This is not the Mk lX that Mr Martindale did a dive in from 40,000 feet because a photo of that shows that all the propellor gear is missing.

You are quite correct – its not – that was a PR.XI. The pictured aircraft is a Mk.V as has been pointed out further back in this thread.

Out of interest can Spitfire’s be insured on a limited flying hours per year policy.

Not as such – but you do have the ability to turn on and off the flying cover aspect of the policy (maintenance, off season etc) which will reduce the premium.

Recalling from years and years ago (probably something I have read in one of the ‘Lanaster at War’ books – they had available individual bomb winch units that could be placed inside (on the aircraft floor over the bomb bay) to winch up the bombs in to each position.

Get the book – I found it even more interesting than Vol.1. Not sure why – maybe as they are later aircraft there ar more pictures from the 60’s and 70’s. Well worth the substantial cost and if you already have Vol.1 its compulsary. Obviously you still need shoes – so take the book and pay a visit to Shoezone!

So theoretically you could ‘re-make’ the film using un-seen aerial outakes and a new cast/ground footage with a handful of flying aircaft and replicas to blend the new in to the old aerial stuff?

I have to say that it looks like an ‘8’ but, equally, it could be an optical illusion, making a ‘3’ look like an ‘8’ by virtue of the position of the dividing line between the two camouflage colours.

I would agree – that is exactly what you are seeing.

Apparently the photographs are labelled ‘Presentation Spitfire’, so I assume (perhaps unwisely) that they were taken in 1958.

Looking in Spitfire Survivors Vol,2 that does seem to support the 1958 date – perhaps during or around the time of the N Weald to Odiham ferry flight prior to presentation to the USAF.

It can’t be long until the truth about Birkenhead is revealed

Oh no – don’t tell them that…..