Simviation Forum - WWII Spitfire fighter plane in second crash

Dec 3^rd, 2009 at 8:27am

Hagar Offline
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Quote:

An Auckland man has survived his second crash in his priceless WWII fighter plane in less than a year.

The Spitfire plane crash landed at Auckland's Ardmore airport at 11.50 this morning.

The plane - one of only two in the country - is owned by local man Doug Brooker, who imported the two seater aircraft last year.

It is Mr Brooker and the plane's second crash this year; on January 15 it suffered a heavy forced landing on Hood Aerodrome, near Masterton.

Some people don't have much luck. Still, it could have been a lot worse. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3123771/WWII-spitfire-fighter-plane-in-second-cr...

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Reply #1 - Dec 3^rd, 2009 at 10:20am

ozzy72 Offline
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Methinks Mr Brooker should get a white stick or shove his labrador on the canopy to tell him which way to go!

There are two types of aeroplane, Spitfires and everything else that wishes it was a Spitfire!

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Reply #2 - Dec 4^th, 2009 at 3:37pm

C Offline
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Some people would question whether it's a WWII Spitfire too.

Once upon a time it was known as DM008 IIRC, which was a new build Spitfire project with no pretensions of wartime provenance, being built by former BBMF engineer Dick Melton for the late Charles Church.

Off it went to the States, the NZ, and gained a whole wartime identity.

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Reply #3 - Dec 4^th, 2009 at 4:02pm

Hagar Offline
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C wrote on Dec 4^th, 2009 at 3:37pm:

Some people would question whether it's a WWII Spitfire too.

I used the headline from the news article for the Subject line of this topic. The news media is not noted for accuracy but I suspect it's a generalisation. It was not written for aircraft buffs & most people associate the Spitfire with WWII.

Quote:

Once upon a time it was known as DM008 IIRC, which was a new build Spitfire project with no pretensions of wartime provenance, being built by former BBMF engineer Dick Melton for the late Charles Church.

Off it went to the States, the NZ, and gained a whole wartime identity.

I have to wonder how many currently airworthy Spitfires are the genuine article. It's a bit like the antique broom that's only had three heads & two handles replaced since it was new. Many years ago I recall a warbird restorer (it might have been Charles Church) telling me that if I gave him a genuine manufacturer's nameplate he could build me a Spitfire to go with it. It would then be recognised as a genuine Spitfire. I'm not sure I see the difference between that & riveting a genuine nameplate onto an existing airframe.

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Reply #4 - Dec 15^th, 2009 at 5:33am

HawkerTempest5 Offline
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Some people don't deserve to own a Spitfire, genuine one or "replica". Glad the guy is OK though.

Hagar wrote on Dec 4^th, 2009 at 4:02pm:

I have to wonder how many currently airworthy Spitfires are the genuine article. It's a bit like the antique broom that's only had three heads & two handles replaced since it was new. Many years ago I recall a warbird restorer (it might have been Charles Church) telling me that if I gave him a genuine manufacturer's nameplate he could build me a Spitfire to go with it. It would then be recognised as a genuine Spitfire. I'm not sure I see the difference between that & riveting a genuine nameplate onto an existing airframe.

Isn't MH434 reckoned to be the most genuine Spitfire around these days? Even so, this aircraft has had some major changes made over the years having started life as an early model MkIXb and ending up looking more like a typical late build IXc version.

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Reply #5 - Dec 15^th, 2009 at 10:45am

C Offline
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HawkerTempest5 wrote on Dec 15^th, 2009 at 5:33am:

Some people don't deserve to own a Spitfire, genuine one or "replica". Glad the guy is OK though.

Hagar wrote on Dec 4^th, 2009 at 4:02pm:

I have to wonder how many currently airworthy Spitfires are the genuine article. It's a bit like the antique broom that's only had three heads & two handles replaced since it was new. Many years ago I recall a warbird restorer (it might have been Charles Church) telling me that if I gave him a genuine manufacturer's nameplate he could build me a Spitfire to go with it. It would then be recognised as a genuine Spitfire. I'm not sure I see the difference between that & riveting a genuine nameplate onto an existing airframe.

Isn't MH434 reckoned to be the most genuine Spitfire around these days? Even so, this aircraft has had some major changes made over the years having started life as an early model MkIXb and ending up looking more like a typical late build IXc version.

I think there are very few. The main candidates have to be those that pre-date the work of Historic Flying Ltd (MH434, Shuttleworths AR501, AR213, and the BBMF examples, who's core airframes have always remained complete, ML407), and those that were former RAF gate guardians and restored by HFL. After that stock had dried up, identities have come from all sorts of odd places, including wrecks of previous restorations (PV202?).

I suspect nearly every restorations we see from now on will be very un-original (a dataplate job), unless the airframe has come from museum stock (eg, the new BBMF Mk XVI), or previously unknown storage.

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Reply #6 - Dec 15^th, 2009 at 10:57am

ozzy72 Offline
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There have been quite a few "frames" all be it damaged turning up in what was the Soviet Union. Quite a large amount of the collection of Binky parts have come from there. I've not managed to find an airframe, wings or engine yet Roll Eyes

Mind you under Boris Yeltsin you could buy almost anything for a bottle of vodka and $10 Grin

There are two types of aeroplane, Spitfires and everything else that wishes it was a Spitfire!

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Reply #7 - Dec 15^th, 2009 at 5:12pm

Fly2e Offline
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Mark, I see parts for Binky! Wink

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Reply #8 - Jan 7^th, 2010 at 8:58pm

hhomebrewer Offline
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Is ozzy actually trying to put together a Spitfire? I've read here and there that he is looking for parts, but I thought he was sort of building it in his mind or as a fantasy of some sort. To actually build one would require Bill Gates' pocket change, I should think. And to think all I want out of life is a car that starts when I turn the key...

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