How come spitfires don’t display their registration?

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youngsod@reddit

I do like the fact that the BBMF aeroplanes have military registrations.

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Kanyiko@reddit

The BBMF is part of the RAF, so strictly speaking those aircraft never left RAF service.

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youngsod@reddit

Indeed! I'm just not sure if they have their original, wartime, registrations.

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Kanyiko@reddit

All of the BBMF's aircraft have their original wartime registrations, except their Dakota about which some confusion erupted in the late-1970s.

C-47A Dakota Mk.III c/n 10200 was originally an RCAF aircraft (RCAF 661) but was transferred to the RAF in 1971 (becoming KG661). In 1979, however, research uncovered that the actual RAF Dakota KG661 was c/n 13478 (USAAF 42-108963), which crashed on December 13th 1944.

On realising that 'their' Dakota was NOT KG661 and had, in fact, never been allocated an RAF serial number, instead having gone to the RCAF directly from the factory, the aircraft was promptly assigned a different and new RAF serial number, namely ZA947. Which, ironically, places it between an Aerospatiale Puma HC.1 (ZA941) and a BAE Hawk 165 (ZB101)

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New_Line4049@reddit

God why am I imagining the Dak sneaking onto a random flight line furtive glance trying to pretend it totally belongs among this line of Tonkas or chinnys or whatever lol

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youngsod@reddit

Thank you very much for this, I appreciate it. Especially the Dakota story. I have a feeling it might outlast all of its serial number contemporaries!

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Kanyiko@reddit

It's well on its way to do so. From the entire ZA block, just 17 Chinooks (now HC.6A) and two Gazelles remain in service; all the rest have either been withdrawn from service and stored/scrapped/sold/gone into museum preservation or lost in accidents.

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Puddleduck97@reddit

The Dakota changed serials (not a registration) originally being RCAF serial 661, then UK military serial KG661 when purchased by the Royal Aircraft Establishment post war. The serial was changed when records analysis indicated that KG661 had already been used for another Dakota, which had been destroyed. You can't have multiple aircraft with the same serial even if only one of them currently exists!

The rest of the Flight's aircraft operate on their original serials, including notably Spitfire IIa P7350. an actual Battle of Britain veteran aircraft.

The Military Aircraft Register doesn't make a habit of changing aircraft serials.

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llamafarmadrama@reddit

Well, the ones that were bought from private hands did. Others, like the Mk XIX spitfire, didn’t.

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GurthNada@reddit

Is there any other Air Force in the world with an equivalent unit?

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Soggy_Quarter9333@reddit

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martianfrog@reddit

Hmm that's the Grace Spitfire

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New_Line4049@reddit

Fucking beautiful is what it is!

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codeduck@reddit

Oi, some warning before posting this filth would have been nice. Now I've got to clean up the mess.

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Soggy_Quarter9333@reddit

More filth for you.

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martianfrog@reddit

It's like they positioned the props perfectly especially for you.

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codeduck@reddit

God I love Spitfires.

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EGLLRJTT24@reddit

Historical military aircraft can be granted an exemption from displaying their registration as long as the livery is accurate and they've applied for the exemption with the CAA and MoD

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martianfrog@reddit

So then if a police plane was looking for a Spit with a certain reg, it wouldn't be able to identify it? How can they keep law and order up in the skies then?

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EGLLRJTT24@reddit

The livery has a reg on it, EP120. It's linked to the actual reg.

Not like there's thousands of lawless Spitfires flying around on the regular.

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biggles1994@reddit

Now I want this to be a new TV show, Police air-interceptors. Coppers in EF Typhoon's with police branding and blue lights chasing down rogue aircraft in the skies.

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martianfrog@reddit

Maybe the next George Lucas movie, I'd definitely want to watch that. "OK buddy the game's up, pull over at the next airstrip."

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EGLLRJTT24@reddit

Best I can offer is a P.68R

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Blackhawk510@reddit

I know in one of the Trailers for Sky Fighters, one of the Mirage pilots says "Allo, gendermarie nationale!" Over the radio when intercepting a stolen prototype. I always loved that line but I don't think it's in the final film.

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martianfrog@reddit

I guess we'll never know for sure.

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OptimisticMartian@reddit

Sounds like we have the perfect plot for the next great airplane based heist movie!

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SirLoremIpsum@reddit

They police would have to call someone with their own warbird to apprehend them.

*Danger zone

Tom Cruise in his P-51

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martianfrog@reddit

They should film it on Mars.

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KonixSpeedking@reddit

Like the Joker driving his dusty school bus out into the street packed with em. Disappears…

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quesoandcats@reddit

Aren’t there only like 8 spitfires still capable of flying? I can’t really see this being an issue lol

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martianfrog@reddit

More like around 60 but I get your point :)

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pucksnmaps@reddit

Redditors didnt like that joke it seems

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martianfrog@reddit

No lol, what's with that?

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HardlyAnyGravitas@reddit

It's frighteningly likely that the people who downvoted you are so stupid that they thought you were serious.

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martianfrog@reddit

Or maybe they are all Spitfire owners, who knows.

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hhfugrr3@reddit

I'm loving the idea of a police helicopter flying over London trying to find just one Spitfire among the thousands filling the airspace.

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Kanyiko@reddit

The National Police Air Service in the UK, Scotland and Northern Ireland consists of Partenavia P.68R's, Britten-Norman BN2T Islanders/Defenders; and Airbus EC135s and EC145s.

If they ever had to persue a Spitfire - they'd send for the Royal Air Force instead.

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El_Androi@reddit

You discovered the loophole. A spitfire is the ultimate getaway vehicle.

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english_geez@reddit (OP)

Thanks!

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codeduck@reddit

Would you brand the derriere of a beautiful woman?

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ChevTecGroup@reddit

I think in Europe they are exempt as historic aircraft.

In the US, historic planes are allowed to display a much smaller registration than otherwise required by regulation

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StalinsPimpCane@reddit

It’s so weird as a firearm enthusiast and a flight instructor seeking you both in my gun subreddits and my airplane subreddits

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Kanyiko@reddit

Pretty sure it's just the UK where that exemption is granted.

The Belgian Spitfire (OO-XVI) displays its registration under its tail. The same is true for historic aircraft in France (example: F-AZKU, a P-40N); Germany (example: D-FWME, a Bf 109G-4) and the Netherlands (example: PH-JAT, a P-51D)

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Xav_NZ@reddit

Pretty sure the exemption exists in New Zealand and Australia as well as I have never seen any historical aircraft here with a NZ / Aus registration displayed from what I gather this is true both for true warbirds and replicas , None of Sir Peter Jackson's old WW1 birds have NZ registrations for example.

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NZ_PHLYER@reddit

Yes they would have applied for that as outlined here

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joshwagstaff13@reddit

It depends.

Things like Harvards or Tiger Moths, you'll see a normal registration every now and then. For example, NZ1076/ZK-ENB has both civil registration and military serial displayed iirc.

Whereas NZ2423/ZK-BHT only has the RNZAF serial visible.

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Suckatguardpassing@reddit

Usually AUS warbirds display their rego at the tail using small black letters.

some example:

vh-hpb https://www.key.aero/article/return-hawker-sea-fury-australian-skies

vh-t55 https://paulbennetairshows.com.au/de-havilland-vampire

vh-aub https://www.hunterwarbirds.com.au/aircraft-collection

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ChevTecGroup@reddit

Yeah that sounds more correct.

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english_geez@reddit (OP)

Cool, thanks

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