Spitfire Mk. FR XIV, MV293 (ML268), G-SPIT, departing from Duxford and then returning in formation with Spitfire Mk.IXT ML407, during the practice day for the Duxford Battle of Britain Airshow 2021
Spitfire FR XIV G-SPIT
Built at the end of 1944 by Vickers Armstrong at Keevil, this Spitfire Mk. XIV was stored by the RAF until early 1945. It was sent, from 33 Maintenance Unit (MU) at RAF Lyneham, to India. She arrived at Karachi October 14, where she received Indian Air Force serial 48 in December 1947. She was later coded T20 and went to the Indian Air Force Technical College at Jalahalli.
What happened in the period between is unclear, but she was recovered from Bangalore by Doug Arnold in the early seventies and formed part of his Warbirds of Great Britain collection. The Fighter Collection engineers took over the restoration when the aircraft changed hands and were able to complete the work in August 1992.
MV293 was the first example of its mark to be flying in Europe at that time and was painted in the all silver colours of the post war RAF. In 2000, the aircraft was repainted in the colours of Johnnie Johnson, as a surprise for his attendance at Flying Legends and as a tribute to his last war service Spitfire.
MV293 still wears these markings which are of Spitfire XIV, MV268, coded JE-J, flown by Group Captain James Edgar 'Johnnie' Johnson, Officer Commanding 127 Wing, 2nd Tactical Air Force, Europe, May 1945.
It's powered by a Rolls Royce Griffon 65 engine.
There's a great article here about flying MV293 -
vintageaviationecho.com/spitf...
Spitfire Mk.IX, ML407 was originally built at Castle Bromwich in early 1944 as a single seat fighter and served in the front line of battle throughout the last twelve months of World War II with six different allied Squadrons of the RAF’s 2nd Tactical Air Force. ML407 flew a total of 176 operational combat sorties amassing an impressive total of 319 combat hours. ML407 was delivered to 485 New Zealand Squadron on the 29th April 1944 by Jackie Moggridge, one of the top lady pilots of the Air Transport Auxilllary (ATA), where it became the ‘mount’ of Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton DFC who was accredited, whilst flying ML407, with the first enemy aircraft shot down over the Normandy beachhead on D-Day 6th June.
In December 1944 ML407 was transferred to 341 Free French Squadron, and flown principally by Sergeant Jean Dabos. It then moved on through various Allied Squadrons - 308 (Polish) Squadron, 349 (Belgian) Squadron, 345 (Free French) Squadron, 332 (Norwegian) Squadron and back to 485 (New Zealand) Squadron at the cessation of hostilities. ML407 then went into a Maintenance Unit where it remained until being selected by Vickers-Armstrong at Eastleigh, Southampton for conversion in 1950 to two seat configuration for the Irish Air Corps (IAC) as an advanced trainer. ML407 went to 162 Squadron, IAC at Baldonnel. Flying later with 762 Squadron, IAC the aircraft was then put into storage and offered for sale in 1968. Sir William Roberts eventually bought the aircraft for his museum in Strathallan.
Design Engineer Nick Grace acquired ML407 in late 1979 and spent five years meticulously restoring the Spitfire to flying condition in it’s two seat configuration, incorporating what is known as the ‘Grace in line Canopy Conversion’ which he designed to remove the bulbous rear canopy for a more streamlined version to keep the original line of the Spitfire intact. Nick completed the project in early 1985 and on the 16th April the Grace Spitfire flew again with Nick at the controls and his wife Carolyn in the rear cockpit. This remarkable story can be seen in the documentary ‘The Perfect Lady’.
Nick went on to fly the Spitfire at many Airshows throughout the UK and Europe. Nick was tragically killed in a car accident in 1988 leaving Carolyn and their two children Olivia aged 5 and Richard aged 4. Carolyn knew there needed to be a Grace flying ML407 and so took on the immense task of learning to fly the Spitfire. This task was documented in the film ‘Going Solo’.
Carolyn went solo in ML407 in 1990 and the Spitfire ML407 became known as the Grace Spitfire in tribute to and in memory of Nick Grace. Carolyn attained her display authorisation in the Grace Spitfire in 1991 and carried on to add an Aerobatic and Formation qualification over the next two years. Carolyn had displayed the Grace Spitfire for 25 years amassing over 900 hours on Spitfires before retiring from flying in 2017. Sadly and tragically in December 2022 Carolyn Grace also died in Australia
as a result of a car accident.
The Grace Spitfire is based at Sywell Aerodrome and is meticulously maintained by a team of engineers, lead by Nick and Carolyn's son, Richard Grace, at Air Leasing Ltd. Richard and Air Leasing’s select team of pilots fly the Grace Spitfire for various displays, airshows and passenger flights.
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28 янв 2023
