Am I correct in assuming that you are talking about the “where do I paint the ocean grey” situation? Anyone know if this was a mistake, or if the guy wanted it done like that?

T J

This was originally done at a well known restoration shop at High Wycombe in the UK. They did the same on Kermit Weeks’ TE476 :confused: One would have thought that they would have known better, going on their track record with things like the Mosquito RS712 which looked superb before it departed to Florida and ML417 when it was restored originally. However that’s not to say that the then owner didn’t over-rule the desires of the restoration shop in their striving for authenticity, I’m sure someone knows the story.
Unfortunately it would seem when the IX changed owners in the U.S. they re-did the scheme as was and just changed the codes-in fact even they are wrong as they differ from one side to the other…TL-B and T-LB 🙁
You can rest assured the owner is well aware of this as he was over here last week and there is the possibility it may gain yet another scheme in the not too distant future. They may get some better advice from someone at DX I’m led to believe. 😉

I was there with the 45Sqn/TWCU Tornado GR1 from Honington. We definately got it airborne as I remember getting soaked doing the refuel and AF servicing. It was a great weekend despite the weather. We teamed up with the F15 groundcrew from Bitburg as they were without transport, and had a laugh. Departures on the Monday had some interesting low passes……I seem to remember getting a picture of a Jaguar nearly taking out a mast on the airfield. Cruising Cleethorpes seafront in a RAF Sherpa sticks in my mind as well 😀

There was always a certain ammount of speculation that Alain de Cadenet never really owned this aircraft he was just a front man for its rather more famous yet publicity shy owner, anyone else heard this rumour. 😉

Septic.

Someone somewhere must’ve paid out a lot of ” Money for nothing” It would seem. 😉
By the way this aircraft has the biggest battery ever shoe-horned into a Spitfire and boy is it a struggle to get it out for cap testing and charging! Huge fuel tank wet wing thing going on as well……..just an excuse for a lot of PRC! Not one of Trent Aero’s finest attempts.

If it was indeed NH238 that you saw, then this was operated in the USA for a bit before passing through David Tallichet and onwards to the late Doug Arnold. It was overhauled at Blackbushe and operated in a standard gren/grey livery with a red spinner as “D-A” for a number of years. It changed into green/brown colours for “Piece of cake” in 1988 with no permanent codes, and by now resident at Biggin Hill. On the owners death in November 1992 it was dismantled and placed in a 40ft shipping container. It has spent time at Bournemouth, Biggin Hill, North Weald and was at Greenham Common in the care of “Flying A Services” (David Arnold, son of Doug) last June. It is still in its container and has not flown since 1992. Unlike the other former members of the Warbirds of Great Britain fleet, it is understood that this aircraft is not for sale. A very original airframe, even if it has got a replacement wing from its air racing days. It would be nice to see it again.

It’s called Money!
If you’re paying a lot of spondooliks for something, then there really should’nt be any question of it being anything else other than correct now should there?

Bomberboy

I don’t think money is the reason at all. It boils down to the requirements of the operator and the enthusiasm of the person putting the paint specs together to get it right. The information is all out there it’s more a case of whether someone can be bothered to try to get it right. I’m sure Mark V would have similar thoughts. MH434 was painted by a perfectly competant and enthusiastic team. The person supplying the information for them was not so thorough and we’ve all seen the result 🙁

Looks like someone really did their homework on getting the scheme as authentic as possible 😉 The artwork on the door looks very like the original too. Great pictures Darren, I only managed the odd 5 rolls of the old fashioned stuff. Hope they all come out as well as yours!

My mum was straffed as a girl whilst out walking with her mum close to Southend Seafront in Essex during the early part of the war before being evacuated to the Midlands (centre of heavy industry-there must have been some sense there somewhere!). Mind you the last time I walked down the Seafront in Southend it was far more dangerous-there were crazy cyclists and people on roller-blades hurtling by at unhealthy speeds and they were certainly taking no prisoners!

There is some very nice artwork under the starboard cockpit but the panel is off in the photo.

Yes it’s very nice indeed and so is the girl that painted it for me. She’s also done ARC’s Harvard “Taz”, the T-33 21261/G-TBRD tail artwork and the 74 Tiger and motto on Spitfire TD248