I wasn’t really suggesting that you run the engine with a rod (or two) removed, just that the vibration aspect would be less terminal than lack of oil; indeed I wonder how you do get on removing a rod from one of these marine types, presumably you put a big jubilee clip around the crank pin to stop the oil from escaping and the resulting loss of oil pressure.

It also depends how the rod has parted company, if it has fractured nearer to the small end, the engine can run quite happily (for a while) as the piston will stay at the top of the bore and the rod will run up and down it, and with the big ends intact no loss of oil pressure will occur.

Once again there was two of them the white one flew out the silver one was cut up after suffering damage in a storm after our 1 eyed Scottish friend left the control locks out how many more times?

Yes I think we’ve got it now thankyou.

I would have thought that flying along in your spitfire, going where you want to go, when you want, could only be improved by the notion that someone in the back seat is paying for the flight, and indeed several after!

To be fair this event never was just about the cockpits, it has always had instrument panels and “rigs” as well as the aero jumble, and the owls…….. sadly it would appear that (inspite of the many who tried to change the course of the river) a much larger gathering of cockpits is unlikely in the UK, not for any particular reason, but contributing factors are, haulage costs, transport availability, reluctance to kip in a wet tent (been there) and the sheer distance that many (less die hard) owners have to travel; one things for sure now I am not participating in the event, it is much less likely that I’ll have a stroke of heart attack on fathers day…..

Sadly for many veterans there will not be a “next year” and so it was important that as many as possible managed the journey this year.

Nice job on the cockpit, as above please keep us up to date on the filming, etc.