Rarest Of The Rare

Sailor Steve · 09-18-11, 09:37 PM

I was just turned onto this by a guy on a FaceBook page. The Mk 1 Spitfire found on the beach in Calais thirty years ago has been restored to its original glory.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...once-more.html

I love the ending where the pilot ignores the runway and lands instead on the grass, which is where a Mk 1 Spit should land.

razark · 09-18-11, 09:50 PM

Wow. Shot down in 1940, found in the beach in 1980. It must be an amazing bit of work to get a plane that's been buried for 40 years back into the air.

Growler · 09-18-11, 09:57 PM

What a rare treat indeed! Thanks for the post, Steve; as hard a weekend it's been for the Warbirds community, a little uplift like this is certainly welcome.

What a story, and what an amazing restoration job for a very beautiful aircraft.

Bubblehead1980 · 09-18-11, 11:57 PM

That is just awseome.Nice post

TarJak · 09-19-11, 03:34 AM

Amazing story and great to see such an early example of the Spit flying again! Great find Steve and thanks for sharing.

JU_88 · 09-19-11, 03:51 AM

Nice one Steve, the more airborne capable Spits we have, the better the world will be.

papa_smurf · 09-19-11, 04:29 AM

Can't beat the roar of that Merlin engine

Alex · 09-19-11, 04:59 AM

Wonderfully restored aircraft. And very smooth landing.

Thank you very much, Steve !

Oberon · 09-19-11, 05:57 AM

Oh, now that is beautiful, thank you for posting that Steve, a beautiful machine, a dedication to their hard work in restoring her. Always good to see the iconic mark I in flight, my favourite of the lot. Sure, she had her little foibles, particularly in the cooling department, but she was a beautiful aircraft and I'm glad to see they've restored her to the original standard, hand cranked undercarriage and all!

Hope to see her in action one day with a Spitfire wobble

HunterICX · 09-19-11, 06:06 AM

That is absolutely beautiful

Love to see that there's been so much effort to have to old girl back up in the air again in her original state.

HunterICX

Jimbuna · 09-19-11, 07:31 AM

Nice one

In a few decades we'll probably get to see a long lost Harrier back in the air

AVGWarhawk · 09-19-11, 09:44 AM

I love to see the passion of a few come to reality. Beautiful bird and fantastic restoration.

Garion · 09-19-11, 01:27 PM

Nice video, I was just about ready to start building 1/24 scale Mk1 Spit as my winter project. Unfortunately my house is about to be rewired sooo I have had to postpone the build until November.. sigh

Cheers

Garion

09-18-11, 09:37 PM	#1
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Rarest Of The Rare I was just turned onto this by a guy on a FaceBook page. The Mk 1 Spitfire found on the beach in Calais thirty years ago has been restored to its original glory. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/...once-more.html I love the ending where the pilot ignores the runway and lands instead on the grass, which is where a Mk 1 Spit should land. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

09-18-11, 09:50 PM	#2
razark Ocean Warrior Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 2,731 Downloads: 393 Uploads: 12	Wow. Shot down in 1940, found in the beach in 1980. It must be an amazing bit of work to get a plane that's been buried for 40 years back into the air. __________________ "Never ask a World War II history buff for a 'final solution' to your problem!"

09-18-11, 09:57 PM	#3
Growler A long way from the sea Join Date: May 2005 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,913 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	What a rare treat indeed! Thanks for the post, Steve; as hard a weekend it's been for the Warbirds community, a little uplift like this is certainly welcome. What a story, and what an amazing restoration job for a very beautiful aircraft. __________________ At Fiddler’s Green, where seamen true When here they’ve done their duty The bowl of grog shall still renew And pledge to love and beauty.

09-19-11, 04:29 AM	#7
papa_smurf Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: High Peak, Derbyshire Posts: 2,851 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	Can't beat the roar of that Merlin engine __________________

09-19-11, 04:59 AM	#8
Alex Dominant Wolf Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,143 Downloads: 30 Uploads: 0	Wonderfully restored aircraft. And very smooth landing. Thank you very much, Steve ! __________________

09-18-11, 11:57 PM	#4
Bubblehead1980 Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Florida USA Posts: 7,100 Downloads: 605 Uploads: 44	That is just awseome.Nice post

09-19-11, 03:34 AM	#5
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	Amazing story and great to see such an early example of the Spit flying again! Great find Steve and thanks for sharing.

09-19-11, 03:51 AM	#6
JU_88 Silent Hunter Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: UK Posts: 3,803 Downloads: 11 Uploads: 0	Nice one Steve, the more airborne capable Spits we have, the better the world will be.

09-19-11, 05:57 AM	#9
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Oh, now that is beautiful, thank you for posting that Steve, a beautiful machine, a dedication to their hard work in restoring her. Always good to see the iconic mark I in flight, my favourite of the lot. Sure, she had her little foibles, particularly in the cooling department, but she was a beautiful aircraft and I'm glad to see they've restored her to the original standard, hand cranked undercarriage and all! Hope to see her in action one day with a Spitfire wobble

09-19-11, 06:06 AM	#10
HunterICX Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2006 Location: Malaga, España Posts: 10,750 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	That is absolutely beautiful Love to see that there's been so much effort to have to old girl back up in the air again in her original state. HunterICX __________________

09-19-11, 07:31 AM	#11
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,473 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Nice one In a few decades we'll probably get to see a long lost Harrier back in the air __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

09-19-11, 09:44 AM	#12
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,253 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	I love to see the passion of a few come to reality. Beautiful bird and fantastic restoration. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

09-19-11, 01:27 PM	#13
Garion Commander Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 452 Downloads: 34 Uploads: 0	Nice video, I was just about ready to start building 1/24 scale Mk1 Spit as my winter project. Unfortunately my house is about to be rewired sooo I have had to postpone the build until November.. sigh Cheers Garion