| Irish
Air Corps TR. 9 Spitfires |
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| No.159, Ex. RAF MJ772, delivered in
1951, as was the rest of Ireland's Tr.9's, in its early
scheme of gray-green (interior green?) overall with two-colour
boss on fuselage and upper wing surfaces and tricolours
on the lower. Tricolour has orange always on the outside,
black numbers on fuselage and below each wing. Black walkways
on the wing roots are not yet applied. Of note is long
smoke stain behind exhausts. |
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| No.159 today. This plane was converted
back to its original single seat fighter configuration,
but some of the features of double-seater trainer remains.
Such as wire aerial, moved top fuselage position light
and lack of 20mm cannons in the wing. This example was
repainted in its original No. 341 (GC/III/2 'Alsace')
Squadron (Free French) colours and it can be seen in Seattle,
USA. |
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| ML407, served with six different Squadrons
of the RAF's 2nd Tactical Air Force. It was delivered
to 485 New Zealand Squadron on the 29th of April1944.
When flown by F/O John Houlton DFC, shot down a Bf109
over Normandy on the 8th June of 1944. In December of
1944, was transferred to 341(Free French) Squadron, then
moved on through 308 (Polish) Squadron, 349 (Belgian)
Squadron, 345 (Free French) Squadron, 332 (Norwegian)
Squadron and back to 485 (New Zealand) Squadron. Latter
ML407 became I.A.C. No.162 |
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| No.162, ex. RAF ML407, this time in
latter colour scheme of I.A.C. Spitfires of silver-aluminum
dope overall. Black walkways and black anti glare area
in front of student's cockpit, Three-colour boss in six
positions and black serials on fuselage and under starboard
wing only. Currently, No.162 flies in the U.K., in ownership
of Carolyn Grace. |
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| Some of I.A.C. Spitfires never wore other colour scheme, than gray-green overall. As represented by No.163 from March of 1968. This airplane was as well the only ex.RAF Spitfire, which did not see any action during WWII. After its departure to U.K. as G-ABGW, where was used during making of "The Battle of Britain" , now, repainted as TE308 RJoM, flies in Aspen, Colorado, USA. |
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