• Chinese businessman pays record price for WW II Spitfire
  A Chinese businessman paid what is believed to be a record USD 1.81 million (1.3 million Euro) for a World War II Spitfire Mk. XVI auctioned in New Zealand. [Zee News]
  
  More about this auction and the Spitfire sale can be read here and here.
  
• Spitfire pilots celebrate Duxford's 90th anniversary
  The Duxford airfield celebrated its 90th anniversary last week. [Telegraph]

Labels: history, warbirds, webmaster

• A new set of images has been added in the Gallery section. It is a seletion of images from the 2008 Flying Legends show which took place last month in Duxford. Enjoy.

Labels: site updates, warbirds

• 2008 Airshow Season Underway. An inspirational collection of Spitfire images from various UK shows. Photography by Andrew G Leonard.
  

Labels: site updates, warbirds

A new photo gallery has been added to the site today.

• Shuttleworth Collection's AR501 is a collection of photographs depicting the Spitfire LF Mk. VC, AR501 NN-A, operated by the Shuttleworth Trust and a popular focal point of the collection's air displays at Old Warden. The images, which show both the aircraft and its various details, have been kindly provided by Mark Mills.
  

Labels: reference, site updates, warbirds

Click to enlarge image

Labels: warbirds, webmaster

• Spitfire Mk. XVI at Flydagen Kjeller, 2008 - Swedish-owned RW386 phtographed at the air display in Norway

Labels: site updates, warbirds

Labels: warbirds, webmaster

• Spitfire wings its way to county - the Welsh Pembrokeshire Aviation Foundation Trust will tour a fuselage of their newly-acquired Spitfire Mk. VIII JG668 around the country in the hope to raise the funds needed to restore the complete aircraft. [Western Telegraph]
  
  
• Another Spitfire touring the roads in the UK this season will be a replica towed by a Land Rover, wings detached but otherwise transferred on ordinary roads. [The Northern Echo]
  
  
• Diana Barnato Walker, acclaimed British pilot, died at 90. She started her aviation career as one of the ATA "Spitfire Women" and later become the first British female pilot to fly at supersonic speed. [New York Times]. Here's also Diana's obituary in Times Online.
  
  
• Another wartime fighter pilot, Wing Commander Paddy Barthropp, DFC, AFC, passed away on April 16, 2008, aged 87. Barthropp happened to be one of those unfortunate victims of the Fw 190 suprtiority over the Channel in 1942. Shot down over St Omer, he spent the rest of the war as POW. There, in Oflag XXIB, he escaped, but was caught and put back in the camp. After the liberation, he returned to active service with the RAF, flyig the Meteors and advancing to the rank of Wing Commander. [Times Online]
  
  
• Former Australian Spitfire pilot Ted Sly has returned to flying at the age of 90 [Ballina Shire Advocate]
  
  
• The campaign to raise a Spitfire moemorial in Southampton has now been backed by Prime Minister Gordon Brown [Daily Echo]
  

Labels: history, warbirds

• The Variants and Technology section was enhanced with two important reference features. A two-part Concise Guide To Spitfire Wing Types provides an overview of of the basic wing types of the Spitfire and the differences between them. Inherently related to Spitfire wing design is also The Hispano Cannon, the weapon which gave the aircraft the punch and a characteristic element of its silhouette.
  
  
• Four new colour profiles added during the month in Camouflage & Markings were NH550, in Royal Norwegian Service accompanied by another Norwegian Reconnaissance Spitfire, EP706 - The Malta Defender Spitfire Mk. Vc and "Bogle" Bodie and his Spitfire Mk. I, X4321.
  
  This adds up to six new reference articles, a good record indeed, with no less than three additional features currently waiting to be published.
  
  
• The pace in the History Articles section was rather more leisurely, with two articles added. Independent Air Force - Tracing the Origins of the RAF, an essay by Brett Holman and A Lifetime of Aviation, another essay by Martin Waligorski.
  
  This month I will be adding much more in this section, with five-part coverage of the 1941 Circus offensive as a main theme.
  
  
• Images added to the Historic Photographs section were: a portrait of Sqn/Ldr Jiří Maňák,
  photos of RAB Spitfire of W/Cdr Berg, UZ-Z of No. 306 Squadron, Northolt, Spitfire Mk. VII in the United States, launch of Operation Bowery and K5054 prototype prior to her maiden flight.
  


• The Video Section grew with just about as many videos, including the footage of Mark Hanna leading Spitfire formation display, Spitfire in IL2, Best of Chino's contraprop Spitfire Mk. XIX and Public debut of Seafire Mk. XVII SX336.
  
