Warbird

Arguably the most beautiful fighter aircraft ever designed, the iconic Supermarine Spitfire.

I wandered along to the National Airshow today for the first time. Not quite the same as the shows at Leuchars which I visited a few times before the RAF closed the base earlier this year, but a great day out none the less. Although the clouds and a little rain arrived later on, the day started beautifully and I finally got to see the Red Arrows perform in glorious sunshine. To celebrate I was even going to post a colour shot but sanity returned and I couldn't resist a play with a couple of shots of the visiting aircraft of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. The watchful Flight Sergeant rounds off the extras.

A little information from the RAFBBMF website about the display aircraft below.

Spitfire Mk IIa P7350 is the oldest airworthy Spitfire in the world and the only Spitfire still flying to have actually fought in the Battle of Britain. The aircraft is currently presented as Spitfire Mk 1a N3162 of No 41 Squadron, coded ‘EB-G’, the aircraft flown by the top-scoring Battle of Britain fighter ace Eric Lock on 5 September 1940, when he destroyed 3 enemy aircraft in a single sortie.


In contrast, the Hurricane Mk IIc LF363 first flew in January 1944 and is believed to be the last Hurricane to enter service with the RAF.  The aircraft has been painted to represent Hurricane Mk 1 P3395 ‘JX-B’, the personal aircraft of Sergeant Pilot Arthur ‘Darkie’ Clowes DFM, of No 1 Squadron, during the Battle of Britain. Clowes’ Hurricane had a fearsome looking wasp painted on both sides of the nose.