IWM Spitfire

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17 years 2 months

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Having visited the IWM recently i posted a thread about the Spitfire there. Last night I started to read a book I had for Christmas "Spitfire Pilot" featureing David Crook DFC I was amazed to read that the Spit in the IWM is the Spitfire He flew during the Battle of Britain with 609 Squadron. How amazing to actually read about the exploits of an aircraft that is still sat in a museam. :)

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Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 8,195

How amazing to actually read about the exploits of an aircraft that is still sat in a museam. :)

That's what they're for.

IWM Lambeth has several aircraft that are historic in their own right, the Science Museum likewise.

Sadly, in general, aircraft on display tend to be 'generic' with little significant history of their own.

Member for

17 years 2 months

Posts: 1,705

That's what they're for.

IWM Lambeth has several aircraft that are historic in their own right, the Science Museum likewise.

Sadly, in general, aircraft on display tend to be 'generic' with little significant history of their own.

Can you enlighten me on the others? thanks

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 3,181

The Science Museum's Hurricane finished August 16th 1940 on its nose at Croydon following a heavy landing, post-battle damage, in the hands of - I think - P/O David Looker. Possibly L1592 - utterly from memory, so probably wrong!

There's the sole remaining Archaeopteryx - or is it Pterodactyl? - there as well, and of course for years they had the Wright Flyer, sadly long gone.

Adrian

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16 years 5 months

Posts: 439

Having visited the IWM recently i posted a thread about the Spitfire there. Last night I started to read a book I had for Christmas "Spitfire Pilot" featureing David Crook DFC I was amazed to read that the Spit in the IWM is the Spitfire He flew during the Battle of Britain with 609 Squadron. How amazing to actually read about the exploits of an aircraft that is still sat in a museam. :)

There was a good article on this in Flpast or Aeroplane Monthly within the last year at least.

Graham

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,707

Can you enlighten me on the others? thanks

Science Museum:

Schneider Trophy winner S6B (and the trophy!)

Alcock & Brown's Vimy

Amy Johnson's Gipsy Moth

Gloster E.28/39

Apollo 10 command module

Spitfire & Hurricane Battle of Britain veterans

Member for

16 years 7 months

Posts: 10,647

Beat me to it!
But also A.V.Roe Triplane, first prototype Hawker P.1127, Schneider Trophy winning Supermarine S6B, and SE5a.

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 8,195

At the IWM, off the top of my head, the nose of the Lancaster is off a veteran example, and the Camel is also an historic machine.

The Science Museum's aircraft are either of technical importance or historic. No 'ringers' there.

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14 years 9 months

Posts: 163

Did the Camel at the IMW not shoot down a Zepplin or something?

correct me if im wrong please.

Wondy

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16 years 7 months

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Actually when you look at that list (not to mention the componants, such as the Beardmore Inflexible main wheel) of what's at the science Museum it is about as significant an aircraft collection can be.
Small, with no fat on - perfect!
I know we can bang on about what hasn't been saved, various museum policies etc, but the above is a great example of foresight in saving some hugely signicant airframes.

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20 years 7 months

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SE5a.

Is this not one that's been reconfigured as a sky-writer?

Also, does one of the museums not have an original (but skeletal) Fokker E.III suspended from the ceiling?

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24 years 2 months

Posts: 541

Did the Camel at the IMW not shoot down a Zepplin or something?

correct me if im wrong please.

Wondy

Yes
It is N6812 which flown by Flight Sub-Lieutenant Culley shot down Zeppelin L53.

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16 years 7 months

Posts: 10,647

Is this not one that's been reconfigured as a sky-writer?

Also, does one of the museums not have an original (but skeletal) Fokker E.III suspended from the ceiling?

Yes, but not sure if wrongly applied or what its true history is.

Yes, at Lambeth.

Member for

14 years 9 months

Posts: 163

Did the Camel at the IMW not shoot down a Zepplin or something?

correct me if im wrong please.

Wondy

Yes
It is N6812 which flown by Flight Sub-Lieutenant Culley shot down Zeppelin L53.

Cheers SE5a Fan!

I think the Eindecker is at the Science Museum now and as Daz said its stripped to expose its skeleton

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14 years 9 months

Posts: 703

The Science Museum SE5a was indeed a skywriting aircraft under the ownership of Major J C Savage, and the RAFM and Shuttleworth examples are both sister-aircraft from this same organisation. The Science Museum restored theirs back to military configuration, and then just recently back again to skywriting configuration by Skysport Engineering a few years ago.

The other significant airframe at IWM who's significance could easily be overlooked is the Fw190, iirc the last surviving remnant of the 'Mistel' piggy-back program.

Member for

18 years

Posts: 1,966

The Spitfire MkXVI, TB752, at the Spitfire and Hurricane memorial museum at RAF Manston has a wartime battle history, http://www.spifirememorial.org.uk/spifire/spitfire.htm

The Hurricane IIc, LF751, was also used during WW2 but only in a training at 2 bomber training units before being relegated to instructional puposes in July 1945, http://www.spifirememorial.org.uk/spifire/spitfire.htm

In 1992 as an Air Cadet on summer camp I got to sit inside the Spitfire and it felt incredible to be as close to a piece of real history as it was possible!

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18 years 9 months

Posts: 4,796

The EE Lightning at Dx has quite a history....

& I got to sit in that many years ago :)