Anyone heard of a 3 seater Spitfire ???

[Alex Smart]

Hi,

Has anyone ever heard of a 3 seater Spitfire ???

I have read that in the war someone saw an early mark Spitfire used for ground instruction .

The RAF Airfield is named but right now I do not have the details in front of me.

He reported that the Spitfire had on each side of the aircraft beside the cockpit a seat with a steel structure in front of the seats.

I have seen simular on a Hurricane of the Indian Air Force, I think it was a photo in "Aeroplane" magazine within the last 2-3 years.

So if Hurricane's then why not Spitfire's ?

My source for the 3 seat spitfire is a reply writen in one of the issues of "The Aeroplane Spotter".

Others may have also come accross such aircraft in the war years during training or at airfields where they were based.

Information welcome.

Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hi, re the info for the first mail above as promised.


It came from a reply to earlier correspondence in "The Aeroplane Spotter" for 6th April 1946.

Quote -

" With interest I read Mr. D.C. Hibbard's letter concerning the proto-type Gloster F.9/37 two motor fighter. I was at Cosford in August 1944, on an Air Training Corps course and the F.9/37 was complete with Rolls-Royce Peregrine in-line motors-awaiting reduction to scrap.

At the same time I saw a Spitfire "mod" which, although it never flew, was used for teaching cockpit checks and motor starting.

This "mod" was a Spitfire F. Mk II with two additional seats out on the wings, one on each mainplane, protected by a sheet of metal attached to the fuselage and the leadin-edge of the wing.

C.J.L. Greenhow.
Chichester, Sussex" -End of quote.

Mr. Greenhow even has the Spitfire type down as a F.MkII. that was converted to three seater.

Now can we find it ?

Anyone know of any ground instructional Spitfire's at Cosford in August of 1944 ?

If so then perhaps we can narrow the search down a bit .

night

Alex

[Alex Smart]

Has anyone any details at all on ground instruction Spitfires at Cosford in or around August 1944 ?

Spitfire's Mark and/or serial number's??