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PostPosted: 11 May 2018, 23:36 
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Joined: 06 Mar 2016, 20:34
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Location: The Middle East
Howzit
Any one knows what happened to the Spitfire that was around 30yrs ago called Evelyn?Would really like to know as I sat in her cockpit as a kid a long time ago.


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PostPosted: 11 May 2018, 23:45 
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She is in Brazil, still looking beautiful.

Snuck out of RSA in the 80's, exported to the US, purchased by Rolls Royce and donated to a museum in Brazil.

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https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Supermarine_Spitfire_-_Museu_Asas_de_um_Sonho_01.jpg

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PostPosted: 12 May 2018, 07:52 
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She was written off though? If I recall crashed into a fence on landing.


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PostPosted: 12 May 2018, 09:59 
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Joined: 13 Jul 2004, 23:09
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Drifter wrote:
She was written off though? If I recall crashed into a fence on landing.


Different Spitfire, you are thinking of Spitfire TE213, which had square wing tips..


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PostPosted: 12 May 2018, 17:41 
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Joined: 31 Aug 2010, 15:01
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Location: Centurion, Pretoria, SA
So she's in JE-J markings. Boring.....looks like a nice museum :smt023

The Spittie which crashed at Swartkop was an LF.Mk.IV low back with clipped wings and is the SAAF Museum's property - went through the boundary wall after engine failure. I recall walking into the airshow as she took off and a very loud "pop" could be heard on climb out. They're apparently putting her together again but I'm sure Dean will have more info.


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PostPosted: 12 May 2018, 21:04 
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http://www.spitfire-restoration.co.za/

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PostPosted: 13 May 2018, 08:25 
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Paul wrote:
Drifter wrote:
She was written off though? If I recall crashed into a fence on landing.


Different Spitfire, you are thinking of Spitfire TE213, which had square wing tips..



Aaah, yes, you are right.


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PostPosted: 13 May 2018, 20:10 
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Joined: 06 Mar 2016, 20:34
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Location: The Middle East
Thanks people,sad to see her sit in a museum and no longer flying.I remember a TV program about her in 1979/80 on SA TV about her restoration and that in a way started my love for aircraft of all sorts.I think my dad knew her owner as I sat in her cockpit in a hanger at Lanseria airport when I was about 13yrs old in 1982.


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PostPosted: 08 Dec 2018, 10:35 
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Joined: 17 Aug 2011, 11:13
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Location: Australia
Yes had last heard it had been donated by RR to a Museum in Brazil. She was flying as I recall, but not now? Pretty sad to see her not in SAAF colours. Looks like the lower surface grey, is the wrong colour? Times like this, I wish I could win the lotto and bring her back home! :?
Really hope the SAAF Spitfire restoration team manage to get the crashed SAAF Museum Spitfire back in the air! Another reason to win the lotto!


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PostPosted: 11 Dec 2018, 00:02 
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I too have fond memories of seeing her frequently in the air, as we lived under Waterkloof Airbase traffic pattern. We all followed along with the restoration and my father knew the original owners. Everyone was shocked when she "disappeared"
I've been trying to trace her for some time but it seems the Brazilian museum has shut down?


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PostPosted: 11 Dec 2018, 21:04 
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Joined: 10 Dec 2018, 23:55
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found something on another forum, publisher Sept 2018
"Evelyn is currently stored at the now closed Museum in the city of Sao Carlos in Brazil. Negotiations are being made to transfer the museum's collection to new installations at the city of Sao Jose dos Campos."
Hope this works out


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PostPosted: 14 Jan 2019, 04:25 
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Joined: 22 Mar 2013, 06:51
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Evelyn left SA under a cloud. It had a prop strike from going over onto its nose and the prop from the Mk.8 in the Saxonwold museum at the Joburg Zoo was "borrowed" and replaced with a wooden facsimile. The aircraft was then sold to a somewhat controversial businessman in California named David Price and the prop went with. Evelyn flew around SoCal for a few years in its 40 Sq SAAF colours. I happened to be in San Diego in 1987/8 and saw it at two different airshows, it was based at KSMO (Santa Monica in Los Angeles) where Price lived.

I forget the details but the aircraft was then exported in another dodgy deal, I seem to recall it was a tax issue on Price's side, and ended up in Brazil.


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PostPosted: 15 Jan 2019, 20:44 
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Joined: 20 Jan 2012, 21:47
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Upsun wrote:
Evelyn left SA under a cloud. It had a prop strike from going over onto its nose and the prop from the Mk.8 in the Saxonwold museum at the Joburg Zoo was "borrowed" and replaced with a wooden facsimile. The aircraft was then sold to a somewhat controversial businessman in California named David Price and the prop went with. Evelyn flew around SoCal for a few years in its 40 Sq SAAF colours. I happened to be in San Diego in 1987/8 and saw it at two different airshows, it was based at KSMO (Santa Monica in Los Angeles) where Price lived.

I forget the details but the aircraft was then exported in another dodgy deal, I seem to recall it was a tax issue on Price's side, and ended up in Brazil.


The prop story is apparently a bit of a myth - Barnett acquired a set of blades from Australia during the rebuild in exchange for Spitfire parts but they proved to be unsuitable for flight. The War Museum donated the Spitfire Mk VIII's blades then already and fibreglass replicas were fitted in their place.
With the destruction of the blades in the Margate accident there was some (heated?) discussions as to who would foot the bill for repairs and it is understood the SAAF paid for the engine repair and certain sheet-metal work while Barnett bought a new set of blades from Hoffman (a photograph exists of the technical team at Margate after repairs had been carried out (she was stored there for some time while engine and prob were being repaired) and prior to its return to Lanseria.
The Hoffman logo can clearly be seen on the blades and oddly the SAAF Museum is in possesion of the original Hoffman blade log cards!


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