  
• The new Gallery Section, established at the beginning of the month, grew up rapidly and is already offering several hundred quality images. Collections added this month were: Spitfire Models by Tim Prosser, images from Old Warden 2007, The Joy of Flight Testing the Spitfire Mk. V BL628, Seafire Mk.XVII SX336, 90th Anniversary of the Royal Air Force, April 2008 celebration flypast over London, BBMF 50th Anniversary, 2007 and finally Ronnie Olsthoorn Photo Gallery with many beautiful Spitfire images.
  
  I'm happy that the technology behind the galleries worked out. Image collections I have been receiving from our visitors since last autumn can now finally be posted online and I will continue to do so during the months to come.
  
  
• Modellers have proven to be eager and knowledgeable supporters of this site. Their interest was demonstrated last month through a collection of 1/72 Spitfire Models by Tim Prosser , Spitfire in Saigon, a tribute to the Memory of A/C Paul Webb, Tamiya Spitfire Mk. V backdated to Mk. Ib, Kenley Wings beer-carrying Spitfire and another Malta Spitfire Mk. V.
  


• Another group which keeps giving this site a "push" are aviation artists; many new great pieces can be enjoyed in the Art & Memorabilia gallery and Pavel Rampír has been spoiling us with an entire series of drawings. Enjoy A portrait of Clive Caldwell, Spitfire Mk. VIII in Italy, "The Last", Chasing the V-1, "The CO's Query", Typhoon trouble, Beware of the low-flying Mosquitos, "Se va la Primera". For collectors, there was also a set of RAF 90th Anniversary poststamps.
  

Summarizing, it is apparent that April was one of the most fruitful months on the Spitfire Site so far. It is fantastic, and showed up well through the editorial workload - I had a hard time coping with all the material I've been receiving. I'd like to direct a warm thank you to everyone who contributed their work and material to make it happen. My apologies to those few who are still waiting to get their contributions published - none has been forgotten and they will appear online as soon as I can possibly manage.

The RAF Anniversary Festival will continue for some time to come, so please keep the articles and photos coming.

In the meantime, I'm into some serious programming trying to establish a discussion forum for all of us Spitfire buffs. I'll keep you posted.

Labels: history, modelling, reference, site updates, videos, warbirds, webmaster

Many thanks to all the contributors and please keep them comin'!

• In Historic Photographs, we celebrate two foreign personalities who served with the RAF, Czech Sqn/Ldr Jiří Maňák and Norwegian Rolf Arne Berg.
  
  
• Another great Spitfire pilot is commemorated in the Art & Memorabilia gallery through a portrait of Clive Caldwell, one more great submission by Pavel Rampír.
  


• In Scale Modelling, we have a photo gallery of Spitfire Models by Tim Prosser, now complete with sixty-five(!) 1/72 Spitfire and Seafire models presented in realistic settings and lifelike photography.
  
  
• Other models presented today are Spitfire in Saigon by Brian Ballew and a personal tribute to the memory of A/C Paul Webb by Chris Doherty.
  
  
• In Photo Galleries, there is another set of images from Old Warden 2007 air display season. Photography by Rover75.
  


• Looking into the Event Calendar clearly shows that the airshow season begins now, with many interesting events in the UK and France scheduled for May.

In all, this update includes 75 web pages, which together with the recent update of the IPMS Stockholm Magazine (also posted yesterday) is clearly a personal record. I hope that you will enjoy the results!

Labels: history, modelling, site updates, warbirds

• The Joy of Flight Testing is a pictorial story of a successful conclusion to the restoration of Spitfire Mk. V BL628, documented by Andy Hosking.

Labels: site updates, warbirds

• A new gallery for today is devoted to Seafire Mk.XVII SX336, a unique airworthy Griffon-powered Seafire. Photography by Mark Mills.
  
  
• I have also reworked two previous galleries to increase the picture size: BBMF 50th Anniversary, 2007 and Ronnie Olsthoorn Photo Gallery. I'm pleased with the result and think that both these galleries are well worth a second look.

Enjoy.

Labels: site updates, warbirds, webmaster

• A new addition in the Variants & Technology section is a two-part Concise Guide To Spitfire Wing Types. A well-researched piece of writing by Jeff Web coupled with digitized copies of old maintenance manuals creates a commendable piece of reference. Highly recommended to modellers!
  
