Category: News

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Supermarine Spitfire XIVe RN201 Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

Supermarine Spitfire XIVe RN201 (N201TB) has hit the market. The listing states (in part):

“Post WWII, this Spitfire XIVe was part of the Belgian Air Force. It was displayed on a pole at a Belgian Air Force Base from 1953-1990. In 1990 it was sold to a British buyer who returned the Spitfire to the UK. It was restored by Historic Flying Ltd. between 2000-2002. It was then sold to the current owner in 2007 who has operated the Spitfire in the United States ever since. In 2007 this Spitfire won the EAA Grand Champion Award at Sun N’ Fun in Florida.”

The airframe has reportedly amassed only 117 hrs since restoration, which included new wing spars and the replacement of all rivets with aluminum rivets. The Rolls Royce Griffon 66 engine is also said to 117 hrs SMOH by Universal Airmotive. The machine is currently being offered for £1,900,000. Click here or here to check out complete listings.

(Photo: By Mike Freer – Touchdown-Aviation via Wikimedia Commons)

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Supermarine Spitfire IXe PL344 Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

Supermarine Spitfire IXe PL344 (N644TB) has hit the market. The listing states (in part:)

This Spitfire IX was recovered from a Technical School in Holland in the early 1980’s and restored by Charles Church Spitfires Ltd. and registered in the UK as G-IXCC. Its first civilian flight was in March 2001. It was sold to Kermit Weeks and re-restored to original military configuration by Personal Plane Services. It was then sold to the current owner in 2001 who had the aircraft overhauled and repainted by A.R.C.O. in the UK before shipping the Spitfire to the United States.

The airframe has reportedly amassed only 182 hrs since restoration, which included new wing spars and the replacement of all rivets with aluminum rivets. The Rolls Royce Merlin 266 engine reportedly has 171 hrs SMOH by Vintage V-12s. The machine is currently being offered for £2,500,000. Click here or here to check out complete listings.

(Photo: Flickr user “tataquax” via Wikimedia Commons)

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Newly Restored Albatros D.Va Performs First Engine Test [Video]

Yesterday, the WW1 Aviation Heritage Trust’s newly restored Albatros D.Va (G-WAHT) performed its first engine test at the Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire, UK.

As previously reported, the reproduction, formerly ZK-TGY, was a regular performer on the UK Airshow Circuit in 2015-2016 and was originally constructed by The Vintage Aviator Ltd. of New Zealand, which also carried out the recent work. As seen above, it initially appeared in the colors of the machine flown by Paul Baumer of Jasta 5, however it has been repainted to represent D.2263, flown by Otto Kissenbert of Royal Bavarian Jasta 23b.

The Albatros arrived at The Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire, UK last month where it underwent reassembly. It is expected to remain at the location until the process of obtaining a flight permit is complete. Click below to check out a video of yesterday’s test.

Continue reading Newly Restored Albatros D.Va Performs First Engine Test [Video]

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Lancaster FM104 Arrives at New Home, Airworthy Restoration to Begin

Last week, a convoy of trucks carrying Avro Lancaster FM104 arrived at the British Columbia Aviation Museum near Victoria International Airport in North Saanich, Canada.

The bomber was originally built by Victory Aircraft of Malton, Ontario in 1944 and, installed along Toronto’s waterfront following its retirement from the RCAF in 1964. In 1999, it was moved to a museum in Downsview Park, where a restoration effort began. However, it was relocated once again when the museum closed in 2011. The machine has spent recent years in storage at Edenvale Aerodrome west of Barrie while its future became a topic of debate.

In July, the museum became the successful bidder and, now having formally taken possession of the machine from the city of Toronto, the “long process of restoration” will begin. The work will be carried out in cooperation with Victoria Air Maintenance and will focus on returning the machine to flying condition. The machine’s components will reportedly be on public display throughout the process.

Click below to check out photos of FM104’s arrival at its new home.

Continue reading Lancaster FM104 Arrives at New Home, Airworthy Restoration to Begin

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First Look: Tamiya’s New Tool 1/48 Spitfire Mk.1 Model

Tamiya has provided the first look at their upcoming new tool Spitfire Mk. 1 model kit in 1/48 scale.

