FR-47 Seafire "The one and only"

[19weedy86]

this pilot knows how to handle his bird`!!!

[RichardOfYork86]

Such a beautiful plane and along with the Sea Fury the pinnacle of piston powered fighters. I'm not quite sure how a B-29 gunner shot one down during the Korean War - does this look or sound Communist??

[18tangles]

can anyone tell me what engine did this plane have originally thanks

[MK19MODIII]

@18tangles Rolls-Royce Griffon Models 85 or 87 with 2375hp

[18tangles]

@18tangles Ta, I believe this plane ended up too complicated.

[juliesfar]

Dear Santa....

[mattytbwb]

sounds like its idling :) very mean aircraft

[Learnin2Fly08]

One word WOW!! awesome plane and pilot glad to see someone actually flying these birds awesome!! great vid!!

[Pearmain2009]

Awesome video and sound quality and the flying really shows the aircraft off superbly.

[7772go]

My Grandpa flew Spitfires in WW2 and after the war got to know guys who flew these. He sat in a couple but never flew them. He said it was a better airplane than the Spitfire and that's a big call. Rolls Royce Gryphon V12 - almost identical to the Merlin (some spell it Griffon) . They operated from carriers. Wonderful video. Thanks for posting. Jim is one lucky guy.

[fforrestfunkk]

somehow I miss the sound of the machinegun as he approaches... ^^

[Susseditout]

Yes it is awesome. What am amazing sound.

[Susseditout]

Fantastic!

[Forestcityred]

Just when you thought the spitfire couldn't get any sexier

[bigGaza1]

I GOTTA KNOW, Who is Jim Smith, where did he get all that money?

[seekbowhunter]

@bigGaza1

He is a brilliant engineer who loves to fly...he made his money from his many inventions....mainly the flow meter....he has a pasion for aircraft and one of the best pilots you would ever meet.

[TheMarkXIV]

@seekbowhunter I believe Mr Smith also has a full-scale replica of Stonehenge up there at Crystal Lakes and he likes to watch someone zoom the Seafire over it at sunset - I've seen a photo. How good has that got to be? Nearest thing to owning the sword Excalibur.

[hunterkiller45]

now thats a sight every boy longs to see ,great stuff

[erad5]

nothing like the roar of a griffin

[rOEN911]

Its my first time that i really hope to be in another person place.... awesome plane and really awesome collection.

[BikeMeAustin]

Beautiful!!

[nedercondor]

Outstandig video ... ! Rare aircraft indeed...

[JOHNO4992]

FANTASTIC !!

[Impitent]

Great footage and, above all, great SOUND: captures the sleek beauty and the sheer power of the ultimate version of the Spitfire design. Love that contra-prop, too! Wonderful that she's still flying.

[engasal]

1:41, i came

[cerfvolant11]

Love the burble as it lands

[duxberry1958]

very nice indeed very nice

[ste309w]

That is one very lucky man to own and fly such a rare aircraft. It must be worth its weaight in gold.

[seekbowhunter]

@ste309w

and then some !!!!!!

[Admiral1428]

You can't beat that sound. 

[usselliot76]

do the contra roataing props help cancell out the torque of the motor?

[GustavG10]

@usselliot76 Yes.

[SvenTviking]

Lovely! Now somebody, rebuild a Typhoon!

[Learnin2Fly08]

Awesome plane!!! great vid 5* incredible sound also!!

[nanchuanwushu1]

Trully, this is the ONLY FR.47 that flies today.

The other one, this time in the UK, is a Mk.XVII

[Firstade01]

It must be a delight to take off, all that horse power, contra props and no swing?

Is this a 57A griffon from a Shack?

[Firstade01]

Very interesting aeroplane, great sound of the contra rotating Rolls Royce Griffon.

25% sound of a shackleton!

[JoeIsReallyKool]

what are u on about ...airship ? this was a navy carrier fighter bomber not airship,,,what your country has only introduced ,,,,u div

[halfleper]

@JoeIsReallyKool

I was wondering myself, but I suspect he meant aircraft carrier.

[kyborg18]

seafire is for navy and air ship ( arresting hook) and spitfire is only for land . But it has same things as spitfire ( guns...) --> GAME pacific fighters :DDD ( something as il2 sturmovik)

[cpunge001]

what is the difference between seafire and spitfire?

[Senpaiteo]

Seafire is the naval version of the Spitfire, featuring strengthened airframe and landing gear and an arresting hook under its tail. :)

[Merlin2Stage2Speed]

Beautiful aircraft, awesome sound, fantastic setting - and a dream of a runway. A real bloke's version of paradise I reckon.

[pete2778]

What a fantastic video, thanks for shooting and posting this. James E. Smith has it made, what I wouldn't give for a day in his shoes!

