NZ $4 Million