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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: tomscymru on Saturday 04 October 25 15:29 BST (UK)
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Can anyone identify the aircraft in this photo? Top left is my uncle and other photos suggest he served in Asia. Do these aircraft help narrow down where he served?
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Looking at the intake under the wing then it may be a Spitfire.
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Spitfire with a 4 blade propellor and no guns in the wings.
Perhaps a photo reconnaissance (PR) version.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire
Tony
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The aircraft in the background is a Republic Thunderbolt (P-47 in US parlance) and it is sporting Far East Air Force style roundel and fin flash, i.e. no red, just blue and white, so certainly looks to be somewhere in Asia.
Paul
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My father always told me that he was involved in either building or servicing Spitfire aircraft. This would have been in the area of Chester (probably Sealand), and that when work was completed one of the workers would be taken on board for a test flight to ensure that they carried out their instructions properly! :o
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"The two RAF units most closely associated with photographic reconnaissance in the Far East were Nos. 681 and 684 Squadrons."
https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/never-forgotten-the-raf-in-the-far-east/aircraft-in-the-far-east/
Tony
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The aircraft in the background is a Republic Thunderbolt (P-47 in US parlance) and it is sporting Far East Air Force style roundel and fin flash, i.e. no red, just blue and white, so certainly looks to be somewhere in Asia.
Paul
Google P47 and look at the pictures of the underside and it is clearly not the spitfire intake in the photo.
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Which aircraft types flew with bubble canopies?
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The aircraft that the lads are working on is definitely a Spitfire. The air filter looks different to the image from Alan as it appears to be a Vokes filter usually fitted to the Spitfire Vc for operation in dusty conditions.
The Thunderbolt appears to be from 81 Squadron which would mean the photos was taken mid-1945 as they did not re-equip until then.
Paul
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The engine in one photograph is is a Rolls Royce Merlin .
My Dad might have turned a screw or two in it.
Amazing such a relatively small plane could get airborne with such engines.
Viktoria.