Aviation Historian 17
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J.Franzi - An Eye on the Prize /An eye for detail/
Another view of CF-GMZ gleaming in the sun and ready to take on the Americans at the Cleveland races. The legend on the nose cowling proudly proclaims Edmonton, Canada, to be “The Crossroads of The World”. The aircraft survives today as C-GSPT and is part of Bob Jens’s warbird collection in British Columbia.
Built at the Supermarine factory at Aldermaston to serve in the camera-equipped fighter-reconnaissance role, Spitfire FR.XIVe TZ138 was delivered to the RAF in July 1945 and transported to Canada by ship that November, after which it served with the RCAF. By the summer of 1949 the Griffon-powered fighter had been acquired by RCAF pilots Ken Brown and “Butch” McArthur, registered CF-GMZ and painted in racing colours for the USA’s National Air Races in Cleveland, as seen here.
Supermarine Spitfire FR.XIVe TZ138/CF-GMZ, 1945-49