Sound of the Spitfire - Spitfire IX TA805
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- čas přidán 26. 08. 2017
- Listen to the amazing sound of this Spitfire HF Mk.IX, TA805, 'Spirit of Kent, G-PMNF, as it is thrown around the sky in an amazing display by pilot, Dan Griffith. The sound of the Rolls Royce Merlin and the air and wind over the airframe, with whistling wings every bit as good as the sound made by a P-51 Mustang.
Built at the Supermarine works at Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands late in the war, TA805 started its career with the RAF at No 39 MU in December 1944.
Wearing the code letters HF it joined 183 (Gold Coast) Squadron at Chilbolton on the 17th June 1945. Commanded by Sqd/Ldr J R Cullen DFC, the squadron converted from the Typhoon IB to the Spitfire IX.
The squadron Operational Record Book records the conversion and movements.
‘The pilots and their kit were flown by Dakota to Chilbolton where we join Fighter Command No.11 Group and convert to Spitfire IX’s.20.6.45 - Four new aircraft ferried in by ATA’.
A period of conversion then began for two months.
‘This morning the CO, Sqd/Ldr Storrar, led the squadron in formation down to Hawkinge where we will stay for a month for practice gunnery and bombing’.
The squadron then returned to Bentwaters. 234 Squadron were part of a wing of 24 Squadrons led by legendary Battle of Britain ace and later famous test pilot W/Cdr Roland P Beamont DSO and Bar DFC.
This wing flew the 1945 Battle of Britain commemoration flight over London in September and it is possible that TA805 was one of the aircraft taking part.
TA805 was then struck off charge and shipped to the South African Air Force in early 1949.
RESTORATION
1992-1996
The remains of TA805 arrived at the Airframe Assemblies works, Sandown, Isle of Wright in early 1992. Having previously been in storage in Sussex. The dormant period continued for another 3 years or so until the current owners acquired the aircraft. Work to return her to flying condition started in early 1996.
The period up until July 1997 being taken up with the manufacture of the many pieces that make up a Spitfire fuselage. These small pieces being made up into sub-assemblies such as fuselage Frame 9.
July 1998
Skinning work continued, resulting in the completed fuselage out of the build fixture in July 1998
May 2000
With the basic fuselage finished, the next major task was the building of the wings. This following a similar pattern, with many months being spent making components and sub-assemblies prior to the start of the build.
2000-2001
Along with the wing build, the bare fuselage was kitted out with various items of plumbing/systems and cockpit instruments during this period.
February 2002
Restoration of the cockpit internal details and instrument panels is complete.
June 2002
The fuselage of TA805 departs Airframe Assemblies on June 26, 2002. Initially to Sedlescombe in Sussex, prior to ARCO at Duxford for fitting of engine and final assembly.
March 2003
The wings and final stages of assembly are undertaken. Skinning, fitting of gun covers and access doors are complete. Wing tips are under construction.
August 2003
Wings are finished, complete with wing tips, flaps and ailerons.
Built at Castle Bromwich CBAF 10372, late 1944 Delivered to RAF as TA805, 1945 Accepted by 39MU, Jan, 3rd, 1945 Allocated to 183 Squadron, June 24th, 1945 Transferred to 234 Squadron, Aug 2nd, 1945 Delivered to South African Air Force, Mar 11th 1949 Sent for scrapping at South African Metal & Machinery Co, Salt River, Cape Town, 1954 SAAF Museum, Snake Valley AB, 1981. Fuselage hulk Steve Atkins, Oxford, UK, 1989-1995 Restoration project, stored, Isle-Of-Wight, 1995 Peter Monk & Mike Simpson, Apr 29th, 1996-2006 Registered as G-PMNF Restored to airworthy by Airframe Assemblies, Sandown, UK First post restoration flight in 234 Sqn scheme Dec 2005. Duxford Based Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, Biggin Hill Aerodrome, Kent, 2011 onwards
Filmed at Biggin Hill Festival of Flight on Saturday 19th August 2017.
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This video and audio material may not be reproduced in any form (except as the videos CZcams embedded video option on any other website), without written permission. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Griffiths may be the best Spitfire display pilot flying. He throws that thing around like a toy and it is mesmerising.
Sounds amazing
This Spitfire sounds like P-51 Mustang
Well! There was a man enjoying himself, and so did we, a fantastic performance from a top pilot. That was a real pleasure to watch.
I think that it was Dan Griffith flying her, based on the fact that he flew the same display on the Sunday, which I'll also post over the coming days.
High Flight: I thought in was Dan on the stick, he flies such a tight profile without keeping level for even a second, fantastic ! Thanks for posting.
Englishman French perfectly said, and I'm in total agreement!
