WIX Archives
Re: Potter's Spitfire
Posted by Neil Medcalf on Fri May 16, 2003 08:04:09 PM
In reply top Re: Potter's Spitfire posted by Bob Swaddling on Fri May 16, 2003 11:28:29 AM
Looks great Bob- Your months of effort really paid off. Congratulations. Hope to see you more hear on WIX.
Neil
: : Was just up at Goderich yesterday to see the rollout and
: f
: : irst flight of Michael Potter's Spitfire XVI SL721, whic
: h
: : had just been refinished as AU-J of 421 Squadron by Skyh
: ar
: : bour Refinishing. The paint scheme looked absolutely st
: un
: : ning IMO.
: : Potter spent much time speaking with veterans and the me
: di
: : a and anyone else interested in the aircraft. I spoke w
: it
: : h the head engineer who has gone through the SL721 from
: to
: : p to bottom and she in great shape now.
: : The engine, which is the original engine to that airfram
: e
: : has just 15 hours on the clock SMOH.
: : Potter took the aircraft up for a checkflight first with
: s
: : everal passes for the gathered audience. Several hours
: la
: : ter he departed in company with his Beech Staggerwing fo
: r
: : his home base in Ottawa.
: : All in all it was a wonderful day to see such attention
: pa
: : id to a worthy aircraft. Also nice to see SL721 in good
: h
: : ands.
: :
: : I met up with Jim Church from the WIX board and many oth
: er
: : gung ho enthusiasts that had driven, like me several ho
: ur
: : s to see an important piece of history.
: :
: : Jerry Yagen's Corsair was also in the paint shop, but wa
: s
: : entirely masked off for further painting. I am sure onc
: e
: : complete it too will be another painting masterpiece.
: :
: : Cheers
: Thanks Al. I enjoyed meeting you and Steven. Mike was very
: impressed that you drove so far when I told him last nigh
: t. He said the trip went fine and he stopped at Kitchener
: and Peterborough. The weather problems didn't materialise.
: He is planning some sort of "Open Day" for everyone to se
: e 721 this summer in Ottawa.
: After all the work, I am very proud of 721 in her new live
: ry.
: Also thanks for giving me the link to this site. I love ta
: lking "Spitfire".
: Cheers
: Bob S.