Warplanes of the UK: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V and Mk. VIII

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V and Mk. VIII

(IWM Photo, CH 2929)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb (Serial R6923), No 92 Squadron RAF based at Biggin Hill, Kent, UK.  6923 was originally a Mk. I, converted to a Mk. V after serving with No. 19 Squadron and No. 7 Operational Training Unit in 1940. It was shot down over the sea by a Messerschmitt Me 109F on 22 June 1941.

(RAF Photo)

upermarine Spitfire Vb formation on a patrol over Djerba Island, off Gabes, on their way to the Mareth Line area in early 1943. The planes "UF-V" and "UF-F" belonged to No. 601 Squadron. The plane "IR-G" (Serial No. AB502) in the foreground was the personal plane of Ian Richard Gleed, DFC, Wing Commander of No. 244 Wing. On 16 April 1943 Gleed lost his life in a fighter sweep in the Cap Bon area. He was shot down in his Spitfire by German Messerschmitt Bf 109Gs from JG 77.

(Anthony Noble Photo)

(John5199 Photos)

(Sgt Jack Pritchard Photos)

(Tim Felce Photos)

(plambertuk Photo)

(Adrian Pingstone Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. Vb (Serial No. AB910), RF-D, 303 (Polish) Squadron, previously SH-L, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.  Airworthy.  Built at Castle Bromwich in 1941, this Spitfire was flown on front line operations for almost four years.

(tataquax Photo)

(Photokora Photo)

(Mark Harkin Photo)

(Ad Meskens Photo)

(Tony Hisgett Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

(Kogo Photo)

(John5199 Photo)

(Tim Felce Photos)

(Ronnie Macdonald Photo)

(tataquax Photo)

(Anthony Noble Photo)

(Peter Bakema Photo)

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vb (Serial No. BM597), Reg. No. G-MKVB, JH-C, 317 Polish Squadron, Historic Aircraft Collection, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Airworthy.  This fighter has been repainted to represent a Mk. IIb (Serial No. P8331) "Sumatra", No. 303 Squadron, RAF, flown by Polish Wing Commander Piotr Laguna in 1941.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vc (Serial No. EE602), Reg. No. G-IBSY, DV-V, 129 (Mysore) Squadron, Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar. Airworthy.  Coded DV-V, No. 129 (Mysore) Squadron RAF, it wears the authentic inscription "CENTRAL RAILWAYS URUGUAYAN STAFF" to replicate the markings it wore as a presentation aircraft donated by the British Community in Uruguay.

(Tim Felce Photos)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. Vb (Serial No. EP120), coded AE-A, No. 402 Squadron, RCAF, currently airworthy, Reg. No. G-LFVB, The Fighter Collection, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

(Tony Hisgett Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. Vb (Serial No. EP120), coded AE-A, No. 402 Squadron, RCAF, currently airworthy, Reg. No. G-LFVB, The Fighter Collection, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. Vb (Serial No. EP120), coded AE-A, No. 402 Squadron, RCAF, currently airworthy, Reg. No. G-LFVB, The Fighter Collection, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

(Peter Bakema Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. Vb (Serial No. EP120), coded AE-A, No. 402 Squadron, RCAF, currently airworthy, Reg. No. G-LFVB, The Fighter Collection, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

(Alan Wilson Photos)

(Aldo Bidini Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. Vb (Serial No. EP120), coded AE-A, No. 402 Squadron, RCAF, currently airworthy, Reg. No. G-LFVB, The Fighter Collection, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.  It is painted in the markings it carried when serving with No. 402 Squadron, RCAF, although it served with several different units during the Second World War.  Pilots flying EP120 destroyed seven Axis aircraft.

(Aldo Bidini Photos)

(Aurore Defferriare Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. Vb (Serial No. EP120), coded AE-A, No. 402 Squadron, RCAF, currently airworthy, Reg. No. G-LFVB, The Fighter Collection, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.  Assigned to No. 501 Squadron in 1942, and then subsequently to No. 402 Squadron, RCAF.  Pilots of this aircraft destroyed seven German aircraft during its wartime career.  Post-war, it was an instructional airframe, then displayed as a Gate guardian.  It was acquired by the fighter collection in 1993 and restored to airworthiness.  It is currently painted in its No. 402 Squadron, RCAF, markings.

(Les Chatfield Photo)

(Roland Turner Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vb (Serial No. BL614), ZD-F, 222 (Natal) Squadron, Royal Air Force Museum Hendon, London.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vb (Serial No. BL655), incomplete airframe recovered from a crash site, Lincolnshire Aircraft Recovery Group, Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirby, Lincolnshire.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. V (Serial No. AD189), Reg. No. G-CHVJ, project in storage, Oxfordshire.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vb (Serial No. AD540), being restored in Buckinghamshire.

 (Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

(Paul Maritz Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. Vc (Serial No. AR501), A-NN, 310 (Czech) Squadron, Reg. No. G-AWII, The Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden, Bedfordshire.  Undergoing major refurbishment, airworthy.  AR501 was built by Westland Aircraft at Yeovil, and flown by No. 310 (Czech) Squadron at RAF Duxford, coded NN-A, in 1942.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vb (Serial No. BL688), being restored in Buckinghamshire.

