New Guy With a Question, Spitfire Tail Wheel?

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Could well be that one....I have a couple of relics in my collection
 

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Hi All,
If you could find out more Airframes that would be great.
Tony great display.
This is all very interesting and I think a bit more hunting is in order, however I guess there may not be any more parts if it was a mid air collision?
Another thing that does intrigue me is how could the German crew be missing, what do you think came of them?
Below are a couple of photos I have found of the Do17 that crashed after the collision.
Regards
Richard
 

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Well, I found the magazine article, in a 'Fly Past' Special, from 1990. Unfortunately, it covers the action on August 18th, although there was an involvement with 111 Sqn, and a Do17, the well-known aircraft of Lamberty, which crashed near Biggin Hill. Very similar combat though, with one of the 111 Sqn Hurricanes being lost.
 
The Hurricane went straight in. I am surprised (though I should not be) that some of the Dornier crew were missing. I suppose it depends if there was a fire inthe fuselage etc....that said, Andy Saunder's superb new book 'Finding the Foe' covers several cases where no trace of one or more crew was found due to the nature of the crowd.

I dug a Hurri Mk2 once and found the tailwheel in the local scrap yard! It probably was used by the farmer or someone for a few years and then found its way there. Often tailwheels survived crash sites and ended up on wheel barrows. The Mustang geedee and I have been recovering for several years was an exception, the tailwheel was as smashed as the rest of the airframe...biggest part was 3inches long by 1inch.
 
Thanks for looking Airframes, really appreciated it.
Thanks Tony for clearing this up, guess I was just clutching at straws thinking it got there by other means, saved me a few pounds on a detector as well.
Will go down to Headcorn in the summer to see if they would like the wheel for the museum.
 
Might still be worth having a look around, even with a cheap, basic detector. You never know, it might be from another action, and there just might be other bits laying around in a square mile area!
 
Hi Airframes,
Going to take you advise and get a detector.
I walk the dog pretty much every day so why not.
Thanks for all your support through this "investigation" I really appriciate it.
Best Regards
Rich
 
Good to hear Rich. Let us know what, if anything, you might find. I just thought, if the wheel was found in a stream, it's very possible that it 'entered' the water further up-stream, and has been washed down over the years after heavy rainfall. Worth taking a stroll along the banks, upstream, and look in the water itself.
Many years ago, I came across some bits and pieces from a Lancaster crash in the Peak District, which had been washed own a brook, over a mile from the crash site.
Cheers,
Terry.
 
Good find! It could do with a bit more of a clean.....!
On first glance, it looks like a Mk2 Hurricane wheel....

I am sure it is not Spitfire.....if you can clean it and look for any other numbers (especially those starting 'AH' or 'AHO') that would help.

I believe that you will find a number (on the hub) saying either AHO 5048 or AHO 5775 may not have the 'O'. In that case; the first is Hurricane Mk2, the second Oxford.

It is quite like a typhoon wheel (which from memory is AHO5007 or 9).

A Spit tailwheel is AH2184....

So Id opt for Hurri 2 or Typhoon!

I am always available with my detector!!!
cheers
Tony
Hi, looks like you are the best chap to help me identify a tail wheel with the numbers AHO 5031.
 

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