An excellent paint job and some excellent research by some talented individuals, may I offer my congratulations to all concerned. I look forward to seeing and hearing her in action in the near future 🙂
How does that Griffon (a Vl, I presume) sound in comparison to those Mk65 examples we’re more familiar with? Any gen on who the lucky pilot is taking her for her first flight?

It used to be “57-H” but was re-coded at ARC last year. The reason was because a new cub G-RRSR “480173” was imported and has taken on the codes “57-H” to honour the owners father who flew the original in the war. G-RRSR is resident at ARC’s hangar at the east end of the airfield at present. “57-G” was his wing man. So there you go, it has yet to make it into the spotting books……..except mine 😉

IAC161 – John Romain + Alex Henshaw
SM845 – Rod Dean
TD248 – Cliff Spink
TA805 – Lee Proudfoot
BM597 – Charlie Brown
1747 “Taz” (Harvard camera ship) – Rats

All maintained at ARC I believe 😉 (the aircraft as well!!!!) 😀

Roobarb; helicopter numbers? I didn’t realise things were so bad! you need some time in area 66, a nice juicy apple will cheer you up!

Juicy apples being consumed in Area 66……….. 😮
I did 2 years of “Smudge apple consumption at close proximity” the thought of more makes me shudder!
Bring on those military eqq-whisks, even the Wokker-wokkers with their “ever so tiny so you can’t get them to underline” numbers would be a lesser punishment. Anyway I can’t drag myself away from this Aurora that needs some knitting finishing on its waggly bits…..oops :rolleyes:

>>Any news on that lovely spitfire mk v?<<

Yes

Ah, but it’s all changed since you were there yesterday MM. They fitted the floats today.

It was reported in one of the mags, so I’m assuming it’s kosher, but of course that info could be incorrect…

Right here’s some answers!
Yes it’s having the big ugly/authentic chin cowl associated with the Vokes filter arrangement. No there won’t be a Vokes filter element inside-sorry to disappoint all the filter element spotters amongst you but it really isn’t a requirement in South Cambridgeshire at the present time, nor in the forseeable future-floats are more likely in about 200 years time……so they say! The Aurora wasn’t operating under that reg. It was an early “A” model, that’s an “87-” fiscal year serial…trouble is none of my books list them so I can’t underline it! Annual open day? Sorry the CIA won’t allow it. Yes there’s as much news in the mags as there is to print. We don’t manufacture news and they are hardly going to be interested in things like “wings now fitted to the MkXVl”. If you hang over the fence most times of the year, (and I know a lot of you who do) you will invariably see something you didn’t see last time, even if it’s just something out on the grass instead of tucked in the depths of the dingey T2. Hands up who’s got a picture of TA805? Better get near that fenceline before long guys! There’s two Broncos a Beech 18 and a Goose there right now. Got pictures of those outside? Darren you’ll be needing your shoot round-corners lens for the Goose! If we put an aircraft out on the line then its hardly “hiding it away” now is it?
Area 51…..isn’t that the ex-Jet Centre,ex-Gosh That’s Aviation Hangar at North Weald. Don’t hear much moaning about them do we, or doesn’t anyone bother to visit them. We are accomodating as we can be within the confines of being a commercial enterprise, and I know that the majority of visitors do get the full tour if time and manpower permits and that they appreciate the gesture. Just remember every minute spent giving people a tour has to be accounted for and people want their aeroplanes fixed not just filmed.
Oh and by the way I’m a photographer and an enthusiast too, and I’ve even been seen to write down helicopter numbers 😮

That look of horror is the realisation that you’ve made it to “the inside” of the fence Merlin 70. What you didn’t realise at the time was that it was a distraction tactic so that one of my collegues could wipe all your memory cards with his sonic screwdriver :p

That’s not funny Roobarb. You told me the strange a/c outside the hangar was an OV-10 Bronco. I was so taken in I have created a whole website dedicated to my sightings. You won’t be able to se it of course because I painted the website in low viz paint and switched on the cloaking device.

On a more serious note it is good to see the Spit Mk T XVI progressing well. I am not sure that the Mk XI looks as good as a low back but the Burmese IX looks good as a Mk VI with the high altitude wings.

The conversion of the XVI to TXVI with contra-prop Griffon power certainly took some head scratching but we drew upon the experiance we had from fitting the Double-Mamba into that single seat Reno race Chipmunk we exported recently. Wait until you see the T-33 to P80 Shooting Star hatchet job in the new season! It has to be seen to be believed. The Beaver is going into a Tempsford SOE night black scheme and we are trying to work out the side access ladder mod. They are fitting one of the T-33 tip tanks on the Belly, It’ll be “just like Shuttleworths” they tell me. Maybe not as over polished though. 😀