My Grandad was a pilot on 210/190 Sqn flying Cats from Sullom Voe…in 1943/44…enjoy yourself, he loved it!

I’ve always had mixed feelings about the re-enactors, but I also managed to use this guy to very good effect, and again tried to give a period feel to the shot. I loved the shot of the pilot in front of Big Beautiful Doll! I thought the guys from the “101st Airborne” and their kit looked great, certainly some money’s worth in kit there. 🙂

This is my first post so please be gentle with me, BTW nice place you have here! 😀

Cheers

PJ

Nice shot…the chap you photographed is a huge Spitfire fan (called Steve….I wont put his last name here as he does not know about it….yet!!!) he is part of a bunch of chaps who are passionate and meticullous about their ‘art’. I think that they can add alot to a living history phot….better than the chaps in fluorescent jackets who seemed to get in all my shots. Next week, there will be fantastic living history displays at Beltring…once I walked around a corner to be greeted by a fantastic Vietnam war camp scene complete with Huey, jeeps, personnel, other vehicles and a few viet cong thrown in for good measure. I take my hat off to them as it brings history to life.

The scramble camp at Legends was good and amused my children when they saw my reproduction ‘Don’t just come and tell…….’ scramble board (from BoB film) that I painted for them

regards

TonyD

Beginning of the eighties the Bearcat was flown by a RAF Air Vice Marshall, then, if I remember Commanding Officer of the 2nd ATAF in Germany, I met him at RAF Wildenrath but cannot trace my notes.
Would someone be kind enough to give the name of this gentleman.

John Allison possibly?!

Stefan flew the Bearcat like no other….I saw him at Mildenhall and was spell bound……this has made the Bearcat one of my fav aircraft and my hat is well and truly off to Mr Grey for keeping this beautiful type in our skies and keeping our imaginations and excitement fired with his other aircraft and fantastic Legends!

Yep, first is an OBE. The orther two confirmed 39/45 star and Africa Star…the rosette would apply to a region or campaign (for instance the BoB clasp attached to a 39/45 star)

Hello chaps, my first post to this forum. I am scratch building a Spitfire V cockpit section from factory drawings (frame 5 to 13). What i am missing is some information on the gun sight mount,any ideas or help would be great.
I have a small website detailing the build here,
http://www.simhardware.org/

Thanks

Dave

Downland make a nice gunsight mount, I have one made by another operation which is very good, but is fitted to my cockpit…sorry! Any things you want help with send me a message

The problem with harvard grips is that they often are sold masquerading as Spitfire grips, there are differences though. The Harvard has toe operated brakes whereas spit & Hurri have the hand brake lever on the grip. UK harvards tend to have the bowden cable guide and lever catch missing, (i.e. not part of casting). Canadian spades are cast to allow them to fit both Hurri and Harvard aircraft.

Getting such grips is difficult and costly. True early Spit grips have an aluminum surround to the gun button and are mag alloy. Later (rectangular gun button) grips are more prolific but still costly. The majority of grips that have come up recently are Canadian Harvard/Hurri.

I would agree though that there may be insufficient cockpit space in an Isaacs to get full & frees. If you wish, send me a private message and I can bring a grip over to try and see if you can at least get the control throws you need. Bruce’s offer of a Sea Fury may be better (though if you do not want it, I could do with a Sea Fury grip!)

Hi Tony thanks for the pics ! now has your 1/4 spit cockpit got bigger ?? you have given it some Viagra I see.
The Hurricane looks fantastic.

Can you msg me your new email as the last one must have died.

See you soon
Colin

Unfortunately not my Spit Colin, I have sent you a private message Colin….things-they-r-achanging!!