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moh
Silver Surfer


6860 Posts
Posted -  27/07/2007  :  15:42
I have just seen a spitfire fly over Burnley - possibly one of the ones you can build from a kit now.  It certainly sounded authentic


Say only a little but say it well
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Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 27/07/2007 : 19:22
If it growled it might be the Rolls Royce Spit which has a Griffon in it (bigger version of the Merlin)  I think it was over Barlick at weekend, you can't mistake that sound and the Griffon is deeper than the Merlin.  Most of the modern versions have in-line engines and sound too smooth.  The rougher the exhaust note, the more likely to be a RR engine.


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
frankwilk
Senior Member


3975 Posts
Posted - 27/07/2007 : 19:25

Stanley,

You never cease to amaze me

keep it up mate





Frank Wilkinson       Once Navy Always Navy Go to Top of Page
moh
Silver Surfer


6860 Posts
Posted - 27/07/2007 : 20:17
It just sounded like the original


Say only a little but say it well Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 28/07/2007 : 06:28
Pound to a penny it was the RR Spit then.  The Battle of Britain flight Spits usually only go out to air shows but RR seem to fly the Grffon powered one regularly in this area.  Funny how you never forget that sound, we got quite good at identifying them during the war......  The Germans never seemed to bother to synchronise the engines, the RAF always did.  You could always tell a German bomber.  I was walking down the main street in New Ulm in Minnesota a few years ago with a friend who was telling me that the town had the buiggest national guard armoury in America and I heard a plane going over.  I told Roger that they had their own Lutwaffe as well, it was a Focke Wulfe and he asked me how I knew.  I told him that we had an intensive recognition course in 1940/42!


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt


2021 Posts
Posted - 28/07/2007 : 08:58
RR own two Spitfires, both based at Filton Nr Bristol. The one seen would be the MK IV as the other one is undergoing restoration and it certainly is a Griffon engine with contra rotating props. An interesting fact is that there are usually about fifty airworthy Spitfires spread around the world.


thomo Go to Top of Page
moh
Silver Surfer


6860 Posts
Posted - 28/07/2007 : 09:29
The German bombers used to make a throbbing sound - the doodlebugs had a sound all of their own


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softsuvner
Regular Member


604 Posts
Posted - 28/07/2007 : 14:28

The sound of a Spitfire is still common in my part of the world. I have a cousin who I visit regularly, who lives at Mareham Le Fen which is, literally, at the end of the runway for RAF Coningsby:where the Batlle of Britain flight is based. They do a lot of short flights for testing, and in connection with parades at nearby bases such as Cranwell. I am used to modern aircraft-identification from a distance, but to see the Lancaster especially, banked over against the clouds looks like nothing else!

We have a Griffon-engined job based at East Midlands Airport, where I work. I used to think it was one of the RR ones, since we get a lor of brand-new RR engined jet planes making courtesy vists in connection with the RR place at Sinfin near Derby. Sure I remember hearing somewhere that one of the RR Spits crashed a few years ago, and was written off. Don't know if it is still there, but we had firm called Trent Aviation at EMA who rebuilt the wings for Spits and other historical planes.

One of the few pleasures of working weekends is to see the Spit doing test runs in the period, just after lunch, when commercail flights are a bit thin. When you watch one taking its place on the taxiway, you realise just what a limited field of vision they have, and how diffficult landing must be. Sad thing is, and I have seen this many times over the years, when the Spit takes off, all the ground staff look round and watch, especially the aircrew, but the holidaymakers getting off their planes never even turn round - they never know what they are missing.




