Spitfire MkXIV or Mustang P-51D?

Mike- Easy to believe your story about the Aardvark creating a wave. During a test in the Gulf of Mexico off Florida's Redneck Riviera, we blew over a sailboat we did not see soon enough. Luckily keel was heavy enough she self-righted when we went back to check.

 

Our CO in '81 caused some issues on Red Flag when he inadvertently broke the sound barrier on the deck as he went through the Aggressor zone and destroyed quite a few installations .... needless to say he was a little "red" faced

 

John- Aardvarks and F-105s were bad about doing that. So easy to go supersonic at low altitude.

 

It's easier at higher altitudes

The test flights for our 111s after an engine change was to dive bomb from high altitude and do 2.3 mach

Speed of Sound at different altitudes (km/h, mph, knots)

Ours suffer compressor stalls on the early A engines

 

Hah! Poor bugger in the boat probably thought you were coming back to finish him off

 

I saw something yesterday about flights in a twin cockpit Spitfire for €12k. If you have a license and the pilot likes the look of you he might let you steer

 

That's right Scott, don't know about handing the controls over though.
If you have had flight experience and can give an indication of what you've done and you know what "tit" to push and once you get enough height they'd would probably let you have a little fling, if you ask nicely. Take your logbook would help.
There is a P51, 2 seater at Caboulture you can go up in for less than that.
Carolyn Grace has a two seater spit along with three or four others in the UK, if you are going over,I have her details if you want, but I know she charges like a wounded bull as well.

 

There is a two seater Spitfire not that far from Australia. Here is a photo of the aircraft and of the ops. board for 25/10/14.
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A very nice letter of thanks from one of the 90 year old veterans.]]]



Dear kind and generous people,
This is to thank you all for your generosity and good wishes for my flight in a Spitfire. This took place on October 25th at Ardmore, near Auckland, on a clear and still day.

It was absolutely marvellous with the pilot (Gavin Trethewey, a very experienced ex-military and airline pilot) permitting me to have a go which I did by doing a bit of the old weaving. I made the comment to Gavin that the controls were slightly heavy and he not so tactfully reminded me that my strength had probably declined considerably over the past years.u We then did a couple of expert barrel rolls, at least Gavin did, and returned home at a good airspeed of about 300mph low over some water supply lakes and hills of the Hunua range. The whole was completed with a copybook landing.

My last flight in a Spitfire was 70 years previously and it brought back to me how badly and dangerously we flew by contrast. I actually was given a parachute and wondered if it might be required. It looked smaller than ours. It was required anyway for seating purposes but I still checked as to its operation. What a beautiful machine; painted in our desert camouflage and with our own squadron identification coding (FL). I should have loved to try some aerobatics myself but medical advice was against anything like that. By the way, although the various components had some different sources the aeroplane was basically a Spitfire Mk9. The difference was was a Mk 8 engine, and wings with leading edge fuel tanks. Jim Robinson,my squadron colleague and friend had flown FL- A frequently and I had myself on two occasions. When our top ace, Colin Gray was our CO it was his aeroplane and this one is carrying his CO Flag and identification code.

Again, my grateful thanks for the opportunity of feeling the Spitfire in the air again. You are all wonderful people.

With very best wishes,

Alan Peart.

 

I16, where did that letter come from? Alan Peart is pretty famous - his story is a great read.

As an aside, I was talking to an old client today - 92 yo still has a PPL! he mentioned he hadn't flown for a while - not since yesterday. Gawd, I failed my PPL medical about 5 years ago....

 

Into my email today - lots of us put in to get the two of them up last week.
Total cost for two trips in the two seater plus camera ship was around $4500.
I would donate again at a heart beat - very special that these super guys get a chance to fly in the aircraft they flew and fought in all those years ago.

 

Smashing photo of Gavin and Alan.
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It was in that classic car email that gets sent out daily.
Wouldn't mind having a go one day. Even at that price it would be worth the experience.

 

Beautiful!

*salute*

Thanks for posting the words and the pictures......well done!!!

 

Well done I16!

 

Here is some beautiful work.
Battle of Britain: See How Spitfire WWII Fighter Planes are Restored in New Zealand

 

And some new old stock that make your mouth water.
51-Factory Inventory

 

Very impressive work and justifiably proud technicians.
Thanx .

 

I watched this doco on Foxtel this week and it is well worth watching. It gives me an even greater respect for this aircraft and especially the people who built and maintained them under pressure during the Battle of Britain :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Zebpu2nS4

Have a look at the manufacturing tolerances involved at 48 mins 30 secs onwards

What an incredible machine.

 

Thanks, that was excellent.
Pete

 

Just wonderful stuff.
It was good to see the internal shots of the fuselage as we have just waterjet cut a full set of frames for a MKV,(frame 5 through frame 19) for a customer. Great reference, to see them fully assembled.