Here are two from my old copy of “The Big Show” Both on IXs from that time frame or slightly before

Max Sutherland near the nose of an IX and the entire crew including Closterman

Dan

What’s interesting is how doing the profiles has made me pay more attention to the nose art and where it came from.

Always a bit strange to run the latest profile with nose art past the Mrs. and ask her how it looks 🙂

Dan

From a little 5″ x 5″ book by Bill Gunston called “Fighters Volume 2”. It’s amazing how often I refer to that book that looks so out of place on the shelf 🙂

Dan

I went looking for a photo of a Spit pilot in a comparable position in front of a Spit. Found this in Even Mackie’s biography, “Spitfire Leader”.

It seems to support the ‘Photoshopped” idea for the Carey photo. Either Mackie was that much bigger then Carey or it’s a fake.

Also grabbed a photo of some Belgian Spit pilots near a Spit IX. They too seem quite a bit taller then Carey in relation to the wing and cannon on the Spit.

Dan

Dan,

In the true spirit of UK personal car number plates, I think you better make that G-MKIZ to satisfy our CAA.

You can round off the ‘Zed’, or perhaps that should be ‘Zee’, a touch. 🙂

I like it.

Mark

OK how’s this? 🙂

Darkened the red a bit. Guess it’s a Spencer Flack moment.

Now for the mods.
No aerial mast, mirror, etc.
Replaced the Griffon III/IV with a “souped up” Griffon VI. Wanted to lose that magneto bump on the nose.
Ice guard removed, no armament, no armor plate.
Can’t decide if it’s a ‘wet wing’ or just adding fuel tankage like a recce Spit. Added the fuselage tank.

Should go like a rocket down low 🙂

Dan

Well

this one, a war-weary P-51D used as hack / liaison-aircraft by the 4th Combat Bomb Wing at Bury St Edmunds is one of my favourites…..

it shows a replacement cowling panel from a 4th FG machine

Martin

Martin, What’s the story on the canopy on that bird? Is it one of those split canopies with a second seat? Seems to me I’ve seen those on one of the Swiss birds you’ve posted before? No idea what that frame is there for otherwise

Dan

I have my entry all set to go. When do we race? 🙂

Dan