Oh some look too valuable to race
Thanks for sharing
1 Like
That’s a shame Ian.
Even though it played for the “other side” (from a British perspective) it was still an impressive (and beautiful) machine. It is sad that such an incredible device was created by/for conflict, but the same could be said for the Spitfire (and what Englishman doesn’t get a lump in the throat when one of them unexpectedly flies over?). 
Great shot by the way!
1 Like
Where that plane is concerned , I suspect it was a Spanish build rather than a German build.
One day a few years ago, I went for a walk , about a mile away is a farm , which has its own airfield , and a radar beacon. So you see lots of planes and occasionally a vintage plane, sometimes a Spitfire and a 109 flew over me. Also seen an Anson - and that did surprise me
Yes, thank it was taken at the Battle Of Britain Memorial at RIAT , a squadron of Spitfires, a flight of Hurricanes and this solitary 109 .
1 Like
Hi Ian, if you are referring to Haw Fm and Hampstead Norris airfield (I flew a Tiger Moth out of there a few years back - see post number 138 in this thread) then it’s a VOR transmitter with an associated DME. No radar involved. The VOR transmits on 114.35 MHz. You should hear CPT.
The two parts will provide a position line for the aircraft (bearing to or from the transmitter) plus the (slant) distance. The pilot can use this info to interpret his position.
I use it most days.
Cheers, Don
1 Like
Hi Don , it is
If you see some overweight and under height geezer walking up the road give us a wiggle
You do see some quite rare aircraft on occasion.
best wishes
Ian
1 Like
At least one lump! Still visually stunning at 86, but it’s also the sound….I’ve probably mentioned before but there is a video ‘Spitfire 944’ on YouTube about a USAAF photo reconnaissance spitfire flying out of RAF Mounts Farm - Berinsfield Oxfordshire during the war.
@Ian2001 - A year or so back I tried to find the remains of RAF Hampstead Norries which are in the woods around Haw Farm. Limited success on that visit but the access road is a footpath and if you look on Apple Maps you can see the ghosts of the runways and remote standing areas.
3 Likes
I think my neighbour has used the footpath as a shortcut between Ashampstead and Hampstead Norreys , so I’ll ask him.
Thanks for pointing that out. I’ve just watched that Spitfire 944 documentary on YouTube.
The ‘matter-of-fact’ manner of the pilot concerning his astonishing wheels-up crash landing almost beggars belief. His reaction, once it dawned on him that the film footage he was being shown was of his own belly landing, was very touching.
I had never realised that the USAF had ever used Spitfires, let alone that they ever flew in US colours (or should that be ‘colors’?).
2 Likes
I was never a big fan of MGs, my friends who owned them seemed to spend more time fixing them than driving them, but I thought this one at least looked a bit more classy.
8 Likes
I had one of those for number of years. Slow and not particularly good handling. Nice to trundle around in though and good for weekends away at venues which included a local car club meet. Stately homes and such like. Definitely a summer car.
1 Like
The USAAF did indeed fly Spitfires (and also Beaufighters) . The Spitfires were mainly used in the early days when the basic plane of the USAAF was the P40. Good in certain theatres , but not so much in Europe.
They continued to fly them in the photo recon version right until the end of the war
There is one Spitfire currently in the UK with USAAF colours or as you say " colors " .
2 Likes
The airfield shown in the Spitfire 944 clip is close to where I live. RAF Mount Farm was originally a satellite airfield for the RAF Photographic Reconnaissance HQ at nearby RAF Benson.
The USAAF took it over in early 1943 flying a mix of photo/recon aircraft, Lockheed P-38 (F-5 Lightning variant), North American P-51 Mustang & Spitfire XI
2 Likes
Thanks @Ian2001 and @Mike-B . Interesting stuff this.
Not being familiar with Mount Farm, I obviously Googled it to find out a bit more and found the American Air Museum website (currently under some reconstruction so I’ll revisit at a later date).
Further to your earlier comment, on the AAMuseum site I found one picture which really did send chills down my spine. Just so, so wrong…
MB945 | American Air Museum in Britain
1 Like
If you haven’t already, you may like this novel on the topic…
For the real stuff you can check out the Zirkus Rosarius and 1426 Flight RAF…
2 Likes
Thanks, I had never heard of this , fascinating.
We think we invented the sneaky beakies …