A spirited display, very recognisably Dan Griffith! All manoeuvres flown smoothly with no negative G ... looks spectacular but not over-stressing the aircraft.
Man and machine fully in tune. Great to watch.
Wow! I've seen some Spitfire displays in my time including by the great Ray and Mark Hannah's but this one is truly right up there. Real gutsy display.
A proper display of a beautiful creation.
A beautiful display of Spitty's special quality, exiting a tight turn and having taken enough speed around the corner to enter a steep climb only seconds after. I think that's what st the actual secret of the success of the spitfire, the efficiency of its wing in high lift situations. All other WWII desgings fall short of that.
Absolutely fantastic to see this beautiful machine flown almost aggressively. Great to see the real maneuverability particularly in the aeroplane's response and rate of roll, imagine the same display flown with a clipped wing version! This display reminds me of a display at Duxford where there pilot (I didn't know whom) flew a P47 in a very similar way, brilliant to see!
Thanks. I'm sure that a saw that same P-51 display at Duxford. Flown to the max!
Superb
Fabulous!
The perfect combination of airframe and engine. Many Spitfire pilots considered the Mark IX to be the best of the series.
To many aviation enthusiasts, there are few sights more evocative then the shape of the Spitfire wing.
I've seen Brendon Deere's Mark IX "AL" at Classic Fighters Omaka 2015 and 2017. Funny thing: it sounds just like this one. (Joke...) At CFO, we public were allowed to get up close and personal with the aircraft while they were still parked in the hangar each morning, before being wheeled outside for the day's programme.
Doing a walk-around of "AL", we could see all the little signs that this Spitfire is not only a show piece, but also a working aircraft that was never intended to sit in a hangar gathering dust. It even has the traditional tiny Rolls Royce puddle of oil on the floor under the rear main seal...
As an apprentice mechanic in the 1960s on Rovers and Jaguars, it became an act of faith with me that British engine designers did not consider a seal to be working properly unless it was leaking. Rolls Royce were no different...
PS Don't think that I'm picking on Rolls Royce seals. At CFO 2017, there were two P-40s parked in the hangar beside "AL" and each had its regulation tiny Allison puddle under the rear main seal.
Thankyou. You are so right about the Spitfire. Unfortunate for me that Omaka is so far away, but its also great that so many Spitfires and other historic aircraft are scattered all over the world so that they can be seen and enjoyed by so many. The Japanese must have borrowed the oil seal design from the British as my Japanese car drips just enough oil to annoy me, but then it's also a great indicator that there's oil in the engine, or not!
Actually, the Japanese seem to - mostly - get the seals right. I'm a vehicle inspector for the NZ Automobile Association and we frequently get very high mileage Japanese vehicles in with scarcely a drop of oil to be seen underneath.
But when they leak, they can do it, big time. I had one in today that not only left drips on the floor, but also down my smegging neck!
Cracking video of a cracking display!
Thanks.
Great work, thanks for posting!
A pleasure. Thankyou.
Amazing sound!
You don’t see them flown like that very often at modern day air shows. Just look at the exhaust stain after touchdown, that machine was worked hard! Sublime stuff
I don’t like seeing loops at air displays. I did not see any here.
Brilliant, thank you. M.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Reminds me of Alex Henshaw. M.
Watch the landing, touch down, flaps up, and just enough on the throttle to keep the tail up....... Fine flying.......
wow - just.plain.wow ...
Beautiful, tight display, all probably within the airfield boundary. the sound of that Merlin was music to the ears of Spitfire fans. Who was the pilot? He certainly knew his stuff!
The pilot was Dan Griffith.
How do you know that?
It was included in various airshow reviews including this one - www.air-shows.org.uk/2017/08/review-biggin-hill-festival-of-flight-biggin100/ - also my film of day 2 shows him waving to the crowd on the taxi out down the runway. Of course the reviewers could be wrong about the pilot on day 1, so I'm happy to be corrected.
Thanks very much! Great display and nicely filmed. If only......
Thankyou.
Nice video ,my favorite spitfire marks mk 2 mk 5 mk 9😊😊
Thankyou. Those that survive and fly are all incredible.
When I'm permanently in love ... then I have no words...Steve , you're gonna kill me gently ...lol...thanks.
:-)
a fun fact TA805 is the only HF Mk.IX Spitfire
Aero Legends TD314 is another airworthy HF Mk.IX that is based in the UK.
music!!
Just put Edward Elgar - Nimrod over this and its pure harmony. Was Dan Griffiths flying the spit?
Excellent. And no 'copyright' issues with CZcams that way either! The event PA system was playing 'Jerusalem' over the display, which is a tradition for the final act with a Spitfire at the venue.