Blimey – some of those pilots are wearing the pilot 2/3 rank patchs! Not something you see every day

salvation Airforce launched?

Just one thing, defenders of Hendon’s botched display of the Halifax keep going on about

the RAFM’s finite and meagre budget

I remember as a young lad contributing to the Halifax* (Halifax) fund – I was told then the money raised was to be spent on restoring her to display condition – where did that money go? Transferred to other sexier projects? isn’t that technically theft?

*Halifax is also the name of a building society un the UK, they supported the fundraising

Sign me up Snapper, but can that nice Sir Sidney Camm have something more than Camm Avenue in Windsor please? – Cammbridgshire? 😉

To be fair JonathanF has a point, if a Spitfire crashes it’s sad, but there are quite a few about, if a ‘real’ Me-109 is destroyed because of their scarcity it’s much worse. Given the known handling problems it was only a matter of time before there was an accident with Black 6 no matter how much care was taken.

There are enough Spanish built Me-109s (OK, Ha 1112s) kicking around (some with DB engines for the purists)* without risking historically important airframes.

*This opens another can of worms Ha-1112 + DB engine = Me-109? Technically yes
CASA 2111+ DB engine = He-111? Technically yes
Bolingbrook + paint scheme + new nose = Blenheim I? er, don’t think so

I’m not decrying the Blemheim project just showing the problem with being too fussy about the provenance of flyers

Top tip? Just enjoy them while you can!

As they say – fine line between replica/new build and restoration. Give a restoration company a data plate and the’ll build you a Spitfire around it!

Just a thought here, hypothetically if a new-build rudder was put on a Hurricane at what point does it become a ‘genuine’ Hurricane rudder? Accepting that it’s built to the exact specs, surely its ‘authentic’ from its first use in the air – It is a rudder that has been used as part of the flying controls. The only difference is that it was made in 2004 rather than 1940, would a rudder made in 1942 in an aircraft repair shop be ‘unauthentic’ because it wasn’t mated up with the airframe on the production line in 1940?

The only problem I see is if later on someone tries to sell it as ‘Rudder from BoB Hurricane Pxxxxx’ without mentioning when it was made

I suppose what I’m trying to say is that I’d rather see seven or so Hurricanes (insert favourite type here) flying , even though I know that probably less that 60% is totally original (even though I know some purists would call them replicas) than look at a pile of scrap iron and a few seized and smashed engines. I also am happy to know that many of the static airframes in the museums are totally authentic – we get the best of both worlds – and who’d like to fly in an aircraft with 100% original 60 year old woodwork and fabric?

Oh, it also struck me that I’d have no problems with seeing repros of ‘vanished types’ – Hornet anyone?

You probably noticed the Russian Naval flag and anchor and the airforce flag and wings coupled with the aircraft this would suggest, you say, commeration of lend-lease. Is the metal fairly tinny with a cheep pin on the back? If so they are probably part of a commemorative set of eight or so sold on a cardboard strip- During the Soviet era they were sold for a few roubles and usually celebrated some triumph of Soviet arms. The sets used to have one large central piece what explained what was going on and then the rest were slightly smaller and variations on a theme. The set I had was XX years of the Soviet tank arm with badges of T-34s, JS-2s etc