Sahara P40

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Anybody know what is actually happening with this airframe?

It seems as if a late-mark Spitfire has been used in a swap, reference has been made to the acquisition in a formal RAF Museum Annual Report, and planning permission has been sought for accommodation to display the airframe

So......................

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The concensus seems to be that the late mark Spitfire was used to facilitate the recovery of the P-40 . The container with the P-40 was last reported a good while ago ! It could be safe and secure or it could have been scrapped !

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Last I heard when recently at RAFM Stafford is P-40 is in container in Egypt, Spit deal I believe is contingent on safe delivery to UK, as political situation in Egypt at present is sub-optimal she will be shipped to the UK when situation is less fluid! TT

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Spit deal I believe is contingent on safe delivery to UK, as political situation in Egypt at present is sub-optimal she will be shipped to the UK when situation is less fluid! TT

I understand the Spitfire is a done deal, and was payment for the recovery and packing of the P-40 in the desert, regardless of the outcome of the attempted exporting of the P-40 from Egypt.

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I don't see how it could be otherwise TBH.

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I understand the Spitfire is a done deal, and was payment for the recovery and packing of the P-40 in the desert, regardless of the outcome of the attempted exporting of the P-40 from Egypt.

Not sure I would do a deal for recovery only with a million quid airframe with no guarantee I would get my P-40! Anyway thats what I was told - perhaps the fact that said Spit would appear to still be at Stafford and the recovery was done a couple of years ago may reinforce it!

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The Spitfire is certainly NOT still at Stafford! Neither is it a 'million quid airframe' - a quick view of the RAF Museum's financial statements (available on the web) for the year in question is quite instructional on that particular point. :)

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Duff gen then!

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So potentially a Spitfire from a national collection has been handed over to a third party with no guarantee (but presumably an expectation - and no more) that the P40 will be delivered to the RAFM for display.

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So potentially a Spitfire from a national collection has been handed over to a third party with no guarantee (but presumably an expectation - and no more) that the P40 will be delivered to the RAFM for display.

A casualty of the the 'Arab Spring'.

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I'm sure it seemed like a great idea at the time...

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A casualty of the the 'Arab Spring'.
To be fair, this all happened some time after the 'Arab Spring', and the political situation in Egypt had already been in turmoil for a year or so by then.

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PK664 transferred to the care of Kennet Aviation at North Weald on 3 April 2013 and is seen here on 2 May 2013 along side Seafire 46 LA564, a brother/sister pair, that will both be rebuilt to fly in unison.

Mark

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/Mark12/Mark12116/22-PK664amp46-LA564NorthWeald2May2013IMG_6628_zpsa61c9b61.jpg

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A moot point, as the person who sanctioned that particular deal is no longer in post.

Hmm, duly noted, I think my point was made! - thanks for heads up on P&L - £120k then!

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£120K seems a little light !

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Not if it gets stopped from your pocket money, it doesn't!

That would have been the value it was held on the RAF Museum's books at. If you look at their accounts the total book value of 'Heritage Assets' is some £20m. This, of course, is considerably less than the amount the entire collection is likely to fetch if it were to come onto the open market.

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For a pretty stripped out airframe, with no engine, propeller, undercarriage or radiators, of a late Mark, it sounds reasonable to me.

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is there any recent news - or has nothing changed - and is anybody doing anything to resolve or progress this particular issue at the current time??

Or has the RAFM simply written off any chance of ever receiving the P40

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There was a comment in the latest RAF Museum annual report to the effect that it is possible that it may never be recovered due to the political situation in Egypt.

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The exact text reads "Given the uncertain political situation in Egypt however there is a possibility that Kittyhawk may never be returned to the United Kingdom."