Malcolm Clarke, 2013-06-12 10:04:55 |
| Built as MT 818, as an LF.VIIIc, registered by Vickers- Armstrong Ltd between 1947-1956 as G-AIDN and converted to a TR.8 2 seat prototype. Shipped to the USA and registered as N58JE from 1986 to 2007. Shipped back to the UK in 2008 and re-registered as G-AIDN. |
Casper, 2017-05-02 01:58:26 |
| This aircraft was shipped to the US in the late 70s or early 80s. Two brothers, George and Graham Miller, began assembling G-AIDN at Williams Airpark near Houston. When they realized the strip was too short and both ends of the runway had close-in trees, they arranged to truck the fuselage and wings separately to General Aviation Services in Conroe, TX. Assembly was completed in 1985 or 86. Engine tests and high speed taxi runs down the runway were completed by Dave Zavoina and Gary Hudson. It was then that the brothers discovered that they couldn't afford to insure the only Mark VIII two place Spitfire and were forced to sell. Jack Erikson bought it and transported it to Medford, OR, shortly afterwards. That's when it was registered with the N number. |