Later repainted less unit codes with underwing serial SG-3.
The engine had been removed and a concrete block was
used as ballast. During the removal from the pylon, one
wing could not be unbolted and the main spar was
unfortunately cut by overzealous Belgian Air Force
servicemen.
Acquired by Guy Black and airfreighted to RAF Coltishall
26.04.90. Regd 27.06.90 (CofR No: G-BSKP/R1) as G-BSKP
to Historic Aircraft Collection Ltd. Initially passed through
Hull Aero/Ludham and Audley End (12.91 – 02.92) then to
Paddock Wood until 12.94 when it moved to Duxford. By
1996 it was back at Audley End.
Sold to Karel Bos 12.97 and re-regd 16.02.98 (CofR No:
G-BSKP/R2) to Historic Flying Ltd. The survey by HFL
showed that the supplied components could form the core
of the restoration. AAN No: 26879 was raised 03.02.99 by
Historic Flying Ltd for a Permit to Fly.
The RR Griffon 65 engine was repaired in the USA by
Universal Air Motive and FAA Form 8130 issued. The engine
was completely stripped and repaired in accordance with
AP 2234 KL and M Vol 2 and was installed in the airframe
for testing. CAA Flight Department FTR number 11744R
dated 13.06.02 confirmed that the aircraft was acceptable
for the issue of a Permit to Fly; Approved date: 13.06.
Final date: 18.07.02.
Re-regd 12.10.06 (CofR No: G-BSKP/R3) to Spitfire Ltd
(aka Tom Blair), Duxford. Departed 07.11.06 to owner’s US
base at Kissimmee, Florida. Reassembled and f/f there
03.12.06. Cld 13.06.07 on transfer to USA. Bill of Sale
17.06.07 from Thomas L Blair (President of Spitfire Ltd) to
Spitfire USA Ltd, Rockville, Maryland, Re-regd 18.06.07 as
N201TB. CofA Application 25.06.07 and Special Category
(Air Shows and Air Racing) CofA issued 10.07.07. CofR
Triennial renewal requests up to 10.03.17. De-regn request
25.05.19, notifying sale to Aerial Speed Icons Ltd and de-
regd from US Register 03.06.19.
UK CAA CofR restoration process commenced 04.06.
and it was restored to Aerial Speed Icons Ltd, Richmond
(CofR No: G-BSKP/R4) as G-BSKP 23.07.19. Arrived at
Sywell for rebuild 30.07.19 (with thanks to Bernard Martin).G-SAEB SUPERMARINE 361 SPITFIRE LF.XVIE (CBAF IX 4647)
Built by Vickers-Armstrongs at Castle Bromwich as a
Spitfire LF.XVIe for the RAF with serial RW389. Originally
part of a batch of 700 Spitfire Mk.21s ordered under a
contract dated 20.01.44. The contract was cancelled 08.
but then partially re-instated for 40 Spitfire Mk.IXs
(RW344-359 and RW373-396) but which were built as
Mk.XVIs with Packard-built Merlin 266 engines and
delivered to the RAF in 1945.
RW389 was delivered to 29 MU High Ercall 20.08.45. To
20 Sqdn at RAF Valley 18.07.50. To 5 CAACU at RAF
Woodvale 25.09.51 with unit code A. To 9 MU Cosford and
declared non-effective stock 14.12.54. Dismantled and sold
as scrap to Eyre Smelting Co Ltd 13.06.56.
Forward fuselage acquired by Peter Sadler of
Supermarine Engineering in the mid 1970s and used as a
pattern for parts and as a reference. Then to Mark Harris,
ower of Supermarine Aero Engineering of Burslem. Regd.
30.07.19 as G-SAEB to M Harris, who is also the regd. owner
of the similar Spitfire LF.XVIe G-SAEA, ex SL611 (with
acknowledgements to Spitfire – the history).G-TIFY HAWKER TYPHOON IB (-)
Built by the Gloster Aircraft Co Ltd at Hucclecote for the
RAF as a Typhoon IB with serial RB396 as part of a
production batch of 255 aircraft. With Hawkers
concentrating on Hurricane production, the main
production of the Typhoon was sub-contracted to Glosters,
who built the vast majority of the 3,317 Typhoons
constructed between 1941 and 1945.
RB396 served with 174 Squadron with unit code XP-W.
On 01.04.45 while operating from a forward base at Goch,
Germany (later part of RAF Laarbruch) the aircraft was hit
by flak and force landed near Denekamp, Netherlands. The
pilot, Flt Lt C House, evaded capture and rejoined his unit.
The wreckage of the Typhoon survived and the rear
fuselage section was displayed in two Dutch museums,
including Fort Veldhuis, before returning to the UK in 2013.
The Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group was formally
founded in 2016 with the aim of returning RB396 to flying
condition.
The collection of suitable parts for the project has
continued and inter-changeability with Hawker Tempest
parts has been an advantage. A Typhoon cockpit/centre
section was acquired from Parkhouse Aviation, Wycombe
Air Park in 2016. In 2017 the complete rear fuselage, tail
and rudder of Tempest II PR536 (ex Indian AF HA457) were
acquired. This Tempest II was one of six that arrived in the
UK from India in 1979. PR536 was later rebuilt by The
Fighter Collection at Duxford for the RAF Museum, Hendon
but this used the rear fuselage from a Tempest II,
spuriously marked as ‘KB318’, which had come from the
RNEC Manadon. The original rear fuselage of PR536 was
then traded by the RAFM Museum for spares and was later
with an owner in Norwich, but is now the example with the
RB396 project.
In 2018 major sections and components of Tempest V
JN768 (the prospective G-TMPV) were acquired from an
owner in Essex. A Napier Sabre engine, previously owned
the College of Aeronautics, Cranfield (now Cranfield
University) and later displayed at the Rolls-Royce Heritage
Trust, Derby, was acquired in 2017. All of these components
were stored at the Group’s Uckfield premises.
In October 2018 it was announced that the Aircraft
Restoration Company at Duxford would provide
engineering support and oversee the rebuilt of RB396.
Airframe Assemblies at Sandown have been selected to
rebuild the Typhoon’s fuselage and the fuselage sections
of RB396 and Tempest II PR536 were delivered there by
road on 10.05.19. The target is to have RB396 flying for the
80th anniversary of D-Day in 2024 (with thanks to the
Typhoon Preservation Group and RAF Museum websites,
and Aeroplane).KIT NUMBERS
The following kit numbers have now come to light:
Best Off Skyranger (with thanks to Barry V Taylor)
(NB the latest identity plates no longer appear to have the SKR prefix)
G-CJAK .0192 project BMAA/HB/674 (This has no plate; the actual date portion may be 1507.0192)
G-CJPB 1609.1110 (DoM 20.09.16) project BMAA/HB/
G-CJXF 1610.1111 (DoM 28.10.16) project BMAA/HB/
G-SUMM 1703.0240 (DoM 27.03.17) project BMAA/HB/
G-WCKM 1612.1020 (DoM 10.12.16) project BMAA/HB/
For more up-to-the-minute pictures see http://www.abpic.co.uk