WIX Archives
Re: On the Historic Flying Website Spitfire IAC-161 is
Posted by Ron Henry on Wed Jul 17, 2002 03:13:52 PM
In reply top Re: On the Historic Flying Website Spitfire IAC-161 is posted by PeterA on Wed Jul 17, 2002 10:28:40 AM
: C'mon guys HFL can never win here. If they label it PV202
: it is 'in your face' to some. If they go for IAC 161 they
: are trying to disguise it to others.
: I know HFL are very aware of the sensitivity aspect here.
: Would you have preferred that the aircraft was 'baled' for
: the smelter as was proposed by a former owner in the emot
: ive days after the accident? I suspect not.
: The aircraft is being rebuilt to full Type 509 specificati
: on with the 'ugly duckling' rear canopy and will be liveri
: ed in the full 'apple green' IAC scheme as 161. One could
: imagine that this aircraft is destined more for training p
: urposes and the personal use of the patrons rather than th
: e market place.
: Just a personal view. PeterA
:
: : under restoration..
: :
: : Come on guys why call it that we all know it is PV202 bu
: t
: : of course that is politically incorrect. But labelling i
: t
: : by its Irish Air Corps ID as a way of obsuring its recen
: t
: : history is bang out of order..
: :
: : end of rant!
: :
: : Paul
It IS undoubtedly IAC 161, because, it was converted for, and sold direct to, the IAC as a Tr 9: when it previously flew with the RAF as a single seat Mk 9, only then was it actually PV202.
For my Euro, I find it a bit tacky / gross / spooky (take your pick) that it's being rebuilt to fly in its previous form: I wouldn't want to fly in it. The crash remains were too valuable (meant in a scarcity sense, rather than financial) to scrap, but perhaps the best thing would have been to smelt the cockpit section, and part out the serviceable reaminder.
To the best of my knowledge the RAF has a policy that fatal crash aircraft are never repaired and returned to service.