Author Topic: The new Kiwi Spit XIV! (Read 165 times)

faminz · « **on:** March 27, 2002, 10:25:05 PM »

Hope Im not re-stating this but....

The new Spit XIV represents that flown by Colin Gray, New Zealands top scoring ace. Ive attached a pic (I hope) showing his plane in his Wing Commander's colours at Lympne september/october 1944.

I will feel proud to fly it (whenever I can get the points together...)

SFRT - Frenchy · « **Reply #1 on:** March 28, 2002, 03:02:58 AM »

didn't know that, ty for the learning

Spatula · « **Reply #2 on:** March 28, 2002, 05:14:43 AM »

WOW! i never even realised. Will have to look when i get the chance...

~~Colin Grey!~~

Wilbus · « **Reply #3 on:** March 28, 2002, 05:39:19 AM »

Nice

Hope you get some points soon so you can fly it, watch it when flying slow though, pretty unstable

Taiaha · « **Reply #4 on:** March 28, 2002, 07:27:46 AM »

Thanks a lot faminz, now I'm really annoyed that it takes me so long to earn the perkies to fly it!:)

Thrawn · « **Reply #5 on:** March 28, 2002, 09:40:52 AM »

Congrats Kiwis!

Pongo · « **Reply #6 on:** March 28, 2002, 10:33:05 AM »

One of the memorable Allied pilots of WW2..

Charon · « **Reply #7 on:** March 28, 2002, 10:55:26 AM »

Thanks for the Info. New Zealand's airforce lives on!

Charon

Spatula · « **Reply #8 on:** March 28, 2002, 04:34:24 PM »

Group Captain Colin Falkland Gray. Flew with the RAF and scored 27.5 victories during WW2.

Check it out.

http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/aces/gray.htm

Quote

New Zealand's top-scoring fighter pilot, Colin Gray, was born in Christchurch on 9 November 1914, one of twin brothers. Both became pilots in the RAF, Ken passing out in October 1938 and Colin a year later.

Ken was flying operationally in heavy bombers from the outbreak of war. He was awarded the DFC in December 1939 and subsequently killed in a flying accident on 1 May 1940.

Colin Gray joined 54 Squadron in November 1939 and spent the next six months fairly uneventfully. Things changed dramatically in May 1940 and on the 25th, after escorting Swordfishes to dive-bomb Gravelines, the Squadron met a force of Bf 109's and 110's. In the ensuing action Gray destroyed a 109 before his Spitfire was badly hit. Damage to the port aileron flipped the aircraft over into a steep dive and it was only righted with great difficulty. Gray made for home, with no airspeed indicator, guns, flaps or brakes. Using the emergency CO2 bottle to lower his undercarriage, he landed safely on his second attempt.

On July 13 1940 Gray shot down a Bf 109 near Calais after a long chase at sea level. Over the next seven weeks he claimed 14 enemy aircraft destroyed, shared another and probably destroyed or damaged a further fourteen. He was awarded the DFC in mid-August.

In early September 54 Squadron flew north for a rest. Many of its operational pilots were posted to other units and those who remained trained new pilots. Gray went briefly to 43 Squadron but returned to 54 in January 1941 to replace Alan Deere as a flight commander when the latter was posted away.

The unit returned south in late February and Gray remained until mid-June 1941 before being posted to No.1 Squadron as a flight commander. On the 16th he shared in the destruction of an He 59 floatplane and on 22 August shot down a Bf 109. Gray was awarded a Bar to his DFC on September 20, being by then credited with seventeen confirmed victories.

Gray took command of 616 Squadron in late August 1941 and led it until late February 1942, when he was posted to staff duties. After several short flying appointments in late 1942 he was posted to North Africa in late December to take command of 81 Squadron, the first unit to fly Spitfire IX's in the Middle East.

