G-irty the Silver Spitfire

And grown women!
I am a girl - but that does not stop me loving Spitfires!!
JMK

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Only got to see Carolyn Grace doing a display in ML407 ‘The Grace Spitfire’ to know it’s not just a bloke thing. Had the pleasure to see it for myself at Highclere Castle, better known as Downton Abbey. Breathtaking sight as always.

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Well, you know what they say about blokes with 2 seater sports cars & long bonnets…
Oh…erm… :zipper_mouth_face:

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Nothing big about the MX-5 including the bonnet…

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To get the appropriate surface finish you might want some of this stuff:
Bare Metal Foil for models

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Cheers Martin but it’s beyond my skills really.
There are very shiny alloy paints for airbrush though.
I suppose I could try it on the stash models I have though…what’s the worst that could happen.
One issue with foil it seems is adhering the transfers…or can be…so I was told on BritModeller.

There are a few people who’ve modelled G-IRTY. She has a few unusual mods like the cockpit fuel filler. The bumps and lumps on the wings can cause confusion as the photos available on the net seem sometimes to be pre-epic flight or a “ringer” Boultbee used for publicity early on.
I have a friend who built her in 1/48 using plumbers aluminium tape for the metal finish, as he does for other shiny planes - but yes, I think the decals can be very fragile on that surface. Good luck with your model.

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This is it…G-irty seemed to evolve in details that serve to confuse.
Take the tail as one example…matt alloy in some photos and polished in others.
There’s a danger I’ll start to over-think things, so I’m going to focus using photos when she landed to her welcome party for the last time.

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Hi All,
Yes, there is something iconic and emotive about a Spitfire, and I still wear the grin on my face from the time I flew in PT462 (MkIX 2-seater conversion reg.C-CTIX) from Duxford back in 2018.
I was already familiar with the aircraft from its time in North Wales in the hands of the Hodgson brothers, but I only flew it as 2nd pilot from Duxford, when I treated myself to a 70th birthday present, and as a reward for beating prostate cancer 3 years earlier.
Fantastic experience, and enhanced by the fact that the P1 actually let me handle her for a couple of tight turns and a barrel roll or two…but I am a lapsed private pilot, and ex-RAF.
She had a smaller-than-most rear canopy, so looked more like the original Mk IX, which tends to inhibit the rear view, but at 5ft 8ins, I could just wedge my bone-dome under it…

I had a flying R/C model Spit a few years ago, and that was a lot harder to fly well than the real thing…!!

To anyone contemplating having a flight, I say… JUST DO IT!
Nor cheap, but worth every penny for a memory that will live for ever, just like the brave men who flew them in action.

Cheers,
Aldi (still grinning…)

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Yes, I totally agree with everything you have said - my flight was four years ago now, and I still smile every time I think about it - I always will. I don’t think anything prepares you for quite what an amazing experience it is!
I was also allowed to take the controls of G-ILDA for a little while, and to feel just how responsive it is to fly was utterly fabulous.
JMK

First great that you are well. I have said a few times that if I received a terminal diagnosis I would go for the Spitfire experience, I too have an RC Spitfire and am trying to develop the elevator / throttle control required to avoid nose over, so far I have only flown it once airborne on buddy leads, I’m fortunate to have a good friend who is a n expert RC pilot and happy to help me with it. Tally ho !

Thanks, JMK and Baabaa, for the replies.
Still on my Bucket List is the P51D Mustang 2-seater…but that will have to wait until I can get to the States again, and have some more money to ‘squander’!
As regards the model Spit, just like the real thing, they are a lady in the air, but a b!tch on the ground!
For takeoff, don’t just ram the throttle open - she’ll nose over every time.
Open her up gradually to about 3/4, then get the tail up with a touch of 'down elevator, so the rudder has some ‘bite’, to correct the engine-torque swing on takeoff, then open up fully and let her simply fly off with the merest touch of ‘up’. Then it’s ‘wheels-up’ and playtime! Just like the real thing, really…

Grin still present!

Aldi

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I was fortunate to be involved with the round the world flight. We arranged all of the overflight and landing permissions, ground handling for G-IRTY and the PC-12 support aircraft OY-THP, as well as supplies of Avgas 100LL for the Spitfire. The planning and flight spanned two and half years from start to finish. Previously, we had assisted the owner of the academy when he flew a helicopter from North Pole to South Pole. The whole Silver Spitfire flight was an incredible experience and as well as demonstrating a wonderful icon of British engineering, raised a considerable amount for charity. Oh, and It did also give me an opportunity to take my MX-5 to Goodwood to meet the aircraft when they returned to the UK. Thank you for letting me share this story on the forum.

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Many thanks for your post ,your tremendous efforts, and to the PC-12 team who contributed, without whom it could never have succeeded .
One day…I’ll hopefully make it down just to view Girty.
It’s been added to my bucket list to do so.

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Had a look at the aircraft activity near the tanker “hijacking” on Sunday and saw this - they really were throwing everything at the situation!

I think I can spot a couple of Hurricanes & Mozzies getting stuck in too.

The whole of the channel is a red zone except for a strip along the coast. When I flew recently along the cliffs at Dover we were restricted to a few 100 yards offshore as the rest of the area was designated for UKG drone flights on channel watch. We even got a radio call to remind us.

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It was good to see that John Romain, and his wife Amanda received recognition in the form of an MBE apiece for their work with the ‘THANK YOU NHS’ Spitfire.
See << All the Cambridgeshire heroes on the New Year’s Honours List 2021 - Cambridgeshire Live (cambridge-news.co.uk)>>
Makes a nice change from seeing honours bestowed upon vacuous ‘celebrities’, political party donors, sportsmen and time-expired civil servants, all well rewarded already.
Excuse the minor rant, please…
Well done, JR… :grinning:

Yep, they’ve done, and are doing, great work. I flew in their 2 seater Spit in September and local TV crews were also there filming the THANK U NHS aircraft on the ground and in the air for a broadcast on the same day.

Myself and the Obergruppenfuhrer went to the Goodwood Revival, so I thought these photos might provoke a stirring in your loins under that old kilt of yours.


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