Lovely aeroplane Mark, I’m honoured to have got a few hours in her back in the day 🙂

Yes, following Graham’s death this is a totally solo project.

Thanks for that Septic. Although the studio aircraft (which was probably used for both the crash scene and the close-ups) may have been Z3687 I wouldn’t have thought they would have bothered taking the film paint off it afterwards. It was still in its all-white scheme at Waterbeach a couple of years later.

Ominous silence on this one …

Anyway, I’ve been taking a very close look at the taxying Hurricane marked as “P2617” (shown in my previous post) and I’m convinced its nothing of the kind … in fact I’m sure its our good friend LF363 (waits for howls of fury)

The evidence:

LF363 was delivered to Kenley Station Flight and was physically there in July 1951 when the film was made (check its Form 700 if you need the proof – I have)
LF363 was given a Minor Inspection by No. 19 MU in May 1951 and then flown to Langley where the cannon mounting tubes were removed and blanking plates fitted by Hawkers, the work was signed off on 24 May 1951. The mounting tubes were refitted 19/20 August.
LF363 was in a rather parlous state at the time and it was recommended that it was not flown at speeds over 180 knots due to excessive vibration of the cockpit section, it also suffered from multiple hydraulic failures between 10 – 25 July whilst at Kenley. A flight planned for 20 July was cancelled but it did manage a single flight of 35 minutes on 24 July and two further flights on 27 July (1:25 in the morning and 0:55 in the afternoon). Its next flight was not until 10 August when the filming was over.
P2617 was fitted with a Merlin III (33739) at the time with quite different exhausts and a different prop (LF363 had a Merlin 22 and a Rotol RS/5/10, serial no. VA.3245 if you are still interested … its not a Spitfire after all!)
P2617 did not have a rear-view mirror fitted (neither before or after the film was made … it still doesn’t)

So my conclusion is that the Hurricane seen taxying with the serial P2617 is in fact LF363. Right engine, right exhausts, right prop, right mirror, right place, right time.

Anyone want to argue with me?

Sorry to drag up an old thread but needs must 🙂

Looking at photos of P2617 every one shows it with the same exhaust stub type fitted EXCEPT when it was seen taxying in “Angels One Five”

I’m just wondering why and when the engine and / or stubs were changed … or is this another Hurricane marked up as “P2617” just to confuse us 60-odd years later?

Just passed west of Dundee …

After the HM-14, Mignet moved to Chicago and built the HM-20 in the summer of 1937. The Flying Flea was constructed in the corner of the main hangar of what is now the center of the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Glenview, Illinois, and designated the HM-20. When World War II broke out, the Flying Flea program was disrupted and Frank Easton obtained all the major parts of the HM-20, which he rebuilt as the ME2Y in 1946. Frank changed the model name of to assume full responsibility for the experimental tests and modifications he had in mind for his Flying Flea.

It is now preserved at the EAA Museum at Oshkosh where I photographed it in September 2012.