Guy Martin - Spitfire Rebuild

boogieman

Paul_C;378157" said:

Deadman said:

I've worked on a few of those beauties. My fingertips bled after wet flatting one, there's so many rivets to go round!

There's nothing like having one fly directly over your head at full pelt/low level.














NSFW with the sound up

Lol.
Good program, I love Guy Martin's enthusiasm, bit like Fred Dibnah but less irritating.

Fusionista

boogieman said:

Good program, I love Guy Martin's enthusiasm, bit like Fred Dibnah but less irritating.

Plus you know that if we were back in 1940 he'd be the best fitter you ever had and likely a Sgt pilot ace.

Jalapeno

Why does he say everything twice ? Why does he say everything twice ?

I loved it, Mrs J can't stand him !

Fusionista

Mrs F watches Strickly - 'nuff said.

LooseMoose

Just for the sake of balance, I can't stand him.

not_the_dj

Loved it.

Nice to see him being quite humble and not bigging up his involvement in the build like a lot of other shows/presenters would (despite as the head guy on the build said he certainly had the skills to be heavily involved).

Good mix of old footage and interviews with the veterans and factory workers as well (that stuff usually brings a tear to my eye).

The flight footage at the end was superb as well.

Well done Channel 4!

Jalapeno

The machine gun bit was bordering on Top Gear, but good nevertheless.

holnrew

Most of the way through it on 4od. Very good. Got a new found respect for the plane and the pilots. The bit where they're flying around with the Messerschmidt was ace, it's great they can still fly them like that.

What I don't like about Fred Dibnah is how he always said "yeah, yeah" like he had to prove he knew what the other person was saying. I don't know, let the man the speak...

Fusionista

Jalapeno said:

The machine gun bit was bordering on Top Gear, but good nevertheless.

What they didn't say was the Messerschmitt Bf109's 20mm cannon and fuel injection put it all over the Mk1 Spit.  Nor did they mention the fact the 109 was easier, quicker and cheaper to build.

However, we did eventually gear up.  First two 20mm cannon replaced four of the wing mounted machine guns. Then the remaining .303 machine guns were replaced with a pair of large calibre machine guns with longer range. Finally, by the end of the war all British single seat fighters had four 20 mm cannons.

Where we did have the advantage was incendiary bullets. "De Wilde" ammunition was only just ready in time for the Battle of Britain. 

ROOG

Fusionista said:

Jalapeno said:

The machine gun bit was bordering on Top Gear, but good nevertheless.

What they didn't say was the Messerschmitt Bf109's 20mm cannon and fuel injection put it all over the Mk1 Spit.  Nor did they mention the fact the 109 was easier, quicker and cheaper to build.

However, we did eventually gear up.  First two 20mm cannon replaced four of the wing mounted machine guns. Then the remaining .303 machine guns were replaced with a pair of large calibre machine guns with longer range. Finally, by the end of the war all British single seat fighters had four 20 mm cannons.

Where we did have the advantage was incendiary bullets. "De Wilde" ammunition was only just ready in time for the Battle of Britain. 

Indeed, there was a good semi-documentary thing on TV a few years back where they compared the 109 to the Spitfire, very interesting and raised the points you mention.

Lovely looking thing for a instrument of death and destruction!  

not_the_dj

IIRC from some docu or other the Germans never went  to full production capacity in their aircraft factories. It was great to hear that old gal last night taking about working at Castle Bromwich  8-8 Monday to Friday, 8-5 Saturday and 8-4 Sunday....with just one week off in July!

chillidoggy

holnrew said:

Most of the way through it on 4od. Very good. Got a new found respect for the plane and the pilots. The bit where they're flying around with the Messerschmidt was ace, it's great they can still fly them like that.

What I don't like about Fred Dibnah is how he always said "yeah, yeah" like he had to prove he knew what the other person was saying. I don't know, let the man the speak...

I noticed Guy says "eh?" after each sentence.

boogieman

I noticed Fred Dibnah said "of course" all the time. And once you've noticed him saying it, it gets really bloody annoying. His last wife was in one of the series and even she says it all the time too. Argghhh!!

holnrew

Dibnah likes structures too much for my liking too. Other than bridges I want to see machines really.

chillidoggy

Fred Dibnah had his own traction engine he had restored. Bit of a hero of mine, a proper old school engineer. He might have been a northerner, but I could have listened, and learned from, that bloke all day. They don't make 'em like that any more. Guy Martin is getting there, and despite the fact I can't understand a word the bloke says, he has the biggest balls of anyone for riding in the TT.

Sambostar

Spitfire is alright, Supermarine had their early days around these parts, sea racing in the 20's and 30's around Calshot.

I've always fancied a Stuka Dive bomber, Junkers Ju 87 myself.  You know to dive the hell out of everyone with the air siren on.

Got to be less of them around than there are Spitfires.  Surely.

That is a cool airplane.

not_the_dj

Sambostar said:

Spitfire is alright, Supermarine had their early days around these parts, sea racing in the 20's and 30's around Calshot.

I've always fancied a Stuka Dive bomber, Junkers Ju 87 myself.  You know to dive the hell out of everyone with the air siren on.

Got to be less of them around than there are Spitfires.  Surely.

That is a cool airplane.

The horn of jerico IIRC (the siren). Proper fear tackics. I didn't know until recently that the dive bombing was actually an automated process, although the experienced Pilots turned it off knowing that allied fighters could easily pick them off as the plan flew it's bombing manoeuvre

ICBM

Sambostar said:

I've always fancied a Stuka Dive bomber, Junkers Ju 87 myself.  You know to dive the hell out of everyone with the air siren on.

Got to be less of them around than there are Spitfires.  Surely.

Only two, both museum pieces and not airworthy, according to Wikipedia.

WezV

Bolton  Uni Halls of residence is across the road from Dibnah's House.   So he was technically my neighbour for a couple of years.  

Used to see him out and about quite often actually.

WezV

i was reading this earlier 

http://grrc.goodwood.com/cool-stuff/youre-thinking-buying-spitfire