Guy Martin's Spitfire - Sunday October 12th 19:30

My understanding, from a conversation with John Romain at ARCo, was that warbirds from this period have no fatigue life as such, just the recommended maintenance schedule, and as such can be kept flying indefinitely with regular maintenance (although the ratio of maintenance to flying hours is something like 4:1 IIRC). I think you can regard one fresh from a rebuild like that as zero-hour (that's certainly the term applied to the engines). Some of the currently flying Spitfires (e.g. MH434) have hardly ever been out of use for many years, but eventually they reach a point where they need a complete strip down and re-build to ensure their integrity/airworthiness (like RR did with PS853 a couple of years back - that was it's first major overhaul in 65 years, also done at ARCo).

 

dont ARCo do the contract overhauls for the BBMF Spitfires and Hurricanes? i noticed a griffon engined spit in the background in D day markings, it was a 5 blade airscrew, so either a mk14, or pr19

 

Yes - and I believe they have also landed a contract for some work on the Lanc too.

 

IIRC neither BBMF 19s carry D-Day markings so in all probability it was a 14.

 

thanks, does anyone have any idea what aircraft it was? it was a frontal view towards the end of the film, outside on the apron, is the RR one hangered at Duxford?

 

Not off the top of my head. IIRC the RR 19 is not based there but has carried D-Day stripes.

 

it was not in pru blue, i can remember that much, is there any griffon engined spitfires based at Duxford?

 

I think the Fighter Collection have a Griffon Spitfire at Duxford . The RR Spitfire is based at East Midlands Airport (near Derby), although it did spend quite a lot of 2013 at ARCo under repair following the unfortunate post landing undercarriage retraction incident.

 

The FC Mk.XIV is painted up as Wing Commander Johnny Johnson's personal aircraft. Don't think it's got D-Day stripes as it carries a 1945 colour scheme. It's all in the style of the roundels you know.

 

And now you are showing your superior warbird knowledge I just vaguely remembered they had a Griffon Spitfire from the last time I wandered round the hangars.

To solve the problem, I went back to the recording I had made and took a screenshot so i think this is the aircraft we are trying to identify, and I think it is MkXVIII SM845 (see article about RTF here: http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2013/12/17/news-spitfire-mkxviii-sm845-flies/). Currently in the care of ARCo for new owner following rebuild from a fatal accident in Norway.

 

Looks like SM845 as she's currently in silver and the one in the screen shot looks silver as well.

 

thanks, yeap thats the one, so what made me think she in camoflage?? SM 845, has she flown in this country before?

 

I believe so - she may even have been an ARCo/HFL rebuild on a previous occasion before being sold to the Norwegian owner...

Edit: Swedish owner (well it was registered in Sweden) - crash was in Norway I believe...

 

She has worn camo and 32 Sqd markings in the past.
http://www.airpixbycaz.co.uk/cazsite/aviation/warbirds/spitfires/part02/spit033.html

 

Almost the first and the last, you could say, we started with an mk1, and now we are talking about one of the final marks of spitfire, yet you can see the likiness between them, so what looks better a spitfire in war paint, or plain silver?

 

War paint every time for me. Never painted any of my Airfix Spits silver....

 

Camo every time although the silver ones do look nice, especially this pair.
http://floch5.com/72spitcon1.htm

 

While perusing some warbird forums (as a result of this thread) I see that the Boultbee Flight Academy at Goodwood is now able to offer passenger flights in their Tr.9s! (I was already aware they offered a Chipmunk/Harvard/Spitfire taster training day for PPL holders - but fare paying passengers in a Spitfire is a big deal.)

So, two and a half grand for 20 minutes in a Spitfire....(or five and half grand for a day covering all three types if you already have a PPL, six grand if spread over two days).

I need to start saving and dieting

Edit: Forgot the link, doh! http://www.boultbeeflightacademy.co.uk/#!passenger-flights/c1exu

 

you just dreaming of hearing those words " you have control" followed by bandits at 11 oclock

 

We can dream - but unfortunately that is for PPL holders only: "Please note that if you do have any flying experience then you should look at the PILOT COURSES as you will not under any circumstances be able to manipulate the controls when flying on one of these experience flights."