He still has the original braking system set up…
He has kept it very authentic, with a few changes for safety and practiality, but you won’t see em!

I just wonder he is going to get all that .303 ammo for the mg’s….. and the 20mm.

(JUST kidding!)

The paint job is awesome… Having spent 9 yrs on this, you can bet Ray is paying close attention to detail… He is keeping the cockpit spotless, even in the paint hangar. Mainly stenciling and stenciling…. at this stage… Then minute touch up to paint where tape was pulled, etc. The gun blast patches are even fabric, not fared over with metal; the fabric indents/concaves on the leading edge, like they used to do it… Tons of attn to detail, even the cartridge ejection ports are taken care of with great thought. Having seen down inside the fuselage to the tail, I can tell you, it is mighty fine, inside and out…

959 Update As of Feb 26

Here are some pictures from last Thursday…

Friend who took me up Friday in his Diamond Endeavor, his dad flew Griffon engined Spitfires in the Pacific. Fellow in office next to me, his father in law flew USAF Spitfires in N Africa…. Amazing… Trying to get more info on them and pictures…. But meanwhile…

Why is this man smiling? DUH!!!!!!!

Just found out a gentleman I work with and ran into today, recently bought a 2 seater and has it at Hooks. What is the tie to 959? He is British, and his dad flew Spitfires near the end and after WW2! I sent him pictures, which he is sending to his dad. More info hopefully to follow!!!!!

I recall a year or so ago, an article about a replica Stuka. It was about 2/3 size. It was finished and airworthy I think. Anyone ever hear about it?

I still have my old copy of Stuka Pilot in beat up old paperback. Amazing stories of endurance, survival and persistance… (fly, fight, crash, getout getback, fly, fight…)

Found the same article and pictures here after quick google Stuka replica search…

http://www.brian.geek.nz/planes/blenheim03/planes6b.htm

also saw 1 other item about a stuka replica crash being left in place until (US) FAA could examine wreckage, but the link was inop. not sure if it is related.

Spitfire @ DW Hooks

Ray and his gal. Week before last.

Ray and Andre. are good friends. Ray flew in, in his Zero on Wednesday to ck on her. Friday we were in the paint hangar when Ray walked in. He had previously brought up an orig Spit jack. They intend to jack her up to properly paint wing undersides with gear up. Ray told us all sort of (more) info about his plane. (the history, what’s inside it like the gun camera, its oirg armament, etc) John, the painter, has been working on it since the get go, 9 yrs ago.

The Merlin is a beaut. Pristine. Orig oil tank, leaks a bit… much to Ray’s frustration.
He knows every bit like the back of his hand.

Pic taken in nearby hangar at Hooks of Lone Star Flt Museum Chief Pilot who has a beautiful Stinson just out of John’s paint shop… Tom would not let John tow it back to his hangar. Tom taxied it!!!!! The Stinson is a beaut too.

Awesome of rare Stuka…. Pardon my asking, is this in Imperial War Museum. I know of only 2 whole ones. Chicago air museum and IWM…

Love the Stuka big time… Amazing so few remain intact…

I have seen pictures, probably a yr or 2 ago some where of a 2/3 flying replica someone was making. Had to do a double take to note the size diff.

Grumman Mallard into Nassau Paradise Island

Here are a few pics from this neat experience…
On the flight ramp they were death on taking pictures. The side shot of the plane I took with a tiny digicam in my shirt pocket.

It is a lonely dirty job…. but…

I accept!

However, there seems to be some sorta image upload pbms…
Formats in jpg, gif and bmp not working….

“The difficult we do immediatly. The impossible takes a little longer.”
(USAAF Gen HAP Arnold, WW2)