Two seat Spitfire

[planecrazy]

In 1995 my loverly wife allowed me to go the the US of A to catch up with an old skiing mate in Aspen, Colorado. Knew of a two seat spit based there and managed to sniff her out. At the time and I still believe owned by a chap named Bill Greenwood who kindly allowed me to take some pic's of his pride and joy! Don't seem to see to many two seat spits with the raised rear canopy, I may be wrong but from memory I think this one was ex Indian Airforce, can anyone shed some light?

[Brett]

From Warbirdregistry.org:

Serial #: TE308
Construction #:
CBAF.4494
Civil Registration:
G-AWGB
CF-RAF
C-FRAF
N92477
N308WK
Model(s):
HF Mk. IXe
Mk. Tr 9

History:
Vickers Armstrongs Ltd, Eastleigh, 1950-1951.
Delivered to Irish Air Corps as 163.
- BOC: July 30, 1951.
- SOC: 1968.
- Instructional airframe, Baldonnel AB, Eire, 1961-1968.
N.A.W. Samuelson/Samuelson Film Services, Elstree, May 8, 1968-1969.
- Registered as G-AWGB.
- Delivered from Baldonnel AB, May 8, 1968.
- Flown in movie Battle Of Britain, 1968.
Sir W.J.D. Roberts, Shoreham, Dec. 1969-1970.
Don Plumb, Windsor, Ontario, July 16, 1970-1975.
- Shipped to Toronto, Ontario, Oct. 9, 1970.
- Registered as CF-RAF, Dec. 1970.
- Converted to single seat configuration by fairing over second cockpit.
- Registered as C-FRAF, 1975.
Thomas J. Watson/Owls Head Transport Museum, Owls Head, ME, 1975-1979.
- Registered as N92477.
Woodson K. Woods, Scottsdale, AZ, Oct. 7, 1979-1983.
- Registered as N308WK.
- Converted back to two-seat configuration (2nd cockpit was still in place).
- Displayed at Carefree Aviation Museum, Scottsdale, AZ.
William S. Greenwood, Aspen, CO, Aug. 23, 1983-2006.
- Flown as RAF/TE308/RJ-M.

More detail here:
www.jerrybilling.com/Jerry%20Billing%20Spitfire%27s/History%20of%20Spitfire%20TE308.htm

Currently under rebuild after a ground collision with a Hawker Hurricane NX9RW in Galveston, Texas, April 2008

Cheers,

Brett

[McFly]

And a bit more here:

rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=world&action=display&thread=5805

www.flickr.com/groups/te308/discuss/72157615817808860/

www.fencecheck.com/forums/index.php/topic,11938.0.html

[baz62]

There's a Tr9 restored to IAC colours and the original rear canopy (actually I think it turned out the canopy actually came off this aircraft originally when converted to the Russian style canopies ,like the Grace ex-485 Squadron Spitfire for example).
And there is a third with the original style canopy too in Wales I believe.
The one in IAC colours had a fatal accident when training the new owner. One of the things looked at was the poorer forward vision with the "Russian" mod canopy and the higher position of the Instructor with the original rear seat and canopy. I don't think it was the main reason for the accident more one of the factors.