Hey Rob...it was about time you got your own thread.
Here's a starter story for you.....up for auction, a fully restored Spitfire
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2015/05/04/fully-restored-wwii-fighter-plane-up-for-auction/
I more than appreciate this Tom...... enjoyed the article very much. Amazing to put a shot down Aircraft into total salvage and refurbishment, to a point its like new.
What's so Ironic, is about a month ago, I was comparing prices of the Spitfires to P51s. Always loved them both, like cars or planes, I've always preferred a vehicle that has the best of Luxury and Power, speed, performance, and costs too.....
Rolls Engines were at the forefront of High Performance, and top notch quality, requiring little to no down time, RR engines, can't say enough about RR AC engines, the L-1011 was the last great AC to fly with RR Whisper Jets.
Both AC Wings were a paradigm shift of wing designs, esp leading edges with razor sharp rear aft edges, as you of all know, both had the elliptical shape, enabling an end result of faster air speeds, (esp over wings), a true outside the box piece of Engineering back then ......
What has always boggled my mind is how many of both AC were built in a very very short time. Over 20,3XX Spitfires built, with less than 50 flying.
Mustangs, 15, 875 total built up thru 1948, with over 10, 000 built in but 5 yrs, b/t 1940-45, a rate of 5.5 AC built and delivered per week. I cannot fathom that......
While looking at both on Auctions not long ago-
I found quit a few of Mustangs, vs.- the less than 50 remaining Spitfires. The P51s have approx 175 flying in airworthy condition, 38 are in for Repairs and/or Refurbishments, with another 23 in Storage & flight worthy.
Both AC changed the tide of WWII. The Hangar - Plant; where all those Mustangs were built is still standing, one of the Nations larger Wooden Structures, in El Segundo, where the F-18s were also built, then shipped to Long Beach.....fkrs ripped off Northrop on the F17-to 18, yet they were reimbursed in court as well, as producing 51% of the F-18 Hornet and Super Hornets, 51% of all $$$ made.
