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The Spitfire

Wow,just sitting in my garden haveing a cup of tea when a Lancaster and 2 Spitfires flew overhead.Brought a lump to my throat.
 
albert,Must be the Memorial Flight usually a Lancaster,Spitfire and hurricane.
Wonder where they are heading?.
 
Three aircraft from the BBMF over the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, as the 214 Squadron memorial dedicated, time 1430
 
Stayed a few times at the Premier Inn (Eastliegh) Southamton Air Port. A pale blue Spitfire is mounted in the middle of a road island between the motorway and the aiport estate. I make a point of wandering over and saying hello. I don't think it has many visitors who do that, they just flash past in their cars.

Its a lonely place for an earthbound aeroplane.
 
Hi Arkrite,

I saw that blue Spit very fleetingly last year, and it occurred to me that if it was blue overall (and I honestly can't remember) chances are that it was a high-altitude photo-reconnaissance aircraft and rather rare. I did just flash past in my car, because I have to say that Southampton is a place I'd rather not spend too much time in....

Big Gee
 
Big Gee I am not keen on Southampton but we sometimes find a cheap break in the area. We find some nicer places than the city centre. I do wish they would find a better place for the Spitfire, it deserves a far more prominent position where it can interact with people and their thoughts.It is the saddest,loneliest Spitfire I know of.Give it a wave next time you pass.
 
There will be a flypast of the Spitfire and Lancaster 2moz Sunday at 'Bosworth Field' approx,15.00hrs(03.00p.m.)We would have had a tribute Glenn Miller band but not enough tkts were sold.There will also be a good show of Jaguars as it is part of a J.E.C. (Jaguar Enthusiasts Club) day,see you there
 
jag said:
There will be a flypast of the Spitfire and Lancaster 2moz Sunday at 'Bosworth Field' approx,15.00hrs(03.00p.m.)We would have had a tribute Glenn Miller band but not enough tkts were sold.There will also be a good show of Jaguars as it is part of a J.E.C. (Jaguar Enthusiasts Club) day,see you there
Click to expand...


If the weather's too rotten for flying (model) planes, I may just take a trip out to Bosworth. One of my favourite parts of the world anyway. Lunch at The Hercules at Stoke Golding sounds good....

Big Gee
 
Some of those aircraft were made from old saucepans and the like. Here is a picture showing the collection of of aluminium pans for that very cause.
 
Hi Stitch: There are all kinds of articles around about Lord Beaverbrook, who was the Minister of Air Safety during WW2 or some title pretty close, and issued the famous request for householders in Britain to donate their pots, pans and anything made of aluminium to be made into Spitfires and Hurricanes.
The articles state that the aluminium items donated were never used in the manufacture of aeroplanes. Aluminium, it seems, not in short supply during the war and scap metal dealers had lots on hand anyway. It looks as though most of these scrapdealers ended up handling the pots and pans and many got rich.

At least Lord Beaverbrooks' plan that went awry led the British people to believe that they were helping big time in the war effort by donating their aluminium items. I believe there was also a scheme to raise money for planes via the public. In l940 Britain's back was against the wall big time and people were becoming very frightened of being invaded. https://books.google.ca/books?id=rH...r8jxAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1

Bit more about the scrap aluminium and the Exhibition they held in Brum.
https://www.socialaffairsunit.org.uk/blog/archives/001135.php
 
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Dave M said:
Three aircraft from the BBMF over the National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas, as the 214 Squadron memorial dedicated, time 1430
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Hi Dave,

Saw these 3 aircraft flying over Coleshill some time between 2 and 3 yesterday afternoon heading towards Birmingham Airport. Don't know if that is where they were going though. Nice to see them again.

Kind regards

Dave
 
we had a carnival in the town were i live and one of the floats was part of the Spitfire that we have in the county of Pembrokeshire, what they are going to do is add another seat so that people can go for a fly around in it when it is finished in about 4 years time.
 
FANTASTIC great to get back on this site and read all these great posts, there are so many dedicated people on here, along with so much knowledge, I applaud you all and thank you.
 
