Spitfire Restoration News - November 11

Traffic through the hangar has dropped off as we head into a Canadian winter, visits are up over last year and our Sunday November 11 opening was a very successful event for all concerned. Many families attended to speak to some Spitfire veterans. Stocky Edwards, Duke Warren and Jim O’Toole attended again this year to share stories of the Spitfire with our visitors. All three veteran pilots signed autographs and posed for pictures for many of our visitors. The weather on Vancouver Island on Sunday was very wet and windy yet thousands of people attended Remembrance Day ceremonies in Courtenay and Comox. We would like to thank the hundred or so people that attended our restoration hangar to support our project and to share their respect and gratitude for the service of our veterans. The Y2-K Spitfire is being restored to honour the memory of the 18,000 Canadians that were killed fighting for freedom in RCAF/RAF service during the Second World War.

Work is well underway now on the Spitfire elevator, we have fabricated the main spar and have started work on rib mounting brackets and the various frames that connect the frames to the spar. Trailing edge pieces have been obtained from Airframe Assemblies as well we have some new build parts that came from a UK builder. Many of the original parts can be salvaged and will be used to complete the elevator for the Y2-K Spitfire.

A couple of views of the old main spar and the new spar, because of damage and corrosion we were unable to salvage the original spar. The internal structure of the elevator is seen here being test fitted to the new build spar.

We were pleased to hear from the Birkett 6 hour Relay early this month; they were able to raise almost 200 pounds for the Y2-K Spitfire at the recent event, thanks to all that helped us out at the relay.

If you would like to be a volunteer at the project hangar with tours on weekends please contact the writer and we can arrange a meeting, thanks for your time and support

Flight Lieutenant Jim O'Toole RCAF of 443 Squadron posses for a picture with some visitors to the hangar. Left to right.. Chelsea Tancon, Marco Tancon, Jim O'Toole, Chris Dodd, Melodie Tancon and bottom right Nicholas Tancon.

Pat Murphy
And the Y2-K Spitfire restoration team.
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Engineer, Bonn Svensson starting the fabrication process on the many little mounting brackets that are part of the elevator structure.

Former RAF Engineer Mike Stambois working on the 'D' brackets that are part of the elevators leading edge

Former Wing Commander and Spitfire Ace James 'Stocky' Edwards is seen here sharing some Spitfire stories with Trevor Guthrie of West Vancouver.

Former Wing Commander Douglas "Duke" Warren chatting with a few on the many visitors that attended the hangar on Remembrance Day