Fly Past

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

6 FLYPAST April 2018

Martin Willoughby’s Lancaster R5868 replica

arriving at Woodford on October 30.

AVRO HERITAGE MUSEUM

North American P-51D

Mustang 44-13704 Ferocious

Frankie has been sold to a

private collector in Turkey.

The fighter, operated for many years

by Duxford’s Old Flying Machine

Company (OFMC), was flown to its

new owner by Lee Proudfoot in

January.

Based in the UK since the 1980s,

initially with the Fighter Collection,

the Mustang is painted to

represent the mount of 374th

Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter

Group ace Wallace E Hopkins AM

DFC. OFMC will continue to operate

its famous Supermarine Spitfire IX

MH434 and is looking forward to

a busy 2018 season as it prepares

to mark the British fighter’s 75th

anniversary in August.

http://www.ofmc.co.uk

‘Ferocious Frankie’

to fly in Turkey

‘Ferocious Frankie’ is to be operated by a

new owner in Turkey. DARREN HARBAR

Stoke-on-Trent’s Spitfire to be worked on in Kent

Supermarine Spitfire XIV RW388 was

delivered to the Medway Aircraft

Preservation Society Limited (MAPSL)

on February 5.

Usually on display at the Potteries

Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-

Trent, the fighter will undergo cosmetic

refurbishment at the workshop in

Rochester, Kent, alongside continuing

work on Short Scion G-AEZF.

RW388 was built at Castle Bromwich

in 1945, but emerged from the factory

too late to participate in World War

Two. First taken on charge by 6 MU at

Brize Norton on July 18, 1945, it was

then issued to 667 Squadron where it

sustained damage in a flying accident.

Following repairs, it was allocated

to 612 Squadron in 1951, and remained

with the unit for six months before

going to the Fighter Command Control

and Reporting School. After being

damaged a second time, it was retired

and installed as a ‘gate guardian’ at

Benson and later at Andover. In 1972

it was presented to the City of Stoke-

on-Trent by ACM Sir Neil Wheeler. The

Spitfire will return to the Staffordshire

attraction when the refurbishment is

finished.

The public may view the work in

progress on Monday, Wednesday and

Sunday mornings from 09.30 till 12.00. A

donation of £2 per person is suggested

which will help MAPSL to continue its

work on restoring vintage aircraft.

http://www.mapsl.co.uk (^) ROBIN J BROOKS
Spitfire XIV RW388 is to undergo cosmetic
work at Rochester. VIA ROBIN J BROOKS