Well, another month has passed by, a little more work has been done, and a few more prints have been sold. However, before we showcase what has happened to the project I would like to tell you about something else that happened this month. On 07 November a group of people came by from the Directorate of History and Heritage. This agency is responsible for all the accredited Military Museums in Canada. The group that came by were inspecting the museum for any possible radiation contamination from old instruments and equipment that were in their collections. Although we at the hangar have been inspected before, the group came again, and this time with better sensors.

The picture to the left shows a few of the group in their fancy coveralls after they inspected some of our stored items. Unfortunately, they did discover some items that the sensors showed had radiation contamination on them. The group spent the better part of one day inspecting and cleaning out the areas that showed contamination.

With this in mind I would just like to remind people that the vast majority of the older instruments that might be souvenirs are most likely radioactive. Almost all the instruments from WW2 had Radium 226 painted on the lettering. This Radium releases Alpha, Beta, and Gamma particles. As well, if the instrument has cracked glass or no glass then the decaying radium paint will flake off and become even a worse hazard. Please, if you have any of these instruments ensure they are stored in a safe place in a plastic bag. If you no longer want these instruments please contact your local Hazard materials experts to find out where you can legally dispose of these items.

Much progress has been made on the tail section since the last update. Bon, Harold and Tom have fabricated most of the parts that are required to complete the tail section and are now in the process of cutting and shaping the port and starboard skins. The biggest hurdle on the tail section and the most time consuming parts to build were the two pieces that make up the leading edge.

Tom is about to check the fit of a tail section skin. Tom has been part of the restoration project for 4 years and is a former RCAF technician. He works on a volunteer basis in the hangar a few days each week.	A good view of the starboard side of the tail section. The skins have been cut and fitted, all panels have been cut out and reinforced, and the skins will now be riveted to the frame along with the two leading edge pieces.

During the second world war, the factory personnel at Supermarine took pride in the fact that they could fabricate, by hand, the part known as “the little bastard”. The leading edge bit that sweeps up from the fuselage to the tail plane was considered by many to be one of the most difficult parts to create by hand. Only old school training, loads of practice and an abundance of skill and experience makes this type of craftsmanship possible. Our restoration team has proven time and time again that their experience and skills have been tested successfully by the intricate design of RJ Mitchell and the challenges of 1930’s metal fabrication.

Right: Here is Bonn putting the final touches on the top leading each part. "The Little Bastard" is clearly visible on the workbench. It has been fitted to the tail section frame many times in order to get a perfect fit. Aircraft restoration requires the builder to have a huge resume of experience, especially if you're building a Spitfire. Bottom: Finally finished, the original factory workers were proud to be able to say they could fabricate "the little bastard". The leading edge piece was considered to be one of the most difficult parts to build for the Spitfire. Ours was hand made the old fashioned way by our engineer Bonn Svensson.
	Wooded forming blocks are required first to fabricate some Spitfire parts. Pictured here are the wooden forms that Bonn used to shape and mold the two leading edge parts for the Y2K Spitfire.

We have published an advertisement in the November FlyPast magazine featuring our limited edition print “Touche”. We were proud to be part of the exciting Spitfire theme this month. So far we have been very busy filling orders from across Canada and other locations around the globe. If you have not seen our print, check out the details on the multiple signature print page on this website. We have the signatures of twelve Canadian Spitfire pilots on our print and it would make a great gift for that special aviation fan in your life. We are surprised at the number of prints we have shipped to wives that have purchased them for husbands. Our 500 limited edition prints took quite the journeys these past several weeks getting the twelve signatures. They were first shipped to Ontario where Ron Barnes, the son of F/L Arnold Roseland, drove them to Barrie Ont, where Bob Middlemiss attached his signature. Len Wilson and Charley Fox from London and Stratford Ontario also added their signatures. As well, Stocky Edwards, Duke Warren, Art Sager, Jan Pomerienz, Kit Carson and Jim O’Toole also added signatures. They were then taken to Alberta so that Ken Lett, Don Laubman and Doug Lindsay could complete the 12 Canadian Spitfire signatures. For a donation of $195 and a small fee for handling and shipping you could own a small piece of Canadian aviation history and, your much appreciated donation will support the Spitfire restoration.

This display has proven to be very popular since it was set up in the restoration hangar. It tells the story of the Y2K Spitfire, the pilot F/L Arnold Roseland RCAF, and features a picture of each of the twelve Canadian Spitfire pilots that have signed our limited edition print "TOUCHE". The print is available now and you can find details on how to aquire one by clicking the "Get Signed Y2K Prints" on the menu.

We will miss one of our team members very much. Harold Mulder, who has been a driving force behind the projects success since we started over five years ago, has been posted to Trenton Ontario and will be crewed up on a Canadian Hercules transport aircraft. During the past five years Harold has played a major roll in all our successes. He has been fundraising, contacting other projects via the internet, fabricating Spitfire parts, machining various components, painting... you name it, Harold did it! And he did with skill and an enthusiasm seldom seen in a volunteer situation. Harold will still be an important part of our team, his posting just means Harold will be working with us from a few thousand miles away. We wish you the best Harold and thank you for all you’ve done. We look forward to you returning soon.

Plans are already underway for our 6th Annual “Open House”. The tentative date is Sunday May, 21 2006. Last year's event was our biggest and best ever. We attracted approximately 800 Spitfire fans to our restoration hangar that day and every one of them had an absolute ball. We will be inviting a number of Spitfire veterans again next year and will have a number of guides to explain the project and answer any and all Spitfire questions we can. If you're planning a trip to Vancouver Island, that would be great weekend to attend. More details will be announced as we complete our planning.

Until next time -- thank you for your time and support,
The Spitfire Volunteers