Mark

Wow I missed that one was it on ebay LOL Bargain;) . I was going on info from a chap who is rebuilding a Hurricane(Flyer) came to see me last week. He said there is a 15 Year waiting list for Spitfire’s at Duxford but you could jump the queue for £2,000,000 with a zero timed Spit thats kicking about at the moment.

Hmm 😉
Lets talk reality – the Spit that sold last week for $2,000,000 (USD) was a relativley new restoration (2004) and Oshkosh award winner. Its shown in detail here http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/ Click on inventory (fighters). The price has been removed now as the sale is going through.

If you want to purchase Spitfire from Historic Flying at Duxford they will be delighted to talk with you I am sure. You will not have to wait 15 years, probably not even 15 weeks if you are a serious buyer and can agree a deal on one of their airworthy aircraft.

By the time I’m done ‘restoring’ it, what would be left of the bird we see in the photos, anything? Or would it be the provenence and patterns that would remain?

Not sure that if you wanted a flying Beau you would choose a salt water wreck in the first place. To my knowledge no (long term) salt water recovery has ever been restored to fly. The only exception I can think of being the Corsair that ditched off the beach on the eastern coast of Florida in the early 90’s, but it was only immersed for a day or two.

I am not an engine builder or mender (more on the side of the ‘customer’ if anything I suppose) so I may not be the best person to answer but I would think the answer is both ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Yes there is a finite supply of these core engines, even for such a numerous unit as the RR Merlin but perhaps there is not a significant and immediate shortage of units to any extent that there is a supply problem now.

I dare say in the medium to long term future this situation may change but with a lively market the supply chain will hopefully catch up with demand and prevent a future crisis developing. I would also anticipate ‘new’ core engines will be discovered in future years which wil help to keep the problem at bay.

At the P-51 safety seminar at Oshkosh this year Jack Roush presented a selection of new Merlin parts he has had manufactured, some very substantial items and they were very impressive. He is actually running roller bearings on the cam followers of his Merlins!

With regard to certain engine parts and ancillaries, including magnetos, I understand there have been problems in sourcing spares/parts and more than once this has been rectified by limited new production or critical items.

Glad to hear that Twilight… hasnt become permannt US property;)

Speculation. We will not know that until she returns to the UK.

TFCs – Miss Velma and Twilight Tear
OFMC – Ferocious Frankie
Pete Teichman – Jumpin Jacques
RAC – Susy
Woodchurch – Big Beautiful Doll

TFC – Miss Velma (TT and Princess E have gone to the USA)
Hangar 11 Collection -Jumpin Jacques
Maurice Hammond – Janie
Rob Davies – BBD
OFMC- Ferocious Frankie
Robs Lamplough – Miss Helen
Scandanaivian Historic Flight (currently over here ) – Old Crow

Susie has been exported to Germany

P51 fast and low towards Ware/Harlow 1710hrs.

No idea which, just all silver underside and no visible markings.

Brian.

I think there was a bit of black and white too.

If you see someone underneath the B-25 with a tape measure that will be me!

I’m not sure about the staining down Princess Elizabeth’s fuselage perhaps one of a resident engineers can clear this one up.

If you look at period photos of WWII Mustangs ‘in use’ you will see similar distinctive oil staining. This is from the crankcase breather which on ‘Princess E’ has, unusually, been retained in its original location. Many restored Mustangs have the hole on the sbd cowl panels blanked off and the pipe extended rearwards behind the wing root fairing panels (often exiting at the stbd trailing edge in order to avoid the staining). I prefer the stock look but it does take a little more cleaning.