Bearoutwest… the pictures I have seen , albeit online, have shown the 5D to be fixed gear.(EDIT: having looked further you are correct I believe) Like you I alluded to the japanese link in my post #146.

I have been to all 4 corners of the world with this one.. My first thoughts are US manufacture but the very good and thoughtful comments pointed me to the far east possibly.

I am,like most of us , pretty sure its not a published aeroplane unless it has been heavily modified. My first post mentioned the tailwheel and that still draws my attention everytime I look at the picture. It screams Lockheed to me but the rest of the aeroplane screams something else… heck I am even seeing a P47 in it now !!!(I am not suugesting any link to a P47 … just something about how it sits and its round shape)

if it is a development aeroplane , say something that started as a test bed based on , say , a Gamma how has it ended up in what appears to be a civilian scheme.

I am strugglng with all reasons and wondering if we are all missing something obvious but if we are I can’t see it.

Apart from the tailwheel the other thing for me is the pitot. Again it points to the Gamma in shape and position.

Our mystery aircraft also seems to sit very high at the front and the gear seems like it rakes forward a bit compared to the early Gamma pictures I have seen.. I am trying to visulise dropping a plumb line down from the leading edge but given all the different angles of comparison aeropanes from the net its difficult.

The picture quality doesnt help and so its difficult to assertain fairing and cowl lines… it is difficult to assertain the lines of the aircraft …. Personaly i do not believe I can see the Stbd Elevator.

I also alluded to , along with other posters, that the writing on the side does have a hint of japanese about it . I do belive if we could determine this or the underwing lettering it would be a big step forward but it looks like it was applied by a 5 year old with a brush.

I understand the frustrations but this has been a fascinating , well reasoned and very enjoyable thread to follow . We all have our thoughts and all these different opinons add to the mix and I truly hope we can reach a conclusion without spilling blood:)

Thank you Beermat… bit of a blonde moment for me as I have seen the KI 15 images online!

Fascinating Thread and very well discussed and reasoned so i doff my cap to you all.

I do not profess to be any kind of expert but experience shows that aircraft designers/design offices often had their quirks.

I am looking at the tailwheel .. It looks ‘spindly’ and positioned in a very forward position relative to the fin post/back of aircraft.

Take a look at early Lockheeds i.e Sirius,Orion,Altair,Explorer ec and note the simililar tail wheels . Now look at ,say, Northrops i.e Delta, Gamma, Alpha Etc and note the tailwheels…

I may be totally barking up the wrong tree but, if we are heading down the American route our mystery plane is leaning towards the Lockheed if I am reading the picture correctly.

Cheers

Spitfire on a low loader heading South on the M40 – 28.6.16. Any ideas which it was and where it was headed to/from?

Thanks in advance,

Rich

Hi Rich

Replica Spitfire from RR heritage centre to Goodwood if its this one you saw :)[ATTACH=CONFIG]246734[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]246735[/ATTACH]

Anyone involved in servicing flight etc will have experience. There’s no way they will let idiots work on her.

I hope that comment was not aimed at me , if so perhaps you can qaulify it. All I did was offer help with any aspect and that includes my experience keeping Daks airworthy too.