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By: - 29th December 2008 at 20:12 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi chaps,Got the latest Classic Wings today and what another great issue. It was mentioned that the "restored" Indian Spitfire is to be restored to fly, any truth in that (well, I can always ask, can't I)
Cheers
Cees
Yes.
Mark
By: - 29th December 2008 at 20:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Depends on your definition of 'properly' - if you mean taken part - treated for corrosion and sympathetically restored with the missing parts being fabricated. Or do you mean remove useable parts - build new fuselage and wings and put the bits on it?
By: - 29th December 2008 at 21:30 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Looks alright to me.
Perhaps someone moved it before the glue set- same thing happened to some of my Spitfires.;)
By: - 29th December 2008 at 21:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes.Mark
This wouldn't be the one which had the same 'sympathetic' restoration as the Firefly by any chance? :eek:
By: - 29th December 2008 at 21:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Looks alright to me.Perhaps someone moved it before the glue set- same thing happened to some of my Spitfires.;)
:D:D:D
looks like somebody overtensioned the wing tether :D
cheers baz
By: - 29th December 2008 at 23:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
That canopy is bizarre
Moggy
By: - 29th December 2008 at 23:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
as are the exhaust stacks lol
By: - 29th December 2008 at 23:51 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Airworthy restoration.
So what's the deal with this aircraft then? It is to be restored to airworthiness. Any details on when it'll fly, who owns it etc?
Thanks.
By: - 30th December 2008 at 09:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The Indian Air Force is moving ahead to get a number of its Vintage and Veteran machines back in to the air, modelled on the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
Spitfire NH631 will be the principal Spitfire, with MV459 forming the basis of a reserve airframe. It will be recovered from its base at Ambala, to be replaced with a more accurate GRP replica.
These small images show the recovery at the river bed/bank prior to the Ambala 'restoration'.
Provenance link to the MV459 serial ID is 100%.
Win, win all round. :)
Mark
By: - 30th December 2008 at 09:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Don't be cruel - my kids draw Spitfires that look just like that every day, especially my 4 year old..........:diablo:
By: - 30th December 2008 at 10:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Well, it's a good thing that it will be restored, who will carry out the work?
As this is also a very recent recovery, what more can we expect from India regarding wrecks. A few years ago (in the early WWW-forum days IIRC) a photograph was posted showing a Spitfire wing and a Hurricane wing alongside in the grass. Weren't there some Mk XVIII Spits still missing or rumoured in Inda.
Cheers
Cees
By: - 30th December 2008 at 10:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Well, it's a good thing that it will be restored, who will carry out the work?As this is also a very recent recovery, what more can we expect from India regarding wrecks. A few years ago (in the early WWW-forum days IIRC) a photograph was posted showing a Spitfire wing and a Hurricane wing alongside in the grass. Weren't there some Mk XVIII Spits still missing or rumoured in Inda.
Cheers
Cees
There's also a reference in Peter Vacher's book to some Spitfire airframes still waiting to be recovered
By: - 30th December 2008 at 11:18 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The Indian Air Force is moving ahead to get a number of its Vintage and Veteran machines back in to the air, modelled on the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.Spitfire NH631 will be the principal Spitfire, with MV459 forming the basis of a reserve airframe.
Isn't there a Hurricane in India as well, alongside NH631?
By: - 30th December 2008 at 11:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes,
And a Tempest II, A Spit Mk XVIII, A Lysander, a Liberator, quite a memorial flight if all would be restored to fly (didn't mention the "Wapiti" as it's more a mock up);)
Cees
By: - 30th December 2008 at 11:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I don't think the provenance of what was recovered has ever been in doubt. What I do doubt is how much of it is realistically useable without it ending up in a skip with a new fuselage in it's place. As for the Wapiti - whilst givng all the appearances of a mock up - there appears to be a substancial amount of the Westland product in .
By: - 30th December 2008 at 11:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The Mk VIII NH631 has not been on public display now for some considerable number of years.
Not so the Hurricane.
I understand that all of the above list, save for the Liberator are contenders for the IAFMF.
Mark
By: - 30th December 2008 at 11:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I don't think the provenance of what was recovered has ever been in doubt. What I do doubt is how much of it is realistically useable without it ending up in a skip with a new fuselage in it's place. As for the Wapiti - whilst givng all the appearances of a mock up - there appears to be a substancial amount of the Westland product in .
In my view, realistically, a substantial amount...if the spirit is willing. :)
Mark
By: - 30th December 2008 at 11:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Are we now in the potentially bizarre position of work being 'outsourced' from India to Suffolk and the Isle of Wight ?
By: - 30th December 2008 at 11:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Tail wheel looks abit "o er" on that hurri
cheers
668
By: - 30th December 2008 at 11:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Are we now in the potentially bizarre position of work being 'outsourced' from India to Suffolk and the Isle of Wight ?
Realistically, the most cost effective route. :)
...but not the Indian jets. I would imagine Bangalore will take care of them.
Mark
Posts: 1,586
By: Cees Broere - 29th December 2008 at 18:15
Hi chaps,
Got the latest Classic Wings today and what another great issue. It was mentioned that the "restored" Indian Spitfire is to be restored to fly, any truth in that (well, I can always ask, can't I)
Cheers
Cees