WIX Archives
Re: Aircraft variant alterations
Posted by Christer on Wed Nov 14, 2001 05:05:33 AM
In reply top Aircraft variant alterations posted by Matt on Wed Nov 14, 2001 03:38:03 AM
Hi Matt!
In the mid to late eighties Dick Melton was going to rebuild a Spitfire Mk Vc for the late Charles Church. The airframe was acquired in Australia and when work began it became apparent that most of the structure would have to be replaced. Therefore they decided to incorporate quite a few modifications to create the "ultimate Spitfire", such as clipped Mk IX wings with inboard ailerons (as fitted to the Mks VIII and XIV), Merlin 35 with ejector exhausts and a fourblader.
The resultant Spitfire had the caracteristics of the Mk V but none of its faults and more power than the Mk IX.
The CAA registered it as a 1988 production Spitfire rather than a replica, testimony to the quality of work.
My guess is that in those days most people would have given up on an airframe in this condition and instead have used it as a source for spares for another project.
These two gentlemen didn?t and had it reconstructed to their likings and I think that they did the right thing.
In my opinion it depends on what you have in the first place. A basically complete airframe should be faithful to its originality but with less and less reusable bits, well, now I?m getting dangerously close to the rebuild/reconstruct/replica issue so, I?d better cut it short.
Regards,
Christer