Spitfire MkVc Open Day S.A. Aviation Museum 2013-07-07

This morning I went, with two good mates, to the South Australian Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide. It was holding an Open Day of the Supermarine Spitfire MkVc of Mr Langdon Badger.  He gave a short presentation about this aeroplane and other belongings that is part of his collection.  This is the second time I have gone to one of these open day talks.  A chance to listen to his story and get this close to a Spitfire, is something not to be missed.

Supermarine Spitfire MkVc RAAF

This particular Spitfire was recovered by Mr Langdon Badger from an old wartime strip at Vivigani on Goodenough Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea in 1972.  Transported back to Australia, it was restored back to display status.  It bears the code that it wore during the War of UP-O, which is painted in sky blue to match the same colour code it had when in was in service. This was confirmed by one of the three pilots who flew it, Sergeant Pilot George Alec Chomley.

This Spitfire was written off on a landing incident in Kiriwina, and was then transported to Vivigani to be used as "conversion to components".  There it remained until it was recovered by Mr Langdon Badger.

During 2009 during a thorough repaint, the nose art on the port side cowling the 1943 Esquire Vargas “August Girl” was recreated to correct size to that it wore during WW2.

Here are some photos, some from today and some from previous visits to the museum.  The older ones are pre 2009, which you can tell by the old colour scheme and the smaller sized nose art on the cowling.

Information regarding the history and the recovery is taken from a couple of pdf documents that Mr Langdon Badger was kind enough to send me.  

I would like to thanks Mr Langdon Badger and the South Australian Aviation Museum for providing this opportunity and information.

 Pre 2009 repaint photos

Looking head on down the nose of the MkVc Spitfire the tropical filter is clearly seen under the nose 

Over the port wing (notice the small "August Girl" nose art) on the cowling

Looking down into the cockpit with the canopy open, on the first open day that I went to.

Post 2009 after repainting

A repainted MkVc with the correct scaled "August Girl" on the cowling

Looking over the rear right side. Under the starboard wing are some main wheel hubs and a 50gal drop tank

Looking  on the MkVc from above and behind.  In the background are a Canberra and a Sea Venom (the Venom has now been moved out due to the new F-111 exhibit)

Looking down into the cockpit from the port side with the canopy closed

From today's Open Day

One of the other visitors getting a good & rare view into the MkVc's cockpit (note to view into the cockpit you had to stand on a provided viewing platform and not the wing)

View over the port wing

Canopy and access door open (notice the sky blue UP coding and the red "wheels down" visual aid bottom left)

Starboard main landing gear (in the forground is a 50gal drop tank)

View over the port wing

Close up of the port side exhaust stubs & the “August Girl” nose art

Another close up of the port side exhaust stubs & the “August Girl” nose art

On the starboard wing, I think it says it all

The starboard wing cannon gun bay

The port wing .303 machine gun

Looking internally from the starboard rear access hatch towards the cockpit bulkhead

Looking back towards the rudder and rear tail wheel assembly

Open access door and cockpit (note the emergnecy crowbar in the access door)

Inside the cockpit

Looking down into the cockpit and down the nose

Control column with the gun button and gun sight

Looking through the gunsight and the thick front glass of the cockpit

Close up of the replication of the "August Calender Girl" nose art

The actual August 1943 Esquire Vargas Calender Girl

Closeup of a Luftwaffe pilots tunic that is part of Mr Langdon Badger's Collection

Here is a link to the South Australian Aviation Museum

  www.saam.org.au