I’ve seen this argument over and over when it comes to aircraft escpecially Spitfires. I’d like to offer my ‘opinion’. So if you’ll all indulge me a bit.

I believe it comes down to one word ‘provernance’. For anything to be a genuine anything be it a boat, car or aircraft the only way to say it is original is that the provernance of that item, that being it is in the condition in which it was manufactured, with all parts being as it was assembled in the factory….

Not entirely in agreement with your definition of provenance. I believe provenance is a known history of ownership, and not necessarily anything to do with originality of parts.

Still, your post does provide a basis for thinking about some new words to define builds based upon levels of ‘originality’.. to avoid misrepresentation in either direction. I like Andy’s ‘re-creation’ for the likes of P9374..

..and taking it seriously – FAA Anthorn, in Cumbria, handled Hellcats at the end of the war. The FAA museum’s example was stored there – http://www.fleetairarm.com/exhibit/grumman-hellcat-ii-ke209/2-4-17.aspx

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Every year they have interesting airframes at Glastonbury – I’d love to know the source, but it’s a secret..

Re the negativity.. It’s not so much ‘whinging pom’, its more a phenomenon related to the well known effect whereby products and services always get lower ratings than they deserve because fewer people are moved to go online and be positive when something works/looks as expected than are moved to complain if it doesn’t.

Similarly, there is a general and unspoken sense of approval towards any aviation archaeology/preservation/restoration activity (after all, it’s what we’re largely about on here) – maybe outsiders are thrown by the lack of ‘wow, that’s amazing’ comments on here, I don’t know, but there’s less point constantly vocalising positivity because we all know that the majority are also thinking it by virtue of what we do.

Looks Harvard / P40 to me

I thought Harvard too.

Hmm.. P-38 tailwheel … How to break it to the seller, that there’s something distinctive about the P-38’s undercart arrangements…

Tailwheel – P-38?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ww2-rear-fighter-wheel-found-on-crash-site/271216514985?_trksid=p2047675.m2109&_trkparms=aid%3D555003%26algo%3DPW.CAT%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D29%26meid%3D8204459486023623761%26pid%3D100010%26prg%3D1013%26rk%3D9%26sd%3D221237387219%26