The ex-Hatfield beacon used to sit on the roof of the executive jet sales office (which in the 1930s was The London Aero Club squash courts. (All demolished, plus the clubhouse … staff canteen in the 80’s and 90’s … in one weekend of destruction around 1992)

Despite the over-enthusiastic local TV newshound’s comments that this Spitfire “would be fully airworthy” it should be noted that its made from Marine Plywood and Aluminium, there are NO original Spitfire airframe parts in this replica, there are a few Spitfire “gauges”……..otherwise it is all new construction. This is a metal and wood replica of a Spitfire fuselage (no more and no less). When examined closely on the TV it is possible to see slightly wavey, and what looks like creased aluminium skins, all with Dome Head rivets. All a bit like the Barry Gennard replica of K5054 that was made at Luton in the 1970’s.

TA805 was flying yesterday.

When I visted Desmond St Cyrien in 1971-72 he showed me the Sopwith Pup which eventually emerged as G-APUP. Interestingly this aircraft had started as a replica project, scratch-built from plans obtained from Kingston. He told me that during the initial construction stages he managed to locate a Pup “in store in a French museum”. He told me that over the years he had managed to obtain the remains of said Pup, part by part and that G-APUP thus became a reconstruction rather than a replica. At the time I visited there was only one Pup in his garage. He made no mention of another Pup or Camel although he was more than happy to discuss all the other aircraft he had owned over the years. In fact when I asked about the Klemm L-25 (then being restored by Roy Nerou and now in Germany) he owned up to having torn the first page out of its logbook as a keepsake and gave it to me to pass on to Roy.

Unless you count the English Electric Lightning F.1a – one of which, IIRC, took off and completed a circuit without its cockpit canopy … but with a very shaken pilot on board. At an MU in the 60s I think!

Gordon, you need to check your copy of Allen Wheelers book about the making of the replicas, the Manning Flanders was started in 1960 by Doug.

Don’t have the book, the date in my first comment was from memory of a conversation I had with Doug. Obviously he only got round to registering it in 1972 … typical Doug! 🙂

G-AIXN

Nice to know she’s in good hands.

Photo taken at Old Warden, 29 Sept 1974, I commented on the back of the print that it was only the second time I’d seen it in 11 years!

Interesting to see that there seems to be earth inside the starboard engine intake, the prop also shows signs of impact damage. I do not wish to dispute Septic’s crane photo but I just wonder if this aircraft really did suffer an u/c failure whilst being used in the film and was conveniently used for the crash scene?

A bit like the 633 Sqdn crash where J.Crewdson retracted the gear on a fast taxying Mosquito?

Maybe the crane was removing it – not placing it – in position?

BTW When I saw the fuselage at Henlow c.1970 it was in bare metal with no markings.