Hello Rob,

I am back.

Yup I think the Israeli Black Spitfire scheme could well have been influenced by the Black Spitfire at Fayid.

I am still not convinced 100% the full facts of the black Spitfire are completely known.

It has struck me as strange that no image of 20-57 has ever surfaced in the pre-black scheme.

Mark

Hi Mark, Thanks for that.

I seem to recall a UK-based Spitfire Historian had a Dickens of a job linking 20-57 with TE554 in the first instance. These things were traded around even more than my old Mark3 Cortina – and my Cortina had a VIN number somewhere. 🙂

I thought I remembered an in-flight picture of an Israeli Spitfire in primer with a 4X-??? civilian registration but it was actually a Mustang. The memory plays tricks.

Rob / Kansan

From the BBC website, reflecting on the final Ashes test this weekend:

“Aussie great Keith Miller, a World War II fighter pilot, argued that real pressure was having a Messerschmitt on your tail.”

There is a story about Keith Miller here – with the actual quote
http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/editions/4619/history/story01.htm

PS I don’t see it publicly, but there is a picture of 609 Squadron pilots having a knock-about in front of Sq Ldr Robinson’s Spitfire “The London Butcher” somewhere. It’s in one of the the Osprey “Spitfire Aces” books.

Rob / Kansan
(listening to the Test Match on BBC Radio 5 on the Web!)

Hmm… never really thought about it! :rolleyes:

Mark12’s got a picture of a Mark V from 73 OTU at Fayid 1945-ish which was painted in almost the same scheme (can’t tell if the cheatline was red or silver). [Edit -This is it – http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=53639 ]

There was also a “bubbletop” P-47D which belonged to the CFI at Fayid also in the black / silver scheme (some Japanese kitmakers say the cheatline’s red – this is based on interpretation of a B/W photo) [Edit – this is it http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=53718%5D

I dunno if the Spitfire belonged to anyone special (CFI of the spitfire flight or something) but I presume it was painted black for a reason – other than a surplus of black paint. 🙂

Guess who was a pilot at 73 OTU in 1945? Correct, my Dad. Guess who else? Flight Sergeant Ezer Weizman.

I wonder if he (Ezer) remembered the scheme of these two and decided to paint “his” Spitfire in that same special scheme (with local variations).

Total speculation but plausible. May have no basis in fact whatever.

But a nice thought.

Check out the thread that Mark12 started when Ezer Weizman died earlier this year, too.

Rob / Kansan

Yep, Israeli AF Spit IX TE554, only flown by Ezer Weizman, however.

Here’s a pic posted recently by Mark12.

Nice one – But do we know why TE554 was painted in that rather interesting black paint scheme? I’ve got a hypothesis. And what’s more I’ve got a theory. It’s pure supposition, but hey, so many of them are.

I need Mark12’s co-operation with this so if he’s around at some point I’ll ask him.

Rob/Kansan

OK Moggy

These boys aren’t talking aeroplanes – smack them too please

Regards
John P

Oi John!

The Ashes and Messerschmitts, a play linking cricket and the Battle of Britain – what more can you ask for?!?! 😀

My out of context is more in context than your out of context! 😀

Tee Hee

Rob / Kansan

Lovely Pics. I agree the first one is a classic in all senses.

Is that the machine that used to fly over the Wirral on Sunday nights / very early Monday sometime between Midnight and 1am in the late 80s / early 90s? I never did find out what it was doing – I think someone said newspapers between Liverpool and Ireland – was that right?

My neighbours must have wondered who this salivating idiot was running outside in his jammies muttering “where is it?”

Rob / Kansan

Martin,

Like you say, it’s an interesting topic.

I think the picture of the “Knights of Pythias” P-47 really is an example in use by the VVS because of the extra DF Loop on the razorback/spine/topdecking/whatever you call it. I remember reading something about other VVS aircraft (Mk IX Spitfire comes to mind) with a fixed DF loop added later. I don’t see this loop on other contemporary american pix of P-47s after a very brief scan.

Also – is the serial number (or lack of serial number) visible on the original (or next generation up) print/illustration?

Rob / Kansan

Did Lancasters have wooden props?

Moggy

Made me wonder too. If it isn’t a Lancaster, what is it? Did the Halifax have a wooden propellor?? Did anything that big have a wooden propellor?

Rob / Kansan