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thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt


2021 Posts
Posted - 29/07/2007 : 09:59
The original RR aircraft did indeed crash and sadly I think that the pilot was killed, the plane was not beyond repair and could be the one being rebuilt at Filton. A quick dig around reveals problems with in flight ID,as these aircraft are frequently repainted in diverse colour schemes, also for above MK IV read MK XIV, I am going to look up its serial No and then consult my Spitfire Bible. results to follow.


thomo Go to Top of Page
thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt


2021 Posts
Posted - 29/07/2007 : 12:24
Of interest here perhaps, is that the engine for the kit MK 26 comes as either a standard or supercharged Isuzu V6 unit.


thomo Go to Top of Page
panbiker
Senior Member


2301 Posts
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 00:24

Just been on the Supermarine website to invesigate the MK26 kit Spitfire. Fired up with my fascination for this aircraft and my current Penny Spitfire project. I've worked out the current cost of obtaining and building one of these beasties.

The 80% scale Mk26 kit with the biggest engine, crated but excluding shipping cost to the UK from Aussie would currently cost  $(AUD) 229,579.00, that's £98,468.37. Not bad at all. You can build this kit with about 1200 hours of labour, but you do need a double garage or equivalent space to accomodate the construction project.  I already have most of the tools required for the job. The wings are detachable for transportation or storage.

Unfortunately there are anumber of problems I would have to get round before I could move on this, number 1, I don't have a double garage, problem 2 I can't fly, problem 3 I don't have 98 Grand to spare at the moment. Unless we sell the house!

The first two are not really unsurmountable but number 3 may take a bit of persuading to get Sally's agreement to sell the house, I suggested we could move into the double garage but it did'nt go down very well. Oh well, never mind, back to the Penny Spitfire project - where are my files!  98 Grand.............bargain!



Edited by - panbiker on 01 August 2007 00:27:21


Ian Go to Top of Page
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart


36804 Posts
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 06:18
Ian, stick to Sally and the small Spit.....  Much less grief in the end!


Stanley Challenger Graham




Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk Go to Top of Page
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob


3044 Posts
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 08:26
Panini - I have the answer.

Buy our house (large garage) then you will be fulfilling TWO dreams - your own and our canalboat one.

£98k is nowt - sell a bit of stuff on eBay, hold a few car boot sales - it's surprising how much money you can make from household crap. Why, we've cleared about £70 this way.

OK, maybe not...Go to Top of Page

thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt


2021 Posts
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 09:38
Get a flight simulator on your PC, I have MS FS9 with a good selection of addon aircraft, these include a Spitfire package from Realair which is brilliant, an equally realistic Hurricane pack, Concorde from Pheonix Air, VC10 pack from Simair, and Avro Shackleton from the Aircrafts Preservation Soc. Total cost, under £200, plus there are many excelent freeware addons available if you go to the right sites. I also have MS Battle for Europe FS, Nothing like a sweep over France on a Sunday morning to get you awake, especially when the ME109s turn up!.


thomo Go to Top of Page
panbiker
Senior Member


2301 Posts
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 10:18

Your'e bang on with your assesment of the situation Stanley, dreamings good though. Cally's suggestion would be workable apart from the fact that our next move is intended to be a downsize rather than an expansion. Sorry Cally, nice offer but unlikely. Sally already sells on Ebay and has done about  £1500 in bits and bobs this year, it's amazing what some folk will buy, stuffed Wombles are in at the moment!

I have some aircraft radio control gear which could lend itself to a decent scale model Spitfire although my last attempt at RC model flying was less than successful. I spent about 2 months building a fantastic 60" wingspan glider, It was a belter when I'd finished it, I flew it up Weets. Launching and flying was no problem at all it was the landing that was my undoing, fast and heavy would be a bit of an understatement! The receiver and servo's survived but thats about all, oh well back to the drawing board.

Flight simulators, used to have one on the PC, problem is I find them very addictive, never get owt done, gave them up, easier than quiiting fags!

I'll continue filing the mini Spitfire.




Ian Go to Top of Page
thomo
Barlick Born Old Salt


2021 Posts
Posted - 01/08/2007 : 13:18
First rule of flight, Taking off is optional, Landing is Mandatory.


thomo Go to Top of Page
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