  
  
• Our Video collection has been enriched with three new clips:
  
  
  
  • Mark Hanna leads Spitfire formation display
  
  
  • Spitfire in IL2
  
  
  • Best of Chino's contraprop Spitfire Mk. XIX



• Last but not least, "Se va la Primera" a fantastic new painting by Vladimir Urbanek, in the new addition in Art & Memorabilia gallery.

Keep them coming!

Labels: reference, site updates, videos, warbirds

Thank you for a fine and informative website. We particularly enjoyed the video section.

But no music !

Please have a listen to our song : " Mr Mitchell's Angel" - a tribute to the Spitfire, to those who built it, to those who flew in it, and above all to its creator, RJ Mitchell.

Ivor & Kevan Bundell

• Ivor & Kevan Bundell - "Mr. Mitchell's Angel", available for online listening as well as MP3 download.
  
  
• We have also four great new Spitfire movie clips in the Video section:
  • Spitfire Tribute
    
  • Merlin Sounds over Beachy Head
    
  • Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in Formation
    
  • Tribute to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

Labels: site updates, warbirds

• A gala performance is to be staged later this year in order to raise funds to pay for the upkeep of the Battle of Britain memorial on the top of the cliffs at Capel le Ferne. The Battle of Britain Memorial concert will take place in London Palladium on September 7th, 68 years to the day after the Luftwaffe launched its first mass attack on London.
  
  Battle of Britain Memorial concert [kentnews.co.uk]
  
  
• A simple stone memorial has been unveiled in a field in Kent to mark the place where a Battle of Britain New Zealand Spitfire pilot Flt Ltn Jimmy Paterson crashed in 1940.
  
  Battle of Britain pilot honoured [BBC News]
  
  
• Ex-ATA women comment on the recently received special merit award
  
  Spitfire heroine's joy over medal [BBC News]
  Recognition for Spitfire heroines [The Cornishman]
  Honour for WWII Spitfire pilots [BBC News]
  
  
• An interesting bureaucratic incident suggests pending US embargo on Spitfire exports :)
  
  Spitfire downed [New Zealand Herald]
  
  
• An interesting replica Spitfire built by members of the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion has found a new home at RAF Leeming.
  
  Replica of flying legend finds a home with RAF squadron [Northallerton Times]
  
  
• Another interesting Spitfire restoration project in New Zealand is Brendon Deere's Spitfire ZK-SPT/PV270, here in the report of TV3:
  
  Pilot's nephew works to restore Spitfire [TV3 News]
  
  

Labels: history, warbirds

• A new article in the History section is How Blitzkrieg Became the Blitz. Perhaps not strictly about Fighter Command ot the Spitfire, i feel that this essay by Brett Holman is relevant to the overall subject of this site.
  


• In Videos, we have two new clips provided by Stewart Hecht, showing two Canada-based Spitfires filmed during the 2007 Geneseo Air Show.
  

Labels: history, site updates, warbirds

• In Historic Photographs, we have a pair of photographs showing an interesting aerobatics display Spitfire from Czechoslovakia. Readers will note that we're looking for more specific information about this aircraft and its use.
  


• Nostalgia attack awaits in the Video Section - how about watching Spitfires flying to the music of Vera Lynn's The White Cliffs of Dover? Guaranteed to bring the mood of the past years.
  


• New contributions in the Art & Memorabilia gallery have been kindly provided by aviation artists Troy White and Vladimir Urbanek. There are six works in all:
• Skalski's Circus
• "Tiger's Strike"
• "Eagles"
• "Entrevero Total"
• "One Hawk Breaks Up Many Crows"
• "Moesi Illir"
  
  
• Last but not least, we have two new models on display in Scale Modelling section. Both are Tamiya kits: Spitfire PR Mk. IF conversion by Fabrice Fanton and Yellow Nose QV-K modelled by Charlie Whall.

Labels: history, modelling, site updates, warbirds

Labels: warbirds

• I’ve got propeller off Spitfire that crashed in park
  The latest Spitfire wreck excavation in Merseyside Park, Liverpool, (see here for details) finds a rather unexpected conclusion - its (?) propeller being found in an attic. [Liverpool Echo]
  
  
• It is widely known that new Spitfire restorations to airworthiness are being undertaken with ever-smaller pieces of original airframes as a basis. If one is to believe the following articles, it could be something of a record in this area - a full Spitfire restoration started from a... single rivet - but then only if you ignore the fact that it was augmented by an incomplete fuselage of Spitfire RR232... Even so, it's an amazing effort, performed by devotion and perseverance of Mr Martin Phillips from Devon.
  
