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Re: I am not really sure about nos 20 and 21 in your list

Posted by PeterA on Thu Aug 22, 2002 04:49:43 AM

In reply top Re: I am not really sure about nos 20 and 21 in your list posted by Jagan on Thu Aug 22, 2002 02:52:06 AM

:
: : TZ219 HS674/HS683 dual Indian serial on fuselage - Yes.
: Fu
:
: Thanks peter. So I will take this as a confirmation on its
: existance.
:
: Can you tell me about its last inspection - who where when
: etc? What condition is it preserved? etc I would love to
: hear about it.
:
: regards
:
: Jagan

Jagan
Well the 'who' was me. I had been over at Kharagpore preparing the Spitfire HS669 for shipment back to the UK and took the oppotunity to sweep by Spitfires in India I had not inspected previously and to re-aquaint myself for a few of the others, paricilarly at Palam. I particularly wanted to confirm that HS986 IAF really was SM986 RAF. This had always looked a little to convenient to me. The log books however confirmed it is correct.
The 'where' is Chandigargh. The airframe was in constant use, and I am sure still is, as a training aid to teach students at the university, airframes, engines and systems. It is part dismantled and part dissassembled, part skin removed, system removed etc. It is in fantastic shape for restoration compared to most current material we have to work with today.
The 'when' was June 1991. I had known about this machine since the early 1970's, the university having given me detailed construction number data in correspondence.
The purpose of my visit was strictly to ascertain the RAF serial. Various 'big player' warbird entrepreneurs had made contact and tried to negotiate without success over the years. The University authorities just will not seem to budge on disposal, as is their right.
I have always listed this machine in my writings and listings in Warbbird directories etc and there is no secrecy or protectionism on my part.
The aircraft fuselage, although partially de-skinned is still in original IAF livery. From my inspection of the fuse and the detached skins and by a little abrasion on the serial with 'wet and dry', I determined that the aicraft had two IAF serials - HS674 over paited on HS683. The fuselage is TZ219 in RAF terms but a large number of components including the starboard wing are are from TP370. My logic therefore would be that TZ219 was HS683 and that it was combind with HS683 which is most probably TP370 and the combination aircraft adopted the latters IAF identity. Jagan, perhaps you can track IAF records for accidents to these two machines.
Perhaps this a good time emphasise to a new generation of readers that I am in no way related to, or connected with, the late Doug Arnold, who acquired several Spitfires from India. Confusingly apart from his son David, who is still active with warbirds, Doug also had a son Peter.
PeterA

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