It's the Grand Old Lady's Birthday.

[Token]

Thanks Terry, now THAT is impressive. Initial prototypes generally? don't survive. Excellent engineering

And did not survive in this case either. The initial prototype, K5054, was damaged in a crash in 1939 that killed the pilot and resulted in the aircraft being written off and scrapped. In fact, although it was not a combat related incident, I am pretty sure the loss of K5054 was the first loss of a Spitfire after war was declared on Sep 3, 1939, and so might be the first wartime loss of a Spitfire.

T!

 

[Readie]

The Spitfire has achieved what no other aircraft has in history.
From defender to aggressor to a symbol of British victory.
The BoB memorial flight keeps the legends alive and airborn and we love them.
Any plane is just a machine and the real heros were the countless aircrew from all nations.
In 2016 we are floundering with political issues, the EU and global events and 'our' Spitfire is needed now as much as ever to remind ourselves who we are and what we stand for.

 

[nuuumannn]

I took these at Warbirds over Wanaka this weekend just gone.

 

[nuuumannn]

I am pretty sure the loss of K5054 was the first loss of a Spitfire after war was declared on Sep 3, 1939, and so might be the first wartime loss of a Spitfire.

Probably was since K5054 crashed at Farnborough on the 4th.

 

[Airframes]

Nice shots Grant. Is the Buchon a recent arrival ?

 

[nuuumannn]

Hi Terry, the Buchon is John Romain's. He had it shipped over for the airshow, but presumably it'll go back home to DX.

 

[Airframes]

Ah, I thought it looked familiar !
i thought at first it was another from the ex BoB movie collection, recently sold off.

 

[nuuumannn]

Yep, when I saw that it was on its way here, I jumped at the chance to go see it fly. John is a real nice guy; I met him 20 or so years ago when working at East Fortune, although when I introduced myself again, he couldn't remember going to East Fortune at all!

 

[Airframes]

That's due to the amount of Scottish White Wine consumed at the post-airshow party !!