12.8 Million Dollars for a Spitfire?

[Mike]

It does seem rather expensive for a non-airworthy Spitfire that hasn't flown in well over 20 years

[Mike Halbrook]

I'm under the impression this aircraft did some flying when it was at Evergreen, don't know how much. There was little information put out about MT818 after its gear collapse in the late 1970's.

[me109g4]

Yes it did fly at Evergreen, not sure how frequently though. I have a few pics of it somewhere,,

[PeterA]

Evergreen?

Surely Jack Erickson's collection.

The Spitfire is MT818/N32/G-AIDN/N58JE.

Here is a shot I took earlier today. Sgt Bill Miles at the Chelsea Hospital Showground.

PeterA

[me109g4]

That pic was taken today??,, darn it looks good. JT

[PeterA]

That pic was taken today??,, darn it looks good. JT

Yup, about six hours ago.

PeterA

[redvanner]

That pic was taken today??,, darn it looks good. JT

Yes, it does look superb. But 12.8 Million Dollars? That sounds like straight off a fairy tale, or fantasy, IMHO.

Michael

[me109g4]

How come it has not flown since its return to England? i thought all kinds of work was performed on it to bring it back to flight status,,,

[Stephan Wilkinson]

current owner only had it 3 yrs. or so after importing it back from the USA...

]

I think it's more like a year or so, isn't it? Or am I think of another two-seater?

[Mike Halbrook]

The airframe may be to the point from nothing more than age or wear and tear that it needs to be thoroughly disassembled and reworked/re-riveted.

[PeterA]

current owner only had it 3 yrs. or so after importing it back from the USA...

]

I think it's more like a year or so, isn't it? Or am I think of another two-seater?

Quoting from the 'bible' on these matters. http://www.i-tri.co.uk/survivors/

"The aircraft arrived back in the UK at Tilbury docks on 25 September and was delivered to the new owner‘s property in West Sussex on 22
October". (2007)

PeterA

[Stephan Wilkinson]

Okay, I'm thinking of another equally ugly two-seater, sold relatively recently by a major auction house (Christie's? Sotheby's?) to somebody of note in the helicopter world, as I remember.

[PeterA]

Okay, I'm thinking of another equally ugly two-seater, sold relatively recently by a major auction house (Christie's? Sotheby's?) to somebody of note in the helicopter world, as I remember.

SM520

– it was auctioned by Bonhams at the RAF Museum, Hendon, on 20 April 2009. Bought by British
adventurer Steve Brooks – the first person to fly from Pole to Pole by helicopter, a feat which
he achieved in 2005, SM520 was re-registered to Brooks in the name of Valcron Limited, on 4
June 2009, although the company name has since been changed to Spitfire Display Ltd.

PeterA

[Mark Allen M]

A couple of nice photos of the old days ...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/original-profes ... 5425091875







A shot when at the Tillamook museum in October 2006. Has since returned to the UK as G-AIDN
(Malcolm Nason flickr account)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/shanair/7 ... ist-cv9Yg9

And some recent activity ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYKKLlnQHmo

[quemerford]

These things are relative: 12.8 mil would only buy you half a Ferrari GTO. A Spit with history for 12.8 million USD represents great value pound-for-pound by that comparison.