Spitfire LA198
Every time that I get lonesome for a bird, I walk 10 minutes through Kelvingrove Park to visit my girlfriend who hangs from the roof.
She's over 60, but doesn't look her age. You can read about her face-lift below :
Glasgow welcomes home its Spitfire :
Glasgow's Spitfire Welcomed Home By WWII Veterans - 24 Hour Museum - official guide to UK museums, galleries, exhibitions and heritage
Link to the Museum and Art Galleries :
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
Life - Spitfire LA198
Spitfire LA198, 1947, 3890 x 9960 x 11230mm.
Spitfire Aeroplane, LA198 F21 Model with Rolls Royce Griffon 61 Engine 1947. Used by 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron, 1947-49. The plane is recognised as the best-restored Spitfire in the United Kingdom, and now hangs dramatically from the ceiling of the West Court in Kelvingrove.
Spitfire LA198 served with the 602 City of Glasgow Squadron - based at Abbotsinch - between 1947 and 1949. The squadron was the first United Kingdom auxiliary squadron to receive Spitfires, receiving its first Spitfire on 8 May 1939, and the aircraft remained with the 602 for exactly 12 years.
On 22 July 1949, LA198 crashed, an event entered in the log book as: 'Engine trouble, pranged on runway - did not fly again'. The fact that LA198 'pranged' turned out to be a blessing in disguise as most of the Spitfires in good condition were sold off as they were taken out of service. There are less than 150 flightworthy Spitfires now in existence.
Parliamentary approval was given in 1996 for LA198 to be returned to the City of Glasgow - this approval is necessary as all military equipment is property of the Ministry of Defence.
The restoration of Spitfire LA198 began in 1998 at the Museum of Flight in East Fortune and was completed in 2002. The restoration project was a joint venture between Glasgow City Council, the National Museums of Scotland and the Scottish Executive. In addition to core funding, support to re-display Spitfire LA198 has been provided through a contribution of £100,000 to the KRA from BAA Glasgow.
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If you are near Glasgow visit the Art Galleries at Kelvingrove. It's worth a look! ( you can also see some other beautiful paintings, sculpure and artifacts including weapons of all ages. Across the road you can see over 200 ship models of many Clyde-built boats. The finest ship model collection in the world at the transport museum...trams ( streetcars ) too! )
MoMo