no room for the wings, etc to be carried on it as well?
For £11,000, I would have expected a more protective piece of kit for it…..

The size of the trailer is regulated to what is pulling it. The max size to pull behind a Disco is 7m x 2.3m bed, which is what that Spitfire is sat on. Same bed as mine but different axle arrangement. The reason for lack of protection I guess would be weight, same problem as mine. I believe the RBL trailer was bespoke built by Bateson trailers (as was mine) but when I approached Bateson, he advised against a heavy ‘A’ frame trailer for a more conventional lighter (cheaper) flat-bed. To keep the weight down to carry the wings I also had to forgo protection. The ‘A’ frame trailer is very difficult to reverse and can be uncomfortable when towing as it transmits any bounce through the tow-hitch and can lead to snatching on the road. I paid 5k for mine and it’s a delight to tow. Of my 20 odd (ifor williams) trailers, it’s my favourite:)

It’s a great looking replica, hope the RBL comes to it’s senses.

As a matter of interest:

The plane is built from aluminium and instead of an engine has counter balance weights fitted to keep it level.

what does that mean?

Baz

I was lucky enough to see this fantastic project last October at Stow on the Wold, I commented that it would be nice if it had an instrument panel, but the chap there looking after it said ‘it did’ but they were told to take it out for Heath ans Safety reasons!

Jules

I might be wrong but, the H&S people now go round to events and check instrument panels for radioactivity. Certain dials can give off high levels of the stuff and they frown at people climbing in and out of cockpits and ending up like Homer Simpson, etc…………just a guess.

Nice explanation here:

http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q133.html

even better here:

http://cencio4.wordpress.com/works/radioactive-materials-in-flight-instruments/

Baz

Another giant leap backwards for mankind:( First the moon, then Concorde, now this. Is anything in place to replace them? I doubt it – no money I suspect. Ahh well it was nice while it lasted.

Martin

Martin

There is a replacement called Orion, however, your right about the money they have been short funded by $550,000,000. it won’t fly till 2015.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11282-budget-woes-delay-shuttle-replacement-to-2015.html

Baz

…..wouldn’t catch me putting that sort stuff on my walls……..no sir…..not likely…..damn!