[barryperrins]

Hi , I beleave there is now another now flying here in the U.K.

Search youtube, it has the number sx336

[seekbowhunter]

There are other seafires i believe...but not the fr-47 with contra rotating props....sx336 is awesome plane though!

[freon1978]

I'm not aware of any seafire fr-47's flying in the UK but there is a PR Spitfire with the Contra Rotating Props. Awesome Aircraft!

[TheTimpercy]

Have to split mye reply into three parts:

Hi there I just came accross this video now. My Dad (91 this year) flew Seafire XV's & his SN SR-462 is presently being rebuilt in the US. However, my Dads close collegue Admiral Nick Goodhart (inventor of the miror landing sight & also 91 this year) mailed me recently about his experiences in the Mk47:

<<



[TheTimpercy]

@seekbowhunter

Hi there I just came accross this video now. My Dad (91 this year) flew Seafire XV's & his SN SR-462 is presently being rebuilt in the US. However, my Dads close collegue Admiral Nick Goodhart (inventor of the miror landing sight & also 91 this year) mailed me recently about his experiences in the Mk47:

<<

[TheTimpercy]

@seekbowhunter

Hi there I just came accross this video now. My Dad (91 this year) flew Seafire XV's & his SN SR-462 is presently being rebuilt in the US. However, my Dads close collegue Admiral Nick Goodhart (inventor of the miror landing sight & also 91 this year) mailed me recently about his experiences in the Mk47:

<<

[TheTimpercy]

@seekbowhunter There is only one aircaft I loved even more was the Seafire 47 with its contra-prop and incredible performance. With a low fuel state it would actually accelerate straight upwards which I occasionally did straight off the runway. (This caused one Cdr (Air) to call me into his office and say "Goodhart, the smell of death hangs round you").

[halfleper]

@TheTimpercy

Was Cdr(Air) otherwise known as 'Wings', as in, 'When you come o'er the round-down and see Wings' dark frown'?

[TheTimpercy]

@seekbowhunter >>>

He hasnt lost his sense of humour!

Anyway, I am looking forward to SR-462 being brought back to life (PR-503 same owner) recently won best fighter at Oshkosh I understand.

Fantastic, nothing sounds more beautiful than a RR Griffon!

TIM

[Maroonmachine]

Hi Barry, SX336 is a Seafire, but it's a Mk17. Still a beautiful aircraft, but a different animal to this FR47.

[kenjohan]

That is a MkXVII. Not quite the same.

[Sid447]

VP441, I used to sit in this very aircraft when I was a kid.

[seekbowhunter]

That is awesom Sid447....please tell me more!

[Sid447]

Between about 1960 & 63 it used to be between two wooden ATC buildings in Ernesettle, North Plymouth, UK. You could get to it by crawling under the buildings which were on brick stands. Sadly so did a bunch of others who were slowly vandalising it. I didn't know whether to smile or cry when I saw it on the back of a truck to be taken away sometime in '63. I spent a lot of hours in that cockpit just sitting and dreaming as an 8 or 9 y.o. kid with a passion for aeroplanes & flying does.

[AmeriBrit68]

Sounds totally different to Steve Hinton's PR Mk.XIX with the contra-props. And it looks a lot better, too.

[trdfsh]

Where was this took?

[seekbowhunter]

Northwest Montana

[jpatt1000]

I've read about a seafire restoration to flight status in the survivors listing in Flight Journal! (Spitfire special.) When was it completed? P.S. Let's see some dirty passes with that giant tailhook hanging out! Great work!

[HJ43050]

Superb!

H

[HotSpace2007]

That was TOP notch :-)

[Anacinc]

Superb video dude! What a privilege to be there at that spot at the right time with a video cam!

Very very swéééét footage!

[PETEEAT]

i'd love to know what the 47 handles like she'd be a handfull for any ww2 prop bird

[juzzi07]

with the beautifully harmonised controls of the spitfire family well integrated into it's airframe, not to mention to torque-eliminating charcteristics of the contra-prop...i'd say she'd be lovely to fly. Not to mention all that power from the Griffon.

[DaveP72006]

great video,it sounds like a small shackleton bomber,same set up with those two props,fantastic rare aircraft,the ultimate piston fighter? maybe....

[juzzi07]

love the additional tones the huge contra-prop adds to the griffon's beautiful growl. In my opinion, this is the ultimate variant of the entire Spitfire family.

Now someone should rebuild a Seafang or Spiteful from plans :)

[Hanglands]

Thats a wonderful video.

[miserableoldcunt]

all I can say is, wow. just, wow. what a plane. I'm gonna watch that again.

[FSchmehl]

Absolutely awesome - Thanks a lot !!!

[intensetazer]

what a machine! thanks for posting this!

[Tillerman56]

Just Griffon music.... That's GOOD!