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Re: to be discovered Spitfires.......Most likely - UK! N/T

Posted by PeterA on Thu Jun 27, 2002 11:06:25 AM

In reply top Re: to be discovered Spitfires.......Most likely - UK! N/T posted by Cees on Thu Jun 27, 2002 06:20:18 AM

: Peter,
:
: From what sources, high ground crashsites, bogs, hidden in
: barns or dataplates?
:
: Are there any candidates which could surface in the near f
: uture that you know of but could not reveal the identity?
:
: Cees

Cees
My perception of a Spitfire may be different to most. If I see a sizable chunk of Spitfire such as a cockpit area, a firewall assembly or even a firewall top, if it has ROCK SOLID provenance to an RAF serial and is fuselage primary structure, I see a potential Spitfire project. If it has a manufacturers construction number plate so much the better but these plates and the c/n numbering system are complex and not sequential. They are only an indicator of the area of an RAF serial by comparison with known tie-ups. An oversize wing bolt plate fitted at the time of a wing change or re-fit in service has the bonus usually of indicating both the cockpit airframe c/n and the RAF serial. If such material is reconstructed into a static or even a flying machine and there is absolute transparency and no attemt to defraud I see this as the way forward for the movement over the next 20 years. You may well have a two tier market of values but the end is in sight of the available supply of fulsome airframes.
Such donor material exists in the UK, indeed I believe we are moving into an arena, if we have not already, where even very substantial crash wrecks will be considered suitable material.
Transparency of the provenance is the issue and you will know who I have in mind.
Peter

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