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. Vb (Serial No. BM539), project in storage in East Sussex.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vc (Serial No. EF545), Reg. No. G-CDGY, Aero Vintage, St. Leonards, East Sussex.

(Alan Wilson Photos)

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vb (Serial No. EP122), c/n CBAF.2405, also painted as (Serial No. R9649), Reg. No. G-CISV, Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, Biggin Hill Airport, Westerham, Kent.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. Vc Trop (Serial No. LZ844), stored at Kemble, Gloucestershire.

Supermarine Spitfire LR Mk. Vc (Serial No. AR614).

The Form 78 for RAF (Serial No. AR614), included the following data: built at Westland Aircraft Limited, powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin 46 engine, 39 Maintenance Unit (MU), 24 Aug 1942, No. 312 (Czech) Squadron, Harrowbeer, damaged by flak, 11 Nov 1942, repaired on site (ros), Category C (CAC) damage on operations 14 May 1943, AST, No. 610 Squadron, 20 Nov 1943.  No. 130 Squadron, coded PJ-E, 30 Jan 1944, No. 222 Squadron, 16 Feb 1944, FAAC, 21 Feb 1944, repaired on site (ros), 530 Training Unit (TU), 2 Sep 1944, FAAC, 16 Sep 1944, ros, 5378M, 13 Jul 1945, later 6371 M and 7555 M.

In July 1945, AR614 was allocated to RAF St Athan in South Wales, as an instructional airframe for maintenance personnel.   During the late 1940s and early 1950s it was on display at RAF Padgate in West Kirby and was eventually sold by the Ministry of Defence, in 1963, to the Air Museum in Calgary, Canada.  It was in open storage in a shipping crate at Calgary, 1964-1970.  Sold to Donald Campbell, Kapuskasing, Ontario, 1970-1992, Reg. No. C-FDUY, 1986.  Its intended long-term restoration to airworthy status was not completed.  Shipped to the Old Flying Machine Co., Duxford, UK, 1992.  

Ray G. Hanna/Old Flying Machine Co, Duxford, UK, March 19, 1993-1994, Reg. No. G-BUWA.  Alpine Fighter Collection, Audley End, Essex, UK, 1994-1998.  Rebuilt by Historic Flying, Audley End, UK, 1994-1996.  First flight, 5 Oct 1996, coded  DU-Z.  Historic Flying Ltd, Audley End, UK, 25 June 1996-1998.  Paul Allen, Flying Heritage Collection, WA, 1999-2000.
Flying Heritage Collection, Bellevue, WA, 10 Feb 2000-2001.  Reg. No. N614VC.  Flying Heritage Inc, Bellevue, WA, 25 Apr 2001-2002.  Vulcan Warbirds Inc, Seattle, WA, 2004-2016.  Currently in the UK, It is currently fitted with a Merlin 35  engine and Dowty Rotol propeller.  Hawker Restorations, UK.

(RAF Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. V floatplane. With the German invasion of Norway in April 1940 the RAF took an interest in the concept of using floatplane fighters in areas where airfields were not immediately available. To this end a Spitfire Mk I R6722 was taken in hand at the Woolston factory to be modified and mounted.

(RAF Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire HF Mk. VII. The shape of the ellipse was altered by the extended "pointed" wing tips used by the high-altitude Mk. VIs, VIIs, and early Mk VIIIs.

(DND Photo, PL 8515)

Supermarine Spitfire. F Mk. VIII (Serial No. JF336), coded AN-O, No. 417 Squadron, RCAF.  Harmonization of the guns.  The aircraft has to be jacked-up level to ensure the guns are lined-up correctly to test fire.

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. VIII (Serial No. JF872), Reg. No. G-RAAF, stored in Lancashire.

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. VIIIc (Serial No. JG668), Reg. No. G-CFGA, Welsh Spitfire Museum, Pembrokeshire Spitfire Aeroplane Company, Haverfordwest.

(Library and Archives Canada Photo, MIKAN No. 4532542)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. VIIIc (Serial No. JG567), "Mary Ann", No. 67 Squadron, RAF.  Pilots are sitting in a jeep in front of the Commanding Officer's Spitfire at Akyab, Burma, 9 Jan 1945.  This was a day after a section led by the CO shot down five Japanese Nakajima Ki 43 Oscars from a force which attacked the port following its reoccupation.  Four of the five Nakajima Ki-43 kills from the 64th Sentai, IJAAF, were confirmed by post-war examination of Japanese records.

At the wheel is the Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader R.W.R. "Bob" Day from Victoria, British Columbia, who shot down two of the Ki 43s, and sitting next to him is Flight Lieutenant C.M. Simpson, who claimed another two.  The other pilots are, (left to right), Warrant Officer G.W. Milsom, Flight Sergeant E.R. Owen and Pilot Officer L. Brett.  JG567 was struck off charge in May 1945. (PLC0169)

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo, 1974)

Supermarine Spitfire TR Mk. VIII (Serial No. MT818), c/n 729058), G-M, previously Reg. No. N58JE, now UK Reg. No. G-AIDN, G2 Trust, Wycombe Air Park.  Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, Biggin Hill Airport, Westerham, Kent.

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