Warplanes of the UK: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XI, Mk. XIV, and Mk. XVI

Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XI to Mk. 46

The aim of this web page is to locate, identify and document Supermarine Spitfires preserved in the United Kingdom.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are by the author unless otherwise credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplane Survivors of the Second World War in the United Kingdom would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

Supermarine Spitfires preserved in the United Kingdom by aircraft type, serial number, registration number and location:

 (Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

(Tim Felce Photos)

(Adrian Pingstone Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk. XI (Serial No. PL965), 222 (Natal) Squadron, Reg. No. G-MKXI, -R, 16, Squadron, Peter Teichman, Hangar 11 Collection, North Weald, Essex. Airworthy. This aircraft conducted over forty operational sorties with 16 Squadron 1944–45. (Wikipedia)

Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk. XI (Serial No. PL983), Reg. No. G-PRXI, Proshop Ltd, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.  Returned to flight on 7 May 2020.  Nicknamed "L". Owned by the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) at Duxford. Ex RAF Photo-reconnaissance HQ and United States Embassy Flight. Restored to airworthy condition and flew in May 2018, but suffered an undercarriage collapse on landing at Midden-Zeeland Airfield, Netherlands on 22 August 2019. (Wikipedia)

(RAF Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk XIIs of No. 41 Squadron RAF in April 1944.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. XII (Serial No. EN224), Reg. No. G-FXII, RAF Bentwaters, Suffolk.

(RAF Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk. XIVe (Serial No. RN137), on board HMS Vindex at Iwakuni (Japan) September 1946. It was part of the reinforcements for the Air Component, British Commonwealth Occupation Force.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photos)

(Tony Hisgett Photos)

(Tim Felce Photos)

(Alan Wilson Photos)

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk. XIVe (Serial No. MV293), Reg. No. G-SPIT, JE-J, 127 Wing, painted as (Serial No. MV268), The Fighter Collection, Duxford, Cambridgeshire.  Airworthy.  MV293 was built in late 1944 and was sent to the Royal Indian Air Force in 1945. Nothing is known about its service in India, but the airframe was brought back to the UK in 1978 by Warbirds of Great Britain for restoration. Initially registered as G-BGHB but was later registered as G-SPIT before being acquired by The Fighter Collection and had its first flight after restoration in 1992. The plane used to be painted as an overall silver with codes OI-C to represent post-war RAF Spitfires, but in 2000 it was repainted in the markings of MV268, JE-J, the markings of Johnnie Johnson's Spitfire Mk.XIV. (Wikipedia)

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. XIVe (Serial No. RM689), Reg. No. G-ALGT, Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, stored in Derby.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. XIV (Serial No. RM694), Reg. No. G-DBKL, G2 Trust, to be restored to flying status by the Spitfire Company (Biggin Hill) Ltd .

Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk. XIVe (Serial No. RM927), Reg. No. G-JNMA, G2 Trust, in storage on the Isle of Wight. Ex-Belgian Air Force SG-25.

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. XIVe (Serial No. RN201), Reg. No. G-BSKP. Delivered to Belgian Air Force in 1948 as SG.31, where it served until it was mounted on a plinth after retirement. It remained as a monument at Beauvechain until it was acquired by the Historic Aircraft Collection in 1990 for restoration. Restored by Historic Flying Limited in 2002 and was registered as G-BSKP.[183] In 2007 it was exported to the United States where it received the registration N201TB. It was cancelled in 2019 and exported to the UK[184] and re-registered as G-BSKP, before flying again on 9 June 2020 at Sywell.[185] The aircraft is now back at Duxford with the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo). (Wikipedia)

Supermarine Spitfire F Mk. XIV (Serial No. RN203), project stored at Duxford, Cambridgeshire.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. RW393), c/n CBAF.IX4651, painted as (Serial No. TB675), 4-DV, Royal Air Force Museum Hendon, London, may be in storage at RAF Stafford.

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. SL611), Reg. No. G-SAEA, in storage in Staffordshire.

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. SL674), RAF Museum, in storage at RAF Stafford.

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. TB382), in storage on the Isle of Wight.

(Steve Lynes Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. TB885), 3W-V, ex- 322 (Dutch) Squadron, restored to airworthy status for owner Frits van Eerd, based at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, Biggin Hill, Kent.

Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk. XVIIIe (Serial No. TP298), Reg. No. N41702, Airframe Assemblies, in storage on the Isle of Wight.

(Spitfire Factory Photo)

(Polish Heritage Flight Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. RW382), Reg. No. G-PBIX, 3W-P, 322 (Dutch) Squadron, Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, Biggin Hill Airport, Westerham, Kent.  Airworthy.  RW382 was built at Castle Bromwich in 1945 as a low-back Mk.XVI and was delivered to No. 604 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force where is served from 1947 until 1950.  SOS 14 Dec 1954. RW382 wore a distinctive US Air Force colour scheme as flown by Lt Robert Connor of the 309th Fighter Squadron. It now wears the colours of the "Suffolk Spitfire" and has joined the Polish Heritage Flight (PHF), No. 302 "City of Poznan" Squadron. It is painted as the aircraft flown by Polish-American pilot Flt Sgt Michael J.Murayda on D-Day, coded WX-A "Freda C". After starring in the Battle of Britain movie and being a gate guard at various RAF stations, it was rebuilt to fly in 1991 in original 604 Squadron markings as NG-C and registered G-XVIA. It was exported to the United States in 1995 and registered as N382RW, before it was lost in a fatal crash in 1998. The wreckage was later exported to the United Kingdom, rebuilt as a high-back Spitfire, re-registered as G-PBIX and flew again in 2013 in No. 322 (Dutch) Squadron markings of 3W-P. RW382 was repainted in 2020 as a Spitfire (coded WZ-RR) from 309th Fighter Squadron USAAF flown by Lieutenant Robert Conner in Italy 1944. (Wikipedia)

