In September I posted a link to an interesting photo of Spitfire TZ138 with the RCAF Winter Experimental Establishment (WEE) flight. Looking through other photos by that poster, I came across this interesting image the other night. Captioned as a Seafire in the UK, I can't help but wonder if it is actually Spitfire 24 VN332 in Canada. It sure isn't a Seafire...no tail hook...and while I have never heard of a Sea Fury being cocooned in Canada, WEE Flight did have a couple on strength. Can anyone identify the location? Unfortunately, it appears the writing on the side of the aircraft is a warning not to smoke around the aircraft, rather than what would have been much more helpful - a "This is WEE Flight Spitfire VN332" statement. Couldn't these guys have thought about us researchers all these years later? VN332 was later sold to the US becoming N7929A. It was painted in a civilian scheme before crashing in New Jersey in 1953 killing the pilot.
Now the big question? Do I dare finish my new Airfix Spitfire 22 like this? At least I wouldn't need to worry about canopy masking!
P.S.: Here is a copy of a really interesting RCAF report on the cold weather testing of TZ138.
2 comments:
Do you have any reason to believe the photo was taken in Canada?
It would be a great anchor for diorama. Perhaps a jeep (or whatever you Greater Canuckians used for light ground transport), an officer with a clipboard, and a couple of erks pulling back the canvas from one wing and tailplane. The canvas could be tissue paper, or fine silk, soaked in diluted white glue.
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