And Another Thing

MkIa, a MkII is the same but with all the mods
 that made a MkI into a MkIa built in at the factory.
A MkV is also the same to look at except for grey green
camo (from 1941)

Also while I was video editing & writing entries for this year's road trip, we went to another airshow at Shuttleworth. It was billed as a celebration of 90 years since the first flight of the Spitfire & with much trumpeting they announced that they had booked one of every airworthy mark, I counted up - MkI, II, V, VIII, IX, XI, XIV, XVI, XIX & a Seafire MkXV (Spitfire Mk numbers get horribly complicated). Well, it didn't quite happen, 

The Seafire's been in deep maintenance for a while & although it has flown recently, they wisely decided it wasn't ready for an outing yet & the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight didn't show up (again) which meant no MkII. But Shuttleworth put on a good display with the nine they had flying (the MkIX in Russian markings was static only).

A USAAF MkIX (yes the Americans flew Spitfires),
basically a MKV with an uprated engine, the radiators
 under both wings are the same size, before that the
port side one (oil cooler) was much smaller

They came over in three waves of three with the last wave peeling off each time & flying about a bit. The first wave to do this was the later marks, working back in time with each row. I guess this was because the later marks are 100mph faster than a MkI, so putting the slower ones at the front stops them getting left behind. They had done a good job in selecting a range of types, there were RAF, USAAF & Russian markings as well as aircraft from a Czech RAF squadron. there was one in the brown / green Battle of Britain camo, several in the grey / green used from 1941 when the RAF was operating more over the sea, the Russian Spitfire had RAF camo & markings, but with the roundels over-painted in Russian green & the red stars over that.

Easily the fastest of the Merlin engined Spitfires, the MkXI
 was an un-armed photo-reconnaissance aircraft

There were two in photo reconnaissance blue (Mks XI & XIX) & one in tropical brown / brown. So it was good to see the variety. 

They also laid on a few "set pieces". In much the same way that at the last show the Hispano Buchon (post war Spanish Messerschmitt BF109 development) had a dog-fight with a Grumman Martlet (Wildcat) & lost, in this show it was up against a Spitfire & lost again.

Unfortunately, the aircraft it was flying against was a two seater, so it was a plane that didn't exist in WWII against a plane that didn't exist in WWII. I tried to take my photos such that the second canopy didn't show - with some success I might add.

There was also Shuttleworth's own Spitfire MkV flying with a Sopwith Camel. I say "flying with" not "in formation with" because the camel would fly past the crowd & at some point the Spitfire, though going as slowly as was safe, would hurtle past, but again, not something you'll see at any other airshow.

Another of the set pieces demonstrated fighter development through WWII, with a Gloster Gladiator (250mph) - some were still serving in the UK in the Battle or Britain, a Hawker Hurricane (300mph) & a mid - late war MkIX Spitfire (400mph) in tropical camo.

There were all sorts of other displays as well from rare & unique aircraft & as it started to get dark a MiG 17 appeared, actually (a little like the "Messerschmitt") it was a Polish built aircraft, so not really a MiG at all). It was saved for the evening part of the show because the pilot put on an excellent demonstration, with many passes close enough for the crowd to see & lit the afterburner every chance he got, well played that man! It seems this plane is hitting every air show in the country this year, see it if you can.

The MiG was very nearly the star of the show for me, but I'm afraid that accolade goes to this.

A derelict 1933 Rolls Royce was found in a field in around 2018. When it was dragged out & cleaned up the chassis & suspension were in remarkably good condition. The rest was pants, so the chap hatched a plan, the rolling chassis got another Rolls Royce engine fitted - granted it's a little larger than the original - it's a Meteor - the unsupercharged version of the 27 litre Merlin that was used in tanks & boats. It then got all new bodywork which goes right up to the very edge of ridiculous without ever stepping over.

It's called "The Grenadier" & apparently it weighs four & a half tons, but with 850bhp on offer, has to be restricted to "only" 135mph because the tyres will destroy themselves any faster. The workmanship on the body was exquisite, but it averages 3mpg & cost the guy £350 to drive from his home "in the Midlands" to Shuttleworth - which as a southerner, I would say is in the Midlands - & it had to be refuelled three times - each way.

But what a mad, wonderful, glorious thing.

Sir - I salute you!