  
• Scrambled Spitfire gets closer to take-off [Telegraph]
  
• Global hunt to rebuild Spitfire [BBC News]
  
• Spitfire project is a labour of love [The Cornishman]
  


• A special event entitled A Celebration of Collections marked the official launched of Corgi die-cast model Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Collection issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Flight. Fittingly, the ceremony took place at BBMF Visitors Centre at RAF Coningsby.
  
  
• A look under the skin of Memorial Flight [Lincolnshire Echo]
  
• Battle of Britain models launched [Horncastle Today]

Labels: history, warbirds, webmaster

• Five new Spitfire-related videos have been added in the Video Section.
  

Labels: videos, warbirds

Click on the images to enlarge
[Peter R. Arnold photo]

Labels: warbirds

The review of last week's press brought the following articles.

• Veteran pilot feared dead in lake crash
  Sad news struck in Australia on Friday. 75-year-old veteran aviator Col Pay, a legendary crop-dusting pilot and once the owner of the only flying Spitfire in Australia (as well as a Mustang, Tiger Moth and a Kittyhawk) died in an airplane crash in New South Wales [The Age]
• Lake searched for crashed pilot [The Herald]
• Plane crash inquiry begins [The Herald]
  
  
• Pride of place for Spitfire recovered from park
  The previously excavated remains of a Spitfire recovered from Merseyside park, Liverpool, are now on public display [Liverpool Daily Post]
  
  
• The Guinea Pig Club
  During the second world war, airmen with terrible burn injuries in the care of pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe formed an exclusive drinking club. Photographer Lucinda Marland meets the men today in this photo feature [Guardian Unlimited]
  

Labels: history, warbirds

• The Historic Photographs section has been enriched with two new mini-articles, each featuring multiple images. Among these are two post-war photos of Air Chief-Marshal Hugh Dowding, from the collection of his family, which were kindly offered to this site by Mr. David Whiting, stepson of Lord Dowding.
  
  
• Three new videos have been added in the Video Section, including Cockpit camera view following a Spitfire's display routine, a lovely Kent Spitfire display at Biggin Hill 2007 and an overview of Canadian Comox Air Force Museum Y2K Spitfire Restoration Project.
  

Labels: history, site updates, videos, warbirds

• Spitfire fighter ace didn't like to talk about the war
  An article in memory of Dal Russel, one of the distinguished Canadian Second World War fighter pilots. Russel passed away last week at the age of 90. [Montreal Gazette]
  
  
• Spitfire monument to be Angel of the South?
  The campaign to raise a Spitfire memorial in Southampton, UK, continues. A recent proposal includes a 100-feet "Spitfire of the South" monument of a silver Spitfire standing upright on its tail. [Basingstoke Gazette]
  
  
• Spitfire pilot's grave located
  A grave of missing WW2 Spitfire pilot, Russell Lyon of Edinburgh, has been identified in France. [The Press Association]
  
  
• Meet the pup who's ready for a dogfight
  A living proof of how much the Spitfire is still being present in the public mind. 'Nuff said. [Metro]
  
  
• Sweden's own Spitfire
  A set of nice air-to-air pictures of RW386, Spitfire Mk. XVI recently acquired by the Swedish company Biltema, flying over the south of Sweden [Dagens Nyheter]
  

Labels: history, warbirds

Labels: warbirds

• The Historic Photographs section has been enriched with four new images, including an autographed portrait of the top Australian fighter ace, Clive "Killer" Caldwell, from the collection of Tim Prosser (thanks!)
  


• We have also a new video in the Video Section. Provided by Colin Griffin via Mark Davies, this one shows the previously described first flight of Spitfire Mk. V BL628 YD-D. To my knowledge, no other videos of BL628 have been released previously on the web, so this is something of a premiere!
  


• We have also four new additions in the Art & Memorabilia gallery. All those Spitfire keepsakes out there are extremely interesting, so keep them coming!
  


• The second part of the history feature Battle of Britain in the Words of Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding has been posted in the Articles section. This part covers the organisation of British defences, from the radar chain to aircraft repair depots and air raid warnings. I'm sure you will find it an interesting reading.
  


• In the area of scale modelling, there are two new contributions: Ventura Spitfire PR Mk. XI modelled by Magnus Fridsell, and American Spitfire Mk. VIII in Italy built by Ricardo Dacoba.
  

That's all for now, I hope that this update contains something for everyone!

