Spitfire Lucky Nine

Tue Jan 16, 2007 12:53 pm

Years ago I remember seeing a photo of a gate guard Spitfire named "lucky nine" displaying 5 kills. Anyone know which one this is???

Tue Jan 16, 2007 1:20 pm

Jack,

TB252 GW-H a high back Mk XVI.

Gate Guard at RAF Leuchars in the early 1970's.

Currently in New Zealand being restored to flight status.

Shout if you want to see an image.

PeterA

Tue Jan 16, 2007 7:44 pm

Can I shout?

Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:45 pm

Spitfire images are always welcome.

Dave C

Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:17 am

Here is a shot I took showing the 'Lucky Nine' and Swastika emblems at RAF Leuchars on 12 March 1972.

...and here a shot I took last year at the Avspecs restoration shop at Ardmore, New Zealand. It looks to be progressing at a 'leisurely pace' for US owner Tony Banta.

PeterA

Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:02 pm

Thanks for the fascinating Pics. Peter... I hadn't realized that there were any original high-back Mk.XVI's. From what I recall, the only technical difference between a Mk.IX and a Mk.XVI was that the Merlin engine in the Mk.IX was Rolls-Royce built, and the one in the Mk.XVI was Packard built. Is this the case? I certainly remember that the Mk.IX once operated (now wrecked) by the South African Air Force heritage group was actually a low back (with Packard Engine). It's pretty fascinating to see that the production line merged in such an interesting way. What is the difference between a Packard and Rolls-Royce Merlin anyway? And why did this subtle difference rate such a significant transition to require a different Mark? Hope someone knows, as it's always been a bit of a perplexing question for me.

Cheers. Richard

Wed Jan 17, 2007 12:51 pm

RMAllnutt wrote:Thanks for the fascinating Pics. Peter... I hadn't realized that there were any original high-back Mk.XVI's.

There are quite a number, including TB863 (now at Temora) and TB752 at Manston.

Wed Jan 17, 2007 1:18 pm

High and low back Mks IX & XVI

Perhaps not widely known, Bill Greenwood's two seater Tr IX started life as a low back Mk IX originally destined post WWII to be sold to the Egyptian Air Force.

PeterA

Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:40 pm

PeterA wrote:Jack,

TB252 GW-H a high back Mk XVI.

Gate Guard at RAF Leuchars in the early 1970's.

Currently in New Zealand being restored to flight status.

Shout if you want to see an image.

PeterA

This brought back some very happy memories - I actually work on this Spitfire at Leuchars. It was planned that we would get the aircraft back to flying condition. She was a clipped wing Spitfire but unfortunately the Crash and Smash boys that moved her from down south up to Leuchars damaged the main spar. They did not have the proper tool to remove the interference fit bolts that hold the wings to the main spar, so, they cut the webs to release the bolts for disassembly. Thats why she end up on the Gate. The engine was also seized or wedged. We never found out which.

All the best

George

Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:04 pm

RMAllnutt wrote:What is the difference between a Packard and Rolls-Royce Merlin anyway?

Interesting, but from Wikipedia, so have a grain of salt standing by:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolls-Royce_Merlin

cheers

greg v.

Mon Dec 24, 2007 12:32 pm

A definite pinch of salt with that Wiki article IMO.

Ford UK were mass producing Merlins to automotive tolerances and standards before Packard. Only just it's true but the Packard results should have come as no surprise to RR.

I've no idea what a Wright quill drive (or any other sort of quill drive for that matter) is but Rolls-Royce had been using quill drives in the Merlin from the start.

The "high-altitude" or Merlin 61 was a UK development designed for a pressurised version of the Wellington. IIRC the second stage of the supercharger used a Vulture impeller.
I can't see what Packard had to do with it at all.