The kit (61119) will reportedly benefit from “new information to make this new release many times more historically accurate.” It will also include parts to recreate various specifications of the Mk. 1 while providing open and closed canopy options, realistic cockpit detailing, photo-etched parts, seated pilot figure and three marking options.

The newly released images, which can be seen below, show a full build along with cockpit details and sprues. Additional details, including a possible release date, have not yet been announced.

Continue reading First Look: Tamiya’s New Tool 1/48 Spitfire Mk.1 Model

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Airfix Announces New Tool 1/48 Spitfire Mk.XIV Model Kit

Airfix has announced its first new tool kit for 2019 in the form of a 1/48 Spitfire FR Mk.XIV.

The kit (A05135) is being developed with the aid of “a vast collection of research materials, original drawings and photographs relating to Spitfire production” as well as computer base model shape data from their Spitfire Mk.1 kit released in 2014.

The kit is currently slated for release sometime in the new year, although the company hopes to have a prototype sample model of the kit on display at November’s Scale ModelWorld Show at Telford.

Click below to check out additional renderings.

Continue reading Airfix Announces New Tool 1/48 Spitfire Mk.XIV Model Kit

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First Look: Complete HK 1/32 Avro Lancaster Model

In addition to Wingnut Wings’ announcement of a new 1/32 Lancaster, the Tokyo Model Show also saw HK Models display a complete version of their own new tool 1/32 example of the type.

Details on the kit, including a potential release date, remain unclear, although it has been reported that it will represent the Mk 1 and include markings for R5868 “S-Sugar” of 467 Squadron RAAF, which became the first bomber to complete 100 missions.

Click below to check out additional images.

Continue reading First Look: Complete HK 1/32 Avro Lancaster Model

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Wingnut Wings Announces Development of 1/32 Avro Lancaster Model Kit

At the Tokyo Hobby Show, New Zealand model developer Wingnut Wings announced the development of a new Avro Lancaster model kit in 1/32 scale.

The upcoming kit (32044) will reportedly represent a B.Mk.III “Dambusters” machine and will mark the company’s first foray into WW2 aircraft kits. From the look of the images above, the model will include a great deal of detail, including the “bouncing bomb” used for the raid, which saw 19 Lancasters of 617 Squadron attack a number of German dams, resulting in severe flooding that destroyed or damaged power stations, factories and mines.

The Wingnut Wings Lancaster is currently slated for release sometime in late 2019.

(Wingnut Wings via AeroScale and Scalemates)

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1945 Storch Fi 156 G-BPHZ, Currently Under Restoration, Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

Storch Fi 156 G-BPHZ, currently under restoration in the UK, has hit the market. The description states:

Under restoration at Retrotec with an original Argus engine. Post-war use with French (as F-BJOC) as an Argus engined MS 500 with all the evidence of German manufacturer’s specification, including side opening doors, and many other brackets and parts not always seen on MS 502 and 505. Later on BJOC was converted to MS 505, but the original MS 500 data plates is still affixed and is a war-time German design. Most minor components and assemblies (for example the undercarriage and control brackets) are German Fieseler 156 marked. Tail number 1827. Original rear gunner’s ring for MG 15.

The airframe can reportedly be rebuilt “as a Fi 156 C1 with a guaranteed genuine identity if preferred,” and will include “metal wings and empennage for practicality, but the fuel lines from the wing tanks will be routed as on the Fi 156 specification.” The description also states: Continue reading 1945 Storch Fi 156 G-BPHZ, Currently Under Restoration, Offered For Sale

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AD-4 Skyraider With Only 148 Hrs Since Restoration Offered For Sale

Please Note: This is an archived post. The information presented here may not be current and the associated listing may no longer be active.

Douglas AD-4 Skyraider F-AZHK (B/N 127002) has hit the market.

The machine has reportedly amassed only 148 hours since receiving an airframe restoration and overhaul of its Wright R3350 26WD engine. It is also touted as offering an avionics package and “excellent spares and support equipment.”

The aircraft wears the colors of French Air Force Squadron 1/20 Aures Nementcha during Algerian War (1961-1972). It is located in France, where it operates under French Historic Certification, and is currently being offered for $675,000. Click here to check out the complete listing.

(via Trade-a-Plane Photo: Clément Gruin from Wikimedia Commons)