Labels: history, modelling, site updates, videos, warbirds

Labels: videos, warbirds

• http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2007/10/08/crashed-spitfire-is-back-from-dead-100252-19914440/
  


• http://www.thisiswirral.co.uk/display.var.1742542.0.archaeological_dig_for_spitfire_engine.php

Labels: history, warbirds

Click to enlarge images
All photos in this article by Rover75 [Flickr, Creative Commons license]

One of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfires, Mk Vb AB910 has been repainted this spring in the markings of No. 303 (Polish) Squadron and is about to cmplete its first airshow season in this livery. RF-D was the aircraft of Sqn Ldr Jan Zumbach, C/O of that unit between May 1942 and November 1943. Zumbach's Spitfires (and there were several of them) were among the most colorfully marked fighters in the RAF, adorned with a prominent Donald Duck noseart. The serial number of original aircraft which carried this scheme was EN951. Jan Zumbach was credited with 13½ aerial victories.

BBMF's reconstruction of 'Zumbach's Donald' is a faithful copy of the original. A team of RAF painters worked from engineering drawings and photographs, spraying the body work to the exact WWII markings. The extensive nose art has been painstainklingly traced and brush-painted by Clive Denny from Vintage Fabrics Ltd.

AB910 will remain in the 'Donald' scheme for about four years.

Additional images from the BBMF site linked below show the application of the scheme in March 2007.

• http://www.bbmf.co.uk/images/news070701.jpg
• http://www.bbmf.co.uk/images/news071101.jpg
• http://www.bbmf.co.uk/images/news071102.jpg
• http://www.bbmf.co.uk/images/news071103.jpg

Labels: warbirds

Photo: Lyneham_Lad, via Photobucket

• News article from BBC
  
• News article (richly illustrated) at Daily Mail
  
• News article from Flight International
• News article from Lutterworth Mail
• Forum post at airshows.co.uk (with more images)

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust website should be the first source of information, but their site crashed today, undoubtedly due to the tremendous traffic pressure. I bet the webmaster is wawy tonight, celebrating with the rest of the group :)

Labels: videos, warbirds

Another historic Spitfire, Mk. Vb BL628 YO-D made its first flight on September 28 in New Zealand, after an epic restoration which took full 30 years to complete.

Click to enlarge image
All photos in this article have been provided by Mark Davies. Thanks!

This aircraft was delivered from Castle Bromwich in January 1942. Allocated to No. 410 Squadron RCAF at Gravesend, BL628 became a personal aircraft of G.B. Murray who named it Marion after his girlfriend. It subsequently served briefly with No. 308 Squadron 31st Fighter Group USAAF in Aug 1942, then Nos. 167 and 610 Squadrons. Transferred to Royal Navy in 1943, the aircraft was converted to hooked Spitfire configuration by Cunliffe Owen Aircraft in June 1943. Allocated to No. 899 Squadron FAA for training, it served in Belfast, Ireland. Before the end of the war, it went to 719 and 794 Squadrons Royal Navy at St.Merryn, but the airframe was now at the very end of its service life and the aircraft was eventually struck off charge and abandoned on a farm in St. Merryn, Cromwell.

It is in the same place that the fuselage was found in derelict state some thirty years later. Acquired by Peter Croser & Michael Aitchison from Australia in 1977, it was initially painstainkingly rebuilt using components from various scrapyards in the UK. In the process, the aircraft went back to the UK in 1991 for a short period, then to Australia, where it received a new pair of wings built on Isle Of Wight, UK. More recently the aircraft was transferred to Avspecs Ltd in Auckland, New Zealand for final assembly. The first post-restoration flight took place on 29 September 2007.

The success of Marion's restoration brings up the number of airworthy Spitfires Mk. V in the world to seven.

Phase 1 of her test flight program has now been completed and the aircraft is currently being disassembled in preparation for shipping to Southern California to its new post-restoration owner.

Click to enlarge images

• Detailed photo album from the event at Photobucket

Labels: warbirds

• Added today in our own video section, there's a clip showing Biltema Spitfire's appearance at the Borås Airshow
  
  
• Additonal photos can be found at Swedish sites here, here and here.

Labels: videos, warbirds

Labels: warbirds, webmaster

• New videos have been added in the Video Section.
  

Labels: videos, warbirds

• The Video Section has been initiated with 24 video clips in categories: Airshows, Computer-generated, Flight simulators, Museums, Radio-controlled, Warbirds.
  

Labels: site updates, videos, warbirds, webmaster

Labels: warbirds