Clipped wing Spitfire near Reading

[Steve_W]

Sitting in the garden yesterday afternoon and a low rumble is heard approaching; a pleasant change from the light aircraft or noisy aerobatic buggers we usually have fly over.

Seconds later the unmistakeable silhouette of a cannon armed, clipped wing, Merlin powered Spitfire roars overhead - lovely!

Anyone any idea who's operating such a beauty in the UK? I'm guessing it was either a Mk V or Mk IX.

Oh, and my OH said afterwards: "I guessed that was something special from the way you stood there gawping like a kid and just said 'bugger me!'"

[ecsrobin]

BBMF operate a clipped wing TE311 a mk LF XVIE http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/theaircraft/spitfirete3...

[Maff]

BBMF spitfire did a low fly past over a steam fair near Pangbourne yesterday afternoon and may well have passed Reading on the way seeing as Pangbourne is next door.

[Steve_W]

Thanks both; that must have been the one as we're just outside Pangbourne. Does that mean I missed Stoke Row rally then?

My excuse for not spotting a Mk XVI is that it was directly overhead - couldn't see the bubble hood.

[ecsrobin]

Steve_W said:

Thanks both; that must have been the one as we're just outside Pangbourne. Does that mean I missed Stoke Row rally then?

My excuse for not spotting a Mk XVI is that it was directly overhead - couldn't see the bubble hood.

I will make sure he fires at you next time he's passing as punishment for your error.

For me it's the best looking variant of spit and the story of how it became air worthy is a true love story from The engineers at BBMF.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Steve_W said:

Thanks both; that must have been the one as we're just outside Pangbourne. Does that mean I missed Stoke Row rally then?

My excuse for not spotting a Mk XVI is that it was directly overhead - couldn't see the bubble hood.

Not all XVI had the teardrop canopy.

Strangely enough TE311 is in my late Father's logbook.

[Steve_W]

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

Steve_W said:

Thanks both; that must have been the one as we're just outside Pangbourne. Does that mean I missed Stoke Row rally then?

My excuse for not spotting a Mk XVI is that it was directly overhead - couldn't see the bubble hood.

Not all XVI had the teardrop canopy.

Strangely enough TE311 is in my late Father's logbook.

Well I didn't know that. I was always under the impression that XVI's were fitted with Packard Merlins and teardrop canopies. Even at my age I can still learn something.

Thanks GG15G. Sounds like your late father had some good times in his flying career if he got to fly a Spitfire - every boy's dream

[Eric Mc]

Yep - the defining factor of a Mk XVI was that it had a Packard Merlin. I think some Mk IXs had teardrop canopies too.

[Ginetta G15 Girl]

Eric Mc said:

I think some Mk IXs had teardrop canopies too.

Indeed they did.

[Eric Mc]

I saw TE311 perform a wonderful display at Tangmere a couple of years ago.

[johnymac]

Steve_W said:

Ginetta G15 Girl said:

Steve_W said:

Thanks both; that must have been the one as we're just outside Pangbourne. Does that mean I missed Stoke Row rally then?

My excuse for not spotting a Mk XVI is that it was directly overhead - couldn't see the bubble hood.

Not all XVI had the teardrop canopy.

Strangely enough TE311 is in my late Father's logbook.

Well I didn't know that. I was always under the impression that XVI's were fitted with Packard Merlins and teardrop canopies. Even at my age I can still learn something.

Thanks GG15G. Sounds like your late father had some good times in his flying career if he got to fly a Spitfire - every boy's dream

The Mk IX and XVI were built side by side on the same production line. The XVI had a Packard Merlin and the IX was fitted with a Rolls Royce Merlin. There were a few minor differences between them but to all intent and purposes they were essentially the same. They were Both initially built with Malcolm hoods with bubble canopies introduced on late models of both versions.
I think you can probably find more info on the spitfire website - www.spitfiresite.com