page 
Posts:440
Wiltshire,UK
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| 28-07-2008 08:53:46 AM |
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Well this weeks topgear saw the team turn up to a challenge with their German counterparts in guess what?
Yep three Spitfires...![](/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/Fck/FCKeditor/editor/images/smiley/msn/regular_smile.gif" alt=") !!!
Jeremy was stil sporting his ALT1-C silver dial.
Martin |
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Bremont125
Posts:237
London
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| 28-07-2008 10:02:57 AM |
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Quick question for those of you who've read Al's book / are generally more knowledgeable than me in this area - are these Spitfires the trainer version or the modern two-seater repros?
Haven't seen TG yet - Tivo'd it last night. Looking forward to the finale!
M |
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ATG
Posts:3193
Bristol, London, Liverpool - UK
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| 28-07-2008 12:56:31 PM |
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| Dunno about these ones.... there are no pics in the historical books I have. Maybe later mods to accommodate paying passengers. It can't be cheap running one...... |
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Regards
Alistair |
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Bremont125
Posts:237
London
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| 28-07-2008 01:18:51 PM |
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Al
I know there were two-seater trainers produced during the war, and I've heard that an Australian firm produces a reproduction - the Supermarine Spitfire Mk26 (http://www.supermarineaircraft.com/About.htm) but the canopy's smaller, so I assume these are trainers... the Mk26's look like fun - 80 or 90 per cent scale repros - all aluminium, retractable under-carriage - and starting at AUD 295k / 395k!
M
ps video here - http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=_W2305B8OfY&NR=1 |
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onespeed
Posts:193
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| 29-07-2008 07:29:19 AM |
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Matt,
I agree, I know I've read somewhere about 2 seat trainer versions of the Spitfire. For some reason, I thought that they were produced for the Navy for training Carrier landings, but that could just be an over-active imagination on my part!!!!!!!!
Gary |
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Bremont125
Posts:237
London
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| 29-07-2008 09:05:31 AM |
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Gary
You're right. There was a Seafire produced - hooked, with folding wing, etc - but pretty sure it only had crew of one.
Had a look at Wiki, which mentions the two-seater trainers, but no pictures. Found some on Flickr tho!
http://flickr.com/search/groups/?q=trainer&w=460083%40N22&m=pool
M |
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DaveS
Posts:470
Bristol UK
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| 29-07-2008 09:28:19 AM |
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Have a look here
http://www.spitfiresociety.demon.co.uk/whatmark.htm
I never knew there were so many variants
Cheers
DaveS |
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DaveS
Posts:470
Bristol UK
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| 29-07-2008 09:39:10 AM |
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This is a pretty good link too
http://www.military-airshows.co.uk/spitaw.htm
Listing every airworthy Spitfire known, including the EP120.
cheers
DaveS |
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Bremont125
Posts:237
London
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| 29-07-2008 11:35:21 AM |
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Dave
Excellent links! This one (http://www.military-airshows.co.uk/duxfordsept2006/img_1224.jpg) appears to be the closest of the two-seat trainers in the Top Gear picture that was posted above. It's one of only four that are still flying, so TG must have cornered the market that day!
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ATG
Posts:3193
Bristol, London, Liverpool - UK
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| 29-07-2008 12:29:54 PM |
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| Yesterday I put together a very detailed reply to this and it appears I only previewed it and didn't post it.... we had lightening here so I powered it all down. Damn! |
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Regards
Alistair |
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Bremont125
Posts:237
London
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page
Posts:440
Wiltshire,UK
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| 04-08-2008 11:24:26 AM |
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Yes I saw that this morning too...
The featured Spitfire is no known as the Grace Spitfire. Restored by engineer Nick Grace in 1979, it took him five years and it flew agian in 1985. But in 1998 he was killed a car accident. After that his wife Carolyn learnt how to fly and has been flying it ever since.
Link to ML407 Spitfire website...
www.ml407.co.uk/
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