The Spitfire above J.G.668 will be on show in it's own museum in Haverfordwest west Wales were it is being rebuilt, if anyone is that way at any time pop in and have a look.
 
Of the 22,000 spitfires built during the war,11,600 were made in Birmingham.
Don't it make ya proud.
 
Louis Dalby said:
And a lot of the engines were built at the Rover Clay Lane.
Click to expand...

Hi Louis. I would be interested to hear more about this.

I thought the Rover plants, along with other motor manufacturers helped with production of Bristol engines ( Mercury, Hercules etc ) and not Rolls Royce Merlins.

Would like to hear if you know different.
 
My Dad worked on Merlins at Clay Land during the war, these engines where later converted to Meteors and fitted into tanks, we have one down here at the Bovington Tank Mus. Some one has fitted a Meteor ( V12 600 bhp ) in to a car !!. Rover also fitted two in a boat for testing and it was down here on the Hamble. There are pictures on my Flickr site under my Radio call sign G1 ULZ or try " Google " which has loads of info. They moved to Lode Lane later where they made APU's for the V bombers. Rgds Lou Dalby Ex BSA Test.
 
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dennis said:
Loved that sound Rod,
I used to watch them being tested
at castle bromwich Aerodrome,
They say that when they "tipped" them
all manner of bits and pieces (i.e. washers,nuts,evenspanners)
would fly around the cockpit
Click to expand...
Yes, my father was on Spitfire production during the war(9 Days on,1 day off he would have to sleep there and was in the factories Home Guard as well, armed with broomsticks to start with) The chief test pilot was Alec Henshaw, a brave lunatic. Fed up with being hit round the head by bits left in the 'planes, he would climb high and drop the nuts spanners or whatever over the workshops. He probably did more damage than the Germans.
King Harkon of Norway came on an official visit and Henshaw did a demonstration. He came past so low over the Royal party that the King fainted. A loveable character.
 
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My mom worked for a small engineering factory during the war, Hudsons on the corner of Witton Road running along The Broadway. They riveted the canopies of the Spit. One of the best photo's of that little 'plane, courtesy of Warbird Alley
 
Hi, It has been good reading these posts and looking at these images. My Grandfather Arthur Dexter worked at Castle Brom during the war on Lancaster bombers - attached is a photograph of the first Lancaster Bomber HK535 October 1943 - my Grandad is on the far right in the light raincoat. View attachment 45433
 
otis said:
Hi Louis. I would be interested to hear more about this.

I thought the Rover plants, along with other motor manufacturers helped with production of Bristol engines ( Mercury, Hercules etc ) and not Rolls Royce Merlins.

Would like to hear if you know different.
Click to expand...

The Castle Bromwich plant was built as a "shadow factory" starting in 1938 and had not produced anything prior to the war. It was built on Air Ministry land The car industry took it over after the war. Fisher and Ludlow were I think the first users, then Pressed Steel Fisher, then Rover and then Jaguar, but I may not be completley accurate.
Obviously the people to recruit locally for aircraft production were car workers and when the plane production ceased these people went back to their pre war trades.
When I was a boy the site of Castle Vale was still a redundant airfield and there were shot down and scrapped planes piled up German and British. It was a wonderland for a lad.
 
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For all the info given given by QC about the Spitfire there is hardly a word about the Rolls Royce Merlin engine which powered the plane, made mainly in Derby, a town that had very few German air raids, Bernard
 
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The "Bubble" cockpit as pictured in post #150 & #202 was designed for the Seafire (the naval variant of the Spitfire) so that the pilots had a better view of the carrier flight deck. So are these pictures of the Seafire or did a variant of the Spit' have this design too.?
 
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I Think I stated on this thread that My father worked on Merlins at the Clay Lane Rover factory. they were later fitted in to tanks the mods done at Rover.

See 199.
 
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The teardrop hood was trialed on a Spit Mk VIII in September 1943. Therafter this ( with cut down rear fuselage ) was included in several later marks of the Spit ( Late run Mk IX and Mk XIV ).

Was introduced to improve general visibility to the rear, as far as I have read. So not specifically designed for the Seafire.
 
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