History[]
World War 2[]
Built by Vickers-Armstrong at Reading and delivered to 6 MU, then to No 1 Pilots' Pool, Benson on November 24th 1944. To 2nd TAF, 4 Sqn on February 1945, 2 Sqn on September 6th, back to MUs in UK.[3]
Post War[]
Loaned to US Air Attache in UK from January 27th 1948 as NC74138. Flown in air races by Lettice Curtice who broke women's national 100km closed-circuit record at 313-208mph. Returned to Vickers then to Shuttleworth as G-15-109 in 1950. Displayed with Sea Hurricane Z7015 and moved to Duxford on August 30th 1975 for rebuild. Sold to Roland Fraissinet, restored by Trent Aero, first flight by Cliff Rogers of Rolls-Royce at East Midlands on July 18th 1984 as G-PRXI. Sold at auction on October 1st 1987 to Doug Arnold for £300,000 and became part of the Warbirds of Great Britain (WGB) Collection.[3] Photographed at Duxford in Early WW2 Paint Scheme during filming of Piece of Cake 1988.[4] Left UK at time of Arnold's death in late 1992. Now back at North Weald. Crashed at a French Airshow at 1655hrs on Monday 4th June 2001. The pilot, Martin Sargeant, was tragically killed at Rouen Airfield, Normandy.[3] The aircraft developed mechanical problems causing smoke to pour out of the engine. While attempting to make an emergency landing, Mr. Sergeant realized the aircraft would go into the crowd and dove to the right, impacting 300-500 metres short of the runway.[5][N 1]
The wreckage was sold on 13 February 2003 to Propshop Ltd, Duxford, Cambridgeshire for long term rebuild at Duxford (An entry on the Warbird News website, dated March 28, 2013, stated that the aircraft had recently emerged from the paint shop of Historic Flying Ltd. in Duxford.[7]
The G-PRXI registration has never been cancelled, despite the above accident.[6] Following completion of the rebuild, PL983 returned to the sky at Duxford on 18 May 2018.[2]
PL983 has recently inherited another name, one which has made her familiar to millions of people, the ‘NHS Spitfire’. The idea of flying Supermarine Spitfire PR.XI PL983 in tribute to the NHS staff who have been at the front line of fighting the dreaded pandemic we have been afflicted with over the past nineteen months or so came whilst pilot and owner of the Aircraft Restoration Company John Romain was test flying this aircraft over the local Cambridgeshire area during the first national lockdown. As he was flying the Spitfire over the towns and villages in the vicinity of Duxford, people who had been enduring weeks of lockdown restrictions and the frustrations of furlough, all came out into their gardens to wave at his aircraft. To him, it seemed as if the Spitfire was once again being viewed as a symbol of national resilience and hope, with her famous elliptical wings pointing the way to a more positive future. For one of these local flights, members of the ARCo team painted the words ‘Thank U NHS’ in white on the underside of the Spitfire, which could easily be seen by those on the ground, a development which quickly brought this already famous aircraft national media recognition.
The incredible popularity of the aircraft’s tribute flights soon led the team to discuss a more ambitious project, one which would see the aircraft flying over hospitals the length and breadth of the country, in a mark of gratitude for the incredible work staff were doing on our behalf and something which would have millions of people looking skywards to catch a glimpse of a Spitfire.[8]
Notes[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Flickr
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://vintageaviationecho.com/spitfire-prxi-pl983/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Spitfire Survivor website
- ↑ March 2000 issue of Aeroplane Magazine
- ↑ Warbird Registry Website
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=89964
- ↑ http://www.warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/spitfire-racing-history-progress-restoration.html
- ↑ https://uk.airfix.com/community/blog-and-news/aerodrome/a-tale-two-spitfires?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=A+tale+of+two+Spitfires%21&utm_campaign=Airfix+-+Aerodrome+-+Week+26+2021%2F2022