(Chowells Photo)

(Tim Felce Photos)

(Tony Hisgett Photos)

(Carlos Menendez San Juan Photo)

(Kogo Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. TD248), Reg. No. G-OXVI, CR-S, Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton, Bungay, Suffolk.  Airworthy. Built in 1944 and entered service in 1945. It saw service with No.695 Squadron before being withdrawn from service in 1953. Displayed at Hooton Park, Cheshire before Historic Flying Ltd acquired the Spitfire and began restoration in 1988 for its first post-rebuild flight in 1992. the aircraft now wears the insignia of a No. 74 Squadron Spitfire XVI,[189] but the codes are the initials of its pilot: Cliff Spink. (Wikipedia)

(Mike Freer - Touchdown-aviation Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. TE184), "Fargo Express" flown in this colour scheme for one season only. Operated from the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, Biggin Hill, Kent. Since 2017, it has had the colours and markings of 9N-B to represent the Mk.XVI flown by Czechoslovak ace Flt Lt Otto Smik who was Squadron Commander of 127 Squadron when based at Grimbergen, Belgium, in November 1944. During June 2014 it was briefly marked as ZF-U of 308 (Polish) Squadron to replicate the mount of Jerzy Glowczewski, a veteran who had flown a similarly marked and coded Spitfire on 1 January 1945 when he claimed an FW-190 over Ghent, Belgium. The Air Picnic at the Polish Air Museum in Kraków on Saturday 28 June 2014 was attended by both TE184 in these special markings and also Jerzy Glowczewski, allowing him to be reunited with a machine in 'his' markings. TE184 was brought to Poland for this occasion by Jacek Mainka, the first Pole ever to fly a Spitfire into and in Poland. Jacek's late grandfather, Ryszard Kwiatkowski, was a mechanic with 303 and 308 Squadrons during the war and saw Glowczewski off in ZF-U for that mission. (Wikipedia)

(Bundesheer Fotos Photos)

(Peter Groneman Photos)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. TE184), Reg. No. G-MXVI, DU-N, 312 (Czech) Squadron, Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, Biggin Hill Airport, Westerham, Kent.  Airworthy.

(Tim Felce Photo)

(Tony Hisgett Photo)

(John5199 Photo)

(Alan Wilson Photos)

(Mark Harkin Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. TE311), 4D-V, 74 (Tiger) Squadron, the personal aircraft of Squadron Leader AJ ‘Tony’ Reeves DFC, the Squadron’s Commanding Officer from the end of December 1944.  Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Airworthy.  This aircraft is being repainted to represent (Serial No. TD240), the personal aircraft of 131 (Polish) Wing's CO, Gp Capt Aleksander Gabszewicz, DSO, DFC. Repainted as (Serial No. TD322), coded 3W-M of No. 322 (Duthc) Squadron. The aircraft's Movement Card indicates it was awaiting allocation from Castle Bromwich on 8 June 1945 and at 39 MU eight days later. On 3 October the aircraft was allocated to the ECFS Handling Squadron at Hullavington for trials. In February 1946 it was transferred to 33, or possibly 39 MU and remained in storage until being allocated to 1689 FPT Flight at Aston Down on 31 May 1951. On 21 June it was involved in a landing accident while being piloted by F/Lt. RM Doig (South African), requiring on-site repair by Vickers Armstrong, returning to service on 13 December. In April 1953 the aircraft was allocated to the Ferry Training Unit at Benson, however by late September it was transferred back to storage with 33 MU. TE311's final operational use was a very brief allocation in January/February 1954 to 2 CAACU Langham, before returning to 33 MU. On 11 August 1955, the aircraft was sent to Tangmere for Gate Guardian duties until being loaned for participation in the Battle of Britain Film, with a mock wooden 'high back' and possibly restored to taxi condition. In 1971 it was thought to be back at Benson but on the gate, though at some point (possibly 1977) it was transferred to the RAF Exhibition Flight. In 2000 TE311 arrived at the BBMF alongside TB382 as spare parts airframes. In 2002, TE311 was determined to be in a good enough condition to be restored to fly, and had its first flight in 58 years in October 2012. Since May 2018, it has flown coded SZ-G, markings once carried by TD240 of No. 316 Polish Fighter Squadron. (Wikipedia)

(Maxim Shulepin Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. RW388), U4-U.  Built at Castle Bromwich in 1945, taken on charge by 6 MU at Brize Norton on 18 July 1945, then issued to No. 667 Sqn where it was damaged in a flying accident.  Repaired and aloocated to No. 612 Sqn in 1951, then going to the Fighter Command Control and Reporting School.  Damaged a second time, it was retired and became a gate guard at Benson and later at Andover.  In 1972 it was presented to the City of Stoke-on-Trent.  The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. It is fitted with a Merlin 266 (Packard) engine. (Wikipedia)

(Nilfanion Photos)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. TB752), coded KH-Z, No. 403 Squadron, RCAF, built in 1944, Spitfire and Hurricane Memorial Museum, Manston Road, Ramsgate, Kent.

(Ad Meskens Photo)

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk. XVIe (Serial No. TE462), National Museum of Flight, East Fortune, Scotland.

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