Warbird Information Exchange

Hangar 11s Russian Spitfire has had its first flight in the capable hands of Pete Kynsey.

https://www.facebook.com/Hangar11Collec ... 6829741261

Great news but I have to admit to being annoyed by misleading statements such as "...PT879, which took to the skies today, 75 years after she was last flown by a young Russian pilot, crashing with just 28.5 hours total time on squadron."

It may be 75 years since PT879 last flew, but the aircraft pictured has only a tenuous link to '879, so the story smacks of deliberate misrepresentation. Yet again.

I don't mind recreations in the slightest but stop pretending they are something they are not!

Yawn. This is also getting old.

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Aerial Photographer with Red Wing Aerial Photography currently based at KRBD and tailwheel CFI.
Websites: Texas Tailwheel Flight Training, DoolittleRaid.com and Lbirds.com.

The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD. - Prov. 21:31 - Train, Practice, Trust.

Have you seen how much wreckage of PT879 was recovered ? I accept new fuselage and wings abs engine but a lot of original parts included

Agreed. I also wonder if when these recreations are sold, is there ever any litigation or are those transactions conducted 'in the clear'?

Even though she was a wreck,the wreckage was in quite good nick.A lot of the interior parts would have been reused.
For inspiration of what can be recovered after a crash,check out what the Bluebird guys did.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOw25M ... m_g53vCbiQ

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If the CO ask,s you to be Tail End Charlie...Just Shoot Him..A Piece of Cake

Congratulations to Peter and the whole team.
It must feel marvelous to be a part of a project like this coming to its culmination.
As far as the provenance of a project like this, I have no doubt that someone who had the resources to acquire a machine such as this, would also be able to do the research, in to what exactly they were acquiring.
In the mean time I'm glad to see another Spitfire airworthy. Especially one with such a unique history and colour scheme.

Andy

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45-47=-2

While I guess you're certainly free to be offended by the label of "restored", to me, it doesn't matter what percentage of parts are original, given that every single part in today's PT879 is intended to be just the way it existed 75 years ago, and every part was fixed, restored, or recreated by someone who simply loves this aircraft and its history. I am overjoyed to have another Spitfire taking to the air, and my hat's off to the team who spent years of their efforts (and no small amount of money) to keep this awe-inspiring machine alive on earth for that much longer.

According to their website, "A huge number of her original parts were used in the restoration of the airframe, some 500 plus from the actual aircraft in her renovated fuselage. The wings will similarly be very original and comprise the core components of the original wings." To me, the fact that this airplane includes *any* pieces of metal originating from the Castle Bromwich factory means that it's carrying the spirit of something very historic and special.

I'm simultaneously thankful to, and jealous of, everyone who had the privilege of working to bring this machine back to life.

So, you'd rather it didn't fly then, which is what you are potentially saying, as in UK CAA won't sanction a replica if termed that way, so using the terms restoration, taking to the skies again, and all the stuff you object to would like mean it wouldn't be flying (in the UK)

Daft, yes, but I'd rather see it in the air than not.

No one is having the wool pulled over their eyes, the owner knows what it is, the people who built it know what it is, and all of us reading this know what it is, so why bother ranting about it.

I worked in Ops at North Weald until I retired and used to help move the Spitfire PRXI and Hurricane in and out of Pete's hangar. I saw the boxes full of detail parts which were recovered and labelled as airworthy for incorporation into the rebuild and two rather impressive 20mm cannon. My uncle worked as an inspector at Supermarine in Southampton from 1936, so I have a soft spot for the type. We were lucky to often hear the sounds of Merlins over North Weald and it looks like there will soon be another one to celebrate! Here are some pictures of the fuselage on the day it arrived.

Wow!
That man cave would be the envy of any!

What a great job they did!
As for whether it's a restoration of a newly-built airplane with a scattering of a few small original part, this reminds me of the age-old restoration argument: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus#George_Washington's_axe

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

But did Theseus' ship have the original data plate?

Great to see this one flying, Russian schemes rarely appear on Western warbirds and it's great to see PT sticking with the aircraft's true colour scheme and history.

Would love to see a Soviet scheme on a Grace two-seater, the Soviets did basically invent the dual control Spitfire concept and the flush Grace style matches the Soviet mod the closest.