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Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Fri Sep 02, 2011 3:35 pm

The Aircraft Restoration Company have produced the most elegantly beautiful restoration of a early / rare Spitfire.

I was lucky enough to see this aircraft earlier this year when the Spitfire Society were invited to tour the facility at Duxford.
Up close it's jaw droppingly pretty from every angle. We were permitted to take pictures for out own personal enjoyment ~
but not for sharing via email or forums etc. And I for one respected that arrangement.

Today visitors to the Imperial War Museum were privileged to see it taken out on an early test flight by John Romain.

I've sized these pix rather larger than normal ( 1200 pixels wide rather than 800 ) to give you an impression of how high the
standard of restoration is on this aircraft ......

Let's start with a side profile against the iconic hill line across the back of Duxford airfield.

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1940 ?

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2011 ?

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The run in and break for landing once the air test was complete

Image

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Gear and flaps down for landing

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The aircraft is painted in the early one wing black / one white scheme ~ it's going to look stunning when the
autumn sun kisses the underside paint against a blue sky.

I suspect there won't be a dry eye in the house on that day.

To everyone involved at ARCo .... :drink3:

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Fri Sep 02, 2011 3:41 pm

Simply awesome! So how many early Mk. 1 / Mk. 2 Spits are flying now? What kind of formation of those early BoB Spits can we expect in England?

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Fri Sep 02, 2011 3:44 pm

Outstanding, I wonder if it has the original hand pump for the landing gear? Excellent images and thanks for the update.

Cheers Dave C

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Fri Sep 02, 2011 4:37 pm

Beautiful job! Only the pilots boom mic gives away the timeframe for the pictures.

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Fri Sep 02, 2011 5:04 pm

Dave Cheeseman wrote:Outstanding, I wonder if it has the original hand pump for the landing gear?


Yes it does, Dave!

Beautiful photos as ever, Peter, it is great to see the aircraft flying, especially over such a great place as Duxford!

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Fri Sep 02, 2011 9:59 pm

Peter, thanks so much for posting these photos!
Awesome!
Jerry

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Fri Sep 02, 2011 11:24 pm

Oh my... in the Night/White scheme as well... **swoons**

Next to MJ730, which of course must remain my number 1 favorite Spitfire due to proximity (and it's the first Spitfire I've seen fly up close), this may well be a very close second... it is utterly gorgeous and your photography does it justice. You are a blessed man, sir. :)

Lynn

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:31 am

Anyone know how much airplane they had starting out to restore? This was not listed in the past as a survivor.
Thanx

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:45 pm

That resto is unquestionably beautiful!!! Right down to the DUNLOP tires??!!?? Where did they find them? We've come a long way from 4-blade props, USAF SEA tan/green over duck egg blue and DH Vampire tires. :P

I too would like to know this airframes back story.

Now we just need 11 more of them and then we can line them up in a row at DUX just like in that 1938 photo. :)

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Sat Sep 03, 2011 12:56 pm

Beautiful Spit and photos. Wow. I thought it was interesting to see the tad bit of down trim he has on the elevator.


Chappie

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Sat Sep 03, 2011 1:03 pm

Chappie wrote:Beautiful Spit and photos. Wow. I thought it was interesting to see the tad bit of down trim he has on the elevator.


Chappie

On the 18 elevator trim neutral is a bit up.
Elevator neutral is a bit down.
The mk1 flyby pic is close to what the 18 is in level flight. 18 is displaced down a bit more IIRC.
Cool stuff.

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Sat Sep 03, 2011 1:21 pm

There's a thread here with a bit about the aircraft: http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showth ... p?t=110762
(Mind you, you have to take the good stuff with the bad)

The aircraft's history, and the restoration all the way up to its first flight, will be covered in detail through the book, Spitfire Mark I P9374: The Extraordinary Story of Recovery, Restoration and Flight , authored by Andy Saunders, and will hopefully be available soon.

There wasn't much to start with, but from what I have read, the finished aircraft is absolutely authentic to how P9374 was on its last flight, before ditching. As a result it is one of the most authentically complete/accurate to original period configuration of the Spitfires flying, complete with as mentioned, the original hand-pumped landing gear system (the first Spitfire flying since WWII, as far as I know, to have that original, early system in use - as surviving Spitfire I's, I believe, would be upgraded with the later gear system during the war). It is the earliest-mark of Spitfire flying - a Battle of France machine! The amount of research and work that went into P9374 sounds downright staggering - as they say, it's all in the details, in I suspect every 'nook and cranny' of the aircraft.

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Sat Sep 03, 2011 5:59 pm

Absolutely stunning aircraft and photos. I can't think of a fighter that evolved through the war quite like the Spitfire. This example brings the cuurent flyers full circle.

Now is it just me or does the last shot show just the right wing flap full down, while the left is still tucked up?

Greg

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Sun Sep 04, 2011 8:39 am

CH2Tdriver wrote:That resto is unquestionably beautiful!!! Right down to the DUNLOP tires??!!?? Where did they find them?


I believe they are from a brand new batch manufactured by Dunlop.

Re: Spitfire Mk.1 ~ P9374 ~ at Duxford today ~ Sept 2nd 2011

Sun Sep 04, 2011 5:39 pm

A magnificent achievement.
Warbird Kid wrote:Simply awesome! So how many early Mk. 1 / Mk. 2 Spits are flying now? What kind of formation of those early BoB Spits can we expect in England?

There's one more flying Mk.I, AR213 (G-AIST) recently returned to a more accurate Mk.I configuration, though later and different to this pre-Battle example. Then there is the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Mk.II, P7350 which is a genuine Battle of Britain veteran, and has been out of the air only for relatively brief periods, and is in the RAF, not civilian. One should also mention the Vacher Mk.I Hurricane, R4118, G-HUPW another rebuilt Battle veteran.
STEARMAN wrote:Absolutely stunning aircraft and photos. I can't think of a fighter that evolved through the war quite like the Spitfire. This example brings the cuurent flyers full circle.

There is the 109, of course, and stretching a point the Hawker family is a case of evolution though different names as well as models. If that seems a bit much for some, the later (XX, twenty series) Spitfires were to be renamed, but the romance and propaganda value of continuing the name won out.
Now is it just me or does the last shot show just the right wing flap full down, while the left is still tucked up?

It looks like, it doesn't it? But a careful look shows the edge of the inner flap section on the stbd side is down. I don't think a Spitfire would handle at all well on approach with asymmetric flap.

Regards,
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