Hi Spade grip how do you know thats a buchon prop? Is it because the tips have flat ends?

Thats a well known fact, I believe there is a picture in one of Robert Rudhall’s books that shows the unpainted Buchon prop on TE308 (in fact I sent a copy of the book to the current owner of TE308 as I thought he would find that picture amusing).

I accept we have lost some aircraft to fire over the last few years but on the whole the losses are less than from within the airworthy catagory.

The museum/hangar fire incidents are fewer but the ‘total loss’ count is probably significantly higher than the number totally lost in flying incidents.

I am also not suggesting we should ground all the flyers or pull things out of meseums and try to fly them. The balance is probably about right as it is.

Agreed (although a good number have been liberated from museums).

Anyone have any knowledge on both the reason for the sheild with the letter code in it?
Or the colour?

Firstly Alan welcome to the forum and thank you for posting these wonderful photos. It was fairly common practice to repeat the aircraft code letter under the nose often on a black (Night) circle to aid in identifying the individual aircraft from the front. As your Dad clearly enjoyed adding a bit of interesting artwork and personalisation (which looks great) to his aircraft it seems to me that this was another example of that.

You can plainly see where the yellow roundel has been oversprayed here.

Was there a reason for over-spraying here? – it was not uncommon for the Yellow paint to fail in this area giving the impression that it had been over-sprayed. Any paint spraying was likely to be confined to the rear fuselage to obliterate the 18″ tail -band as has clearly happened. The fuselage roundels were retained as they were with the wing roundels being modified to C1 type.

p.s. Ollie, its HARBAR not Harbour

Well – any port in a storm :p

Try to find the book ‘Dutch Spitfires – A Techical Study’ by Harry van der Meer. It is full of scale drawings including the T.9.

with MKV’s and Dennis the painter’s assistance she should be ready around christmas all being well.

Ordering the wrapping paper and a very big bow now 🙂

Who’s been contracted to research and do the paint job, Mark?

Personal Plane Services in conjunction with Warbird Colour Services. Of course several individuals contribute valuable research assistance with such a job, including Mark12 of course!

Don’t forget VP441.I think Nelson ought to be persuaded to bring her over for a season.

I don’t think he forgot about her. VP441 was restored by Nelson Ezell but has been based at her owners private strip since the re-build was completed (and he does not do airshows) so its not Nelson that would need persuading.