P7350 representing a 41 Sqn Mk IIA donated by the Royal Observer Corps.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1936

Filming of the final flying sequences for Battle of Britain moved to Bovingdon when the production company’s arrangement to use Duxford as its main flying base came to an end in late September 1968. Spitfire Mk IA AR213/G-AIST is seen here as "N3311/AI-B", one of several spurious identities it wore during the making of the film.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1936Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

The prototype tested by Wroath during his time at Martlesham: Supermarine Spitfire K5054;

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1936

AB910 In Memory of R.J. Mitchell in the colours of 457 Sqn.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941

A general view of HFL’s restoration hangar at Audley End in January 1996, with BBMF Spitfire PR.XIX in the foreground and TFC Mk V EP120 behind it.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire FR.XIV / FR.XVIII / PR.XIX - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1943Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941

AR501 as NN-A of 310 (Czech) Sqn, the first unit to operate it.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941

Skins being stripped from the fuselage of Sir Tim Wallis’s Spitfire Mk V AR614 in Historic Flying’s workshop in mid-1995.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941

A zero-timed Merlin awaiting installation in TFC Spitfire V EP120 in mid-1995.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941

EP120 served first with 501 Sqn but is painted as AE-A of 402 (RCAF) Sqn.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941

The fuselage of AR614 in the jig at HFL in August 1995.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941

Spitfire V AR614’s wings in the jig at HFL in January 1996. Full-time utilisation of jigs helps offset their high initial cost.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941

Old Flying Machine Company-operated Spitfire PR.XI PL965 and the OFMC’s own Spitfire IX, MH434, piloted by Rod Dean and Brian Smith respectively, flying from Duxford during the 1995 Autumn Air Day. The aircraft are painted up for the forthcoming BBC TV series Over Here.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942Supermarine Spitfire PR / FR - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1939

ML417 served with 443 (RCAF) Sqn as 21-T and was in action on D-Day. It is back in its original colours.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

NH238 has spent some time in the USA since 1992. It carries Doug Arnold's initials as its fuselage codes.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

MA793 as Johnnie Johnson’s JE-J.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

MH434 in Belgian colours.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

PL344 in primer as G-IXCC on its first flight at Micheldever on March 11, 1991.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-USTV was actually the second aircraft Reg Hallam piloted on its maiden flight in the space of a week - the first was Spitfire LF.IX PL344, seen here touching down after its first post-restoration airtest on March 11, 1991. Restored by Dick Melton Aviation at Micheldever for the Charles Church collection, the aircraft was entered in Sotheby’s Hendon auction last September but was not sold. It will be available for airshows this season.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Spitfires MH434, ML417 and MT719 during the filming of A Perfect Hero at Duxford in April 1990.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VI / VII / VIII - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

TE213 painted as 5553 Spirit of Reutech in 1 Sqn SAAF colours.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

MK732 in genuine 485 (RNZAF) Sqn colours as OU-U Baby Bea V. The repetition of the aircraft’s individual code letter under the cockpit is unusual.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

MJ730 served with 249 Sqn but is painted to represent GZ-? of 32 Sqn.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

TE554 at Hatzerim in immaculate Israeli Air Force markings as 57, a shortened version of its serial 2057.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Alan Points of Signs Express with three of the “stars’ of the BBC series Over Here. He produced the vinyl lettering used for the quickly-interchangeable squadron codes.
Instead of painting quick-change codes and serials on to the temporary camouflage worn by several Duxford Spitfires for the recent filming of BBC TV’s forthcoming Over Here series, Old Flying Machine Company engineer Ray Caller and Cambridge firm Signs Express hit upon using computer-generated markings made from standard trade-sign vinyl. An aircraft’s identity can be transformed in a couple of hours, and the vinyl stays put even at well over 300 m.p.h. For details call Alan Points (pictured here) at Signs Express on 01223 414005.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942Supermarine Spitfire PR / FR - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1939

TE566, restored in 1992 in Czech colours, now carries RAF roundels and flashes.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

MK923 actually served with No 126 Sqn, in whose colours it is painted as 5J-Z.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Spitfire IX MH434 in 222 Sqn marks, one of several guises worn since the 1960s. In addition to featuring in several recent films, MH434 was used in Battle of Britain and Operation Crossbow.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Spitfire IX MH434 in yet another guise, wearing Invasion stripes.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Mark Hanna picks up further tips on Spitfire operation from former Vickers-Armstrongs production test pilot Alex Henshaw on the occasion of MH434's 50th birthday, at Duxford on July 21, 1993. Exactly 50 years earlier Henshaw made the first flight in MH434, and he is seen here in the very same aircraft.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

With MH434 now 53 years old, Ray Hanna will next year have been flying that aeroplane for half of its life - pretty impressive by any standards.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

NH631 had no RAF service before it was sold to India in 1947. It is seen here at Palam, New Delhi, in 1991.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VI / VII / VIII - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Spitfire LF. VIIIC MT719 at Duxford in April 1990 during the filming of A Perfect Hero. At the time the aircraft was owned by Reynard Racing UK, but it has since been sold in the USA.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VI / VII / VIII - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

MT719 is painted in its original SEAC colours as YB-J of 17 Sqn.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VI / VII / VIII - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

MV154 painted as MT928 ZX-M of 145 Sqn. Its genuine serial had no RAF service.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VI / VII / VIII - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

MV239 in January 1976, while with the Camden Museum of Aviation.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VI / VII / VIII - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

PL965 returned to the air, in USAAF colours, at Rochester in December 1992.
Spitfire PR.XI PL965, its restoration newly completed by Tangmere Flight Engineering at Rochester, flew again for the first time in 45 years on December 23, 1992 with the Duxford-based Old Flying Machine Company’s Mark Hanna at the controls. Hanna flew the fighter to Duxford on February 1.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire PR / FR - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1939

PL983 in an anonymous scheme after restoration.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire PR / FR - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1939

A superb photograph by JOHN DIBBS of Mark Hanna flying Sir Tim Wallis's Spitfire XIV NH799 over the mountains near its base at Wanaka, New Zealand. Unfortunately, on January 2 this year, the aircraft crashed and seriously injured Sir Tim, who was piloting it at the time.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IV / Mk.XII / XIV - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1941

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire PR.XIX PM631

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire FR.XIV / FR.XVIII / PR.XIX - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1943

Earlier days: a fine “restoration portrait” of BBMF Spitfire PR.XIX PS915 at BAe Samlesbury in the mid-Eighties. Now the BBMF’s other Mk XIX, PM631, is undergoing similar work at Historic Flying.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire FR.XIV / FR.XVIII / PR.XIX - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1943

BBMF Spitfire PR.XIX PM631 stripped to bare metal and under major overhaul at HFL in January 1996.

Самолёты на фотографии: Aircrafts on the photo: Supermarine Spitfire FR.XIV / FR.XVIII / PR.XIX - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1943