This is old technology really, its been around a long time

Indeed it has – the laborious CAD work required re-draw the original component profiles and drive the cutting head is the larger part of the excercise!

It’s amazing to see the machine cutting multiple parts from one sheet, such as those nose ribs being cut right up against eachother.

These machines have programmes for maximising the number of parts of any given shape that can be cut out of a sheet of material…

They are both still there – parked next to each other as they have been for ten years (and now joined by a Beech 18 that used to be parked on the grass closer to Hangar 11).

Many Mk1 were upgraded in service. But reading Andy Saunders book I got the impression that most the current flying MK1 (P9374 apart) are not hand pumped. But that is just hazy recall, I am sure there are others here who actually know.

Moggy

P9374 is the only flyer with the early manual system.

Spitfire heading west over Broxbourne at 18.55.

What do you mean exactly by the term “Warbirds”?
Are they any military aircraft?
Are they only military aircraft that have seen combat service?
Are they only military aircraft that have only seen , for instance , WW2 service?
Are they only military aircraft that are super wizzbangs with a pointy nose and flames out the back?
Or are you prepared to accept that a Piper L4 or an Auster Mk 3 are just as much a “Warbird” as a Mustang or a Hurricane or even a Venom???

The term is generally taken to mean any aircraft type that was previously used in (any kind of) military service – (at least this is the common definition in the country that coined the phrase). So yes, a Chipmunk is as much a ‘warbird’ as a Mustang in that respect.

Of course it matters – its historic fabric, well worth preserving if it is (or can be made) serviceable.

I doubt any spits flying still have original skins now.

PL965 still flies with all her original fuselage skins, inc factory stamps and 1945 bullet hole repairs.