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By: - 3rd March 2005 at 09:56 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Daz,
Took me a while to get around to getting this for you. Pics are not great, but they may be of some interest to you. They were taken at Biggin Hill (cant remember what year).
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 12:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Many thanks, Darren.
That second is very nice - reminds me of one of the HKAAF Spitfire 24s!
Thanks again :)
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 15:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think the year those photo's were taken was 1992,the same year Diamond Lil attended the show.This was one of the first airshows I ever attended and I think it was the only time SM969 appeared in public.I have a couple of albums' worth of photo's of the show,including some of '969 and the other WoGB Spits,but they're in deep storage at the mo.I've been meaning to dig them out and share them for ages,hopefully I'll get round to it before too long.
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 15:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
She only appeared once in public?? And since, what, 1993, she's been stuck in a box? :(
Ant, we would, of course, love to see them.
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 16:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
November 92 in a container.... Rumour has it that it poked it's nose out recently though, maybe we will all get to see it again one day...
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 17:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think the year those photo's were taken was 1992,the same year Diamond Lil attended the show.This was one of the first airshows I ever attended and I think it was the only time SM969 appeared in public.I have a couple of albums' worth of photo's of the show,including some of '969 and the other WoGB Spits,but they're in deep storage at the mo.I've been meaning to dig them out and share them for ages,hopefully I'll get round to it before too long.
Ant,
I think your right Ant. I too have pics of the other two WofGB spits that were in the line up. Its such a shame that they are currently stored, but I am sure this won't be forever!
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 17:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
November 92 in a container.... Rumour has it that it poked it's nose out recently though, maybe we will all get to see it again one day...
Is she for sale, or is she heading over to Greenham Common, for whatever is going on there?
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 18:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
It was recently in Norfolk. I saw a picture of it in a construction magazine last year.
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 18:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
SM969 appeared at,at least,one other airshow;the Cranfield Show in September 1991 where she turned up along with Doug Arnold's Wildcat and Bearcat.
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 18:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for those. :)
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 18:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
From Jeremy Flack's book, Spitfire - The Legend Lives On:
Unique among airworthy Spitfires is Warbirds of Great Britain's F MkXVIIIE SM969/G-BRAF, the [then] only surviving flyable example of what is widely regarded as the definitive Griffon-engined variant, and the last Spitfire to retain the classic elliptical wing planform. Only 300 MkXVIIIEs were built. SM969 was manufactured at Keevil in the summer of 1945, despatched by sea to Karachi in January 1946 and came back to England 18 months later, apparently remaining in its packing crate until sold to the Indian Air Force in 1949. Doug Arnold of WoGB bought the aeroplane from the Indian Government in 1978. It flew again after rebuild on 12 October 1985 in the hands of Rolls-Royce Bristol and Shuttleworth Collection chief pilot John Lewis. Stored once more for several years, it was photographed at the 1991 Cranfield Air Show on a rare public foray from its Biggin Hill base, looking refreshingly 'different' in its all-silver post-war colour scheme and personal D-A 'code' of David Arnold, Doug's son.
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 19:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I remember seeing her fly over here (Haslemere) when Doug Arnold was shifting his collection from Biggin to Bournemouth. IIRC, I just happened to be listening to Dunsfold on the air band and was about to turn it off when I heard the pilot ask if they would like a flyby. :)
I also seem to recall NH238 fly overhead quite high a few days later.
Btw, I wonder why Doug Arnold had a preference for two cannons on these Spits? :confused:
Cheers
Paul
By: - 3rd March 2005 at 21:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Is she for sale, or is she heading over to Greenham Common, for whatever is going on there?
Who would want to buy it?
Good basis for a restoration maybe.
If the price was right.
If you had to have a Spit XVIII, I'd go and talk to HFL.
As we have said many times before,the Arnold collection were dismantled and crated,not dismantled, inhibited,and packed for long term storage.
There is a massive difference.
By: - 4th March 2005 at 00:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
As I understand it,the former WoGB airframes were carefully dismantled and inhibited for long term storage.IIRC,when the PR.XI was sold and re-activated in 2000 she was found to be in pretty much spotless condition,save some moisture in her wooden prop blades which were replaced.
I stand corrected on '969's public appearances,glad she was seen out and about more than once,and good to hear that there may be some developments in the near future.
By: - 4th March 2005 at 11:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Here's a couple more of the Spit XVIII at Cranfield in '91 as well as one of the Bearcat
Andy Sephton was the pilot of the XVIII.
Not sure about the Bearcat and Wildcat. I think Chris Bevan flew several WoGB aircraft around that time so he may be one of the pilots
By: - 4th March 2005 at 12:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for the pics. It'd be interesting to hear how Andy compares the Mk18 to his usual mount.
By: - 4th March 2005 at 19:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
As I understand it,the former WoGB airframes were carefully dismantled and inhibited for long term storage.IIRC,when the PR.XI was sold and re-activated in 2000 she was found to be in pretty much spotless condition,save some moisture in her wooden prop blades which were replaced.
I stand corrected on '969's public appearances,glad she was seen out and about more than once,and good to hear that there may be some developments in the near future.
The airframes were NOT inhibited.
I know this as a Fact.
By: - 4th March 2005 at 19:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for the pics. It'd be interesting to hear how Andy compares the Mk18 to his usual mount.
Rod Dean flew the Bearcat
By: - 5th March 2005 at 01:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Bentwingbomber,
You're quite right,the WoGB airframes were NOT inhibited before storage,I've just had a whisper in my ear from another forumite to that effect and I stand corrected. Sorry for the confusion. :)
By: - 5th March 2005 at 10:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
So if they are finally extracted from the containers, they would need to be restored again? As it has been some years since PL983 was sold and refurbished. Damp can be a nasty thing.
Cees
Posts: 18,354
By: DazDaMan - 2nd March 2005 at 09:03
Does anyone happen to have any photos of Doug Arnold's Spitfire 18 SM969 in flight? (Or any good pics of it at all??)
There's a beauty in one of Jeremy Flack's books which I'd love to scan in for my screensaver, but there's a whopping great page-join down the middle! :(