He quickly claimed more victories. When the North African campaign ended on 13 May 1943 Gray was awarded the DSO, having destroyed a further five enemy aircraft and probably destroyed or damaged four others. Promoted to Wing Commander, Gray was appointed to lead 322 Wing moving to Malta to prepare for the invasion of Sicily.

On 14 June 1943 he shot down a Bf 109, on the 17th a Macchi 202 and on 10 July, invasion day, he shot down a Bf 109 in flames during a patrol over the beaches. Following the Army the Wing moved to Lentini East airfield on Sicily on the 19th. Six days later Gray led the Wing on a sweep of the Milazzo area, on Sicily's north-east coast, where it was reported that German transports would be landing supplies on the beach at Cap Milazzo.

The thirty-three Spitfires arrived as the Ju 52's were circling to land. Five escorting enemy fighters were destroyed in the action and of the twenty-one transports shot down Gray claimed two. They were to be his final victories and he left 322 Wing in early September to return to Britain. He was awarded a second Bar to the DFC and was credited with twenty-seven enemy aircraft destroyed, one shared and a further twenty-two probably destroyed or damaged.

Once back in England he held two successive commands in training units before, in late July 1944, being appointed Wing Commander Flying of the Detling Wing to organise operations in support of the Army in Europe and sorties against the V-1 flying bombs.

Gray retired from the RAF in March 1961 as a Group Captain and returned to live in New Zealand.

Group Captain Colin Gray died in Waikanae in the 1st August 1995.

faminz · « **Reply #9 on:** March 28, 2002, 04:42:02 PM »

well done spatula. I didnt want to type/post all that...

btw he was actually credited with 27.7 kills by Christopher Shores as Gray shared 1 kill (an Me110) with 4 others for the extra .2
Gray himself never thought it worth mentioning.

Spitfire, The Anzacs or The RAF through colonial eyes, by Ventura publications, Malcolm Laird and Steve Mackenzie, 1997 ISBN 0-9583594-1-5

Rokkit · « **Reply #10 on:** March 28, 2002, 08:57:13 PM »

Would have preferred this one...Spitfire Mk XIVE MV 268/JEJ of Group Captain "Johnnie" Johnson, OC No. 127
Wing, 2nd TAF, Soltau, Germany, May '45.

What a beaut...love that bubble job!

Kweassa · « **Reply #11 on:** March 28, 2002, 09:35:59 PM »

Unstable?

I couldn't get the dang thing to go into accelerated stall over 300 mph. When it finally stalls and falls into spin after extremely long black out period applying maximum stick down, it does exactly one 360 degree spin in the opposite direction of the turn and then, restabilizes(but when people try to stop this movement artificially, it does, I admit, seem a bit trickier than other planes).

Tried a flat spin in it (nose up vertical, full throttle for maximum torque, climb until 0mph reached), and recovered within 10 seconds. Total loss of altitude due to flat spin at 1600 ft or so.

Maybe the torque/gyro effects are a newthing to people used to such remarkably smooth lead turning in Spit9s... but come to think that most people using other planes always go through some sort of 'unstability' in their planes, IMO, the plane is more than stable for the pilots who know how to fight decently.

Definately not a 'dweeb ride' that green pilots can easily 'exploit', but also as much definately not a 'disappointing, not so special plane'. The thing is uber. It won't grab onto a bogey's tail instantly with turns, like its predecessors, but when people who know how to be patient in combat... it's a terror

Superb, very pleasant plane!

Karnak · « **Reply #12 on:** March 29, 2002, 12:44:25 AM »

Nice info about the marking on the AH Mk XIV.

Kweassa,

Jeffrey Quill, the chief test pilot of the Spitfire series, said that the Mk XIV would exit a stall after a spin and a half if the controls were left alone. He said it had to be held in a spin.

And yes, it is a monster. Its just hard to survive in it when everybody and his uncle is trying to kill you.

One on one there isn't a plane in AH that I'd fear, other than the Me262A, if I were co alt in a Spitfire XIV.