The Beau in question is ex-Halton ground rig X7688 with Tim Moore & Skysport.

That would be a Mk.I.
No direct RAAF connection unfortunately to that airframe, but RAAF did operate Mk Is (all T49xx and T50xx serialled A19-1 to A19-72) in SWPA. If it gets to Oz, perhaps will be done up as a 30 Sqn machine?

Appolagies,must be a Facebook thing..Here is the MAAF,s homepage..
http://www.161recceflt.org.au/MAAF/Homepage.htm

Yes thats the MAAF Homepage, but nothing I could find there about a Bleriot. :confused:

Mk 12,
Do you mean that Syd Marshall painted it before that pic in 1963? Quite possible, as the paint scheme was in good nic at that stage (when I saw it at that roll-out).
The Vengeance of course is Mk IA EZ999 (A27-99 never applied to it) and is extant at Camden.

Thanks Batman,for your swift reply.Incidentlly this Spitfire is now in Germany D-FEUR I think the reg is now.Cheers

OMG Sopwith – I hope they don’t replicate the WWII schemes of black crosses and swastikas !! :diablo:

Here is what came out of one of those crates.
An Eric Allen pic taken at Bankstown circa 1963, after Sid Marshall had brought the crate over from his backyard and assembled in in the hangar. So, original WWII scheme.

Details I have are FLTLT Henry Smith of Sydney was 453 SQN ‘A’ Flt Commander. He had previously flown with 66 and 132 Sqns RAF. Aircraft was Spitfire LF.IXB MJ789 FU-B shot down by flak over Normandy. Hit near Ouistrehain, forced landed in canal and flipped over.

So Mk 12, what are your feelings about the possibility of this 453 Sqn Mk IX going to the RAAFM?

Same reason it wasn’t designated F-24, they wanted to keep the designation consistent with the prototypes (which should have really been designated XF-24 and XF-25).

Yes but BR, correct me if I am wrong, they were not prototypes or pre-proidn to qualify as “XF” or “YF”, they were technology demonstrators ie “X” planes. X-35 should have become F-24.

Therefore, we have another crazy aboration to the perfectly good US designation system. Why have changes like this been done – others that spring to mind are: “+” to a designator when the next letter suffix should be introduced, “Upgrade 2.5” to P-3C (when probably P-3G should have been used, or just a major block change), and several others that escape me at the moment.

I’ m glad you spelled it “democratic” because a lot of the countries I mentioned have elections and varying degrees of democracy.

Even China considers itself to be “democratic”!! I was there about 10 years ago and talking to a young lady (as one does), and she said: “We have elections, but there is only one name on the voting paper”. :confused: