WIX Archives

Re: Speaking of that seafire...

Posted by Richard Allnutt on Tue Mar 09, 2004 10:13:29 AM

In reply top Re: Speaking of that seafire... posted by Steve T on Mon Mar 08, 2004 07:43:12 AM

Thanks for the update Steve... any recent photos of her, or details on her status?

Cheers,
Richard


: Hi Richard--
:
: : Airic... Isn't the seafire you are referring to the same
:
: : project which started the CWH rolling in the first place
: ?
:
: PR503 was one of their first projects but not the one tha
: t started the whole thing: that was Firefly WD901. They we
: re set onto that (which was with Jack Sliker at Wadley, GA
: ) by someone who had seen it and mistook it for a Seafire.
: Since the RCN had also used Fireflies, they acquired it a
: nyway.
:
: : I find it kind of ironic that the aircraft which started
: t
: : o ball rolling, so to speak, has taken so long to restor
: e.
: : What were the problems involved?
:
: One substantial stumbling-block was the lack of an engine
: ; Griffon VIs are rare indeed, and the later long-block Gr
: iffons won't fit a short-nose Seafire (without major surge
: ry)...
:
: Or did they just get dis
: : tracted by other, much bigger projects (eg. the Lanc).
:
: No doubt that played a role; PR503 kept moving around, go
: ing first to Ray Middleton in Colorado, then to Richie Ras
: mussen in Alberta and finally Dan Springer in the "Soo" be
: fore being sold to Fisk/Amjet.
:
: Jus
: : t wondering, as I would love to see a Seafire in the air
: s
: : ome day. Do you have any recent photos of its restoratio
: n
: : progress?
:
: Saw some recently; she's painted in Pacific theatre FAA
: marks. Would love to see her come "home" to Shearwater and
: reassume her RCN identity...
:
: S.

Follow Ups: