Warbird Information Exchange

Looking to determine the Squadron side codes for 414 Sq RCAF and 91 Sq RAF Spitfire XIV's 1944/45. Specific information for NH904 or RM694, and current status of RM694. Is this aircraft a high back XIV like 689 was and is it under restoration or stored.

Joe,

To my knowledge, no codes are known for NH904 & RM694 in their respective 414 & 91 Squadron service.

RM694 is in storage in the UK pending restoration or perhaps sale.

It is a highback.

PeterA

91 Squadron was DL.

BBMF's Spitfire PRXIX carried the codes "DL-E" and full D-Day stripes to represent a Mk XIV around 1984 for the 40th Anniversary of the D-Day landings.

_________________
Cheers

Daz

Spitfire replicas - http://www.spitfirebuilder.4t.com

Spitfire replica discussion group -
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/spitfirereplicas/

Hi Joe--

414 Sqn RCAF nominally had the code "RU"...but it seems their Spit FR.IXs and FR.XIVs carried only the individual letter. Griffin/Kostenuk RCAF Squadrons book here has a photo of a 414 Sqn XIVe bubbletop coded "B", with the Sky fuselage band obviously recently overpainted. The caption IDs the Spit as "NM896", but the serial in the pic looks more like NH896 to me...was NM896 a Spit too or is this a typo?

S.

Guys thanks for the help! The interesting thing is that of the above NH896 was with 414 squadron before going to 2 squadron and colliding TZ196 over Celle in Germany 31.1.47. NM serials were all XIV aircraft but the serials ranged from NM814 thru NM823. Only NM821 was in 414 Squadron.

As you know NH904 is here in California and is marked as one of the last Spits in service but a different mark, I believe. As an aside the paint is getting rather old....

Any ideas? Should the fuselage be marked as one or the other, or different on either side? Or just as NH904?

Joe

Joe--

The 414 Sqn late-war livery was very basic in any case; in essence it's similar to two RCAF Merlin Spits that have been restored in recent years, "Grace T9" PV202 and XVIe SL721. Dark green/ocean grey/light grey finish, no Sky fighter band (though the paint over the band would be fresher and thus perhaps a darker colour), black spinner, C1 roundels in all six positions, black serial. Only the individual code letter (in Sky) would appear, below the cockpit, just ahead of the camera port. You could cheat and assume the code letters lined up with the AirMin serials...with NH896 being "B", that would make NH904 "J" (an absurd assumption of course, but you can always change the codes later! Or hey, just use decal letters).

Or you could just paint NH904 overall bright red with an "RCN Sea Fury" star spinner. Can't explain why...I just have this odd feeling it would look nice...

Cheers

Steve

Not sure if you are connecting NH904 to 91 Squadron in some way? If they repaint it and get rid of the the Matchbox Model Spit 24 paint scheme, I hope they go with a 414 Squadron paint scheme.

91 never had low back Spit XIVs as they traded their XIVs for IXs in late August 44 and got back into Griffon Spits with the Mark 21 in the spring of 45.

Dan