Blair P-38 N138TB and MK V Spitfire Fresh out of the box

[Hunter1]

Blair P-38 yesterday at stallion 51 in final stages of re-assembly after complete overhaul and JG-891 fresh out of the box from Duxford, soon to be re-assembled and defending the skies of Florida.

[Chicoartist]

More on the Spit, plz!

Wade

[ALAN.L]

Wade there are some pictures of the Spit here on its last flight before crating up,also some excellent ones of Duxford and the Fighter colection in particular.
Alan
http://brianamarshall.fotopic.net/c1464214.html

[TAdan]

I believe that Spit was on the cover of Air & Space a month or two ago... and it looks awesome! One of the best covers that magazine has had IMO.

[gregv]

Great shots, thanks for sharing!

will the P-38 be staying in its "Putt Putt Maru" scheme?

cheers

greg v.

[T J Johansen]

JG-891 fresh out of the box from Duxford, soon to be re-assembled and defending the skies of Florida.

Defending against whom, Bahamas..?

T J

[Hunter1]

The P-38 will be painted in new colors.

[bomberflight]

More on the Spit, plz

OK Wade ! These are from Flying Legends 2007 at Duxford Airfield.

You'll have already noted that at that time it was the only Spitfire in the world flying with a Volkes fitler fitted under the nose. This plus the color scheme gave it a very distinctive look.

The Volkes filter as now been removed ( I've read that it really degrades engine performance )

[Chicoartist]

Thanks so much, guys, for the link and posting of pix.

I'm planning a 4th FG Spitfire painting for NEXT year's American Society of Aviation Artist's (ASAA) juried exhibition. It will feature (I'm only at the thumbnail/sketchbook stage at present - great way to plan work without stepping on the toes of current projects) the currently flying AB910, a Vb. As you may know, 910 is credited with a destroyed and a damaged over Dieppe with 133 (Eagle) Squadron.

I only lack two (so far) major areas in my research - please pass these questions of mine along to your Spitfire geek friends:

1. Did AB910 stay with 133 ES in time to make the transition to USAAF control and wear "stars"? My piece will highlight the early Oct 1942 period, immediately after the three Eagle Squadrons became the 4th FG.

2. While AB910 was with 133 ES, and maybe with the 4th, what were it's individual letter code(s)? MD-? (The 4th FG's QP-WD-VF codes were not used by their Spitfires and it wasn't until the P-47s came on line in March 43 that the codes were applied to 4FG aircraft). I have a book with AB910 in much later years with MD-E, IIRC, painted on her sides and lacking other evidence, I'll go with that. The other kites in my painting will be chosen from available refs of MD-coded Spits.

I have copies of the 133 ES operational record book coming to me, and the pages I've seen so far confirm, FYI, that Don Gentile did indeed fly AB910 as advertised in at least one book I've seen. No doubt ... but that's not the point of my painting.

I pretty much have the other 'facts' straight, but help with the above two would be super!

Wade

[warbirdcrew]

T J Johansen

Hunter1 wrote:
JG-891 fresh out of the box from Duxford, soon to be re-assembled and defending the skies of Florida.

Defending against whom, Bahamas..? Wink

T J

Why that would be the great republic of the Conch:


http://www.conchrepublic.com/

[daveymac82c]

I don't know what it is, but I really like the look of the Volkes filter.

I didn't know that it degraded engine performance. Interesting.

Thanks for posting those pictures.

Cheers,

David

[Django]

It's the tropical filter I believe. Could they run it without the filters in place? Is it getting repainted as well?

What scheme for the P-38.

The both look fantastic as they sit!

[gunnyperdue]

Thanks so much, guys, for the link and posting of pix.

I'm planning a 4th FG Spitfire painting for NEXT year's American Society of Aviation Artist's (ASAA) juried exhibition. It will feature (I'm only at the thumbnail/sketchbook stage at present - great way to plan work without stepping on the toes of current projects) the currently flying AB910, a Vb. As you may know, 910 is credited with a destroyed and a damaged over Dieppe with 133 (Eagle) Squadron.

I only lack two (so far) major areas in my research - please pass these questions of mine along to your Spitfire geek friends:

1. Did AB910 stay with 133 ES in time to make the transition to USAAF control and wear "stars"? My piece will highlight the early Oct 1942 period, immediately after the three Eagle Squadrons became the 4th FG.

2. While AB910 was with 133 ES, and maybe with the 4th, what were it's individual letter code(s)? MD-? (The 4th FG's QP-WD-VF codes were not used by their Spitfires and it wasn't until the P-47s came on line in March 43 that the codes were applied to 4FG aircraft). I have a book with AB910 in much later years with MD-E, IIRC, painted on her sides and lacking other evidence, I'll go with that. The other kites in my painting will be chosen from available refs of MD-coded Spits.

I have copies of the 133 ES operational record book coming to me, and the pages I've seen so far confirm, FYI, that Don Gentile did indeed fly AB910 as advertised in at least one book I've seen. No doubt ... but that's not the point of my painting.

I pretty much have the other 'facts' straight, but help with the above two would be super!

Wade

Wade-

My records do not show AB910 being with the 4th at change over.... AB908 XR-Y was flown by McColpin, AB909 XR-? was flown by Peterson...

XR = 71ES, AV = 121 ES, MD = 133 ES but records are slim for the Spitfires...

Gentile is listed as having flown BL255 MD-T, as well as a Spit 9 BS445 MD-?

does this help?

gunny

[Bill Greenwood]

The air filter on a Spitfire is designed to only be used for taxi, takeoff, and landing, down where the dust is. Once you climb into clean air, you open the door to by- pass the filter to go directly to ram air. I don't think the Volkes filter would degrade enginge performance much, if at all, once the ram air door is open. This is the small flat metal flap about a foot wide and 4 in high seen at the front of the scoop under the engine. The larger and deeper fliter is more of an aerodynamic drag and would likely cut 15 mph off the top speed. I am guessing as I have no direct experience with a Volkes filter.
Django, it could be run without the filter, however it would make no sense. In dusty conditions like taxing on the grass at Oshkosh, you would have the dirty air coming straight in the front and going back and up into the carburetor and the intake into the engine. With the front door closed air is drawn from inside the cowling down through the filter box, then the clean air goes up to the carb.

Last edited by Bill Greenwood on Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Jack Cook]

Good job showing the tail of a N3N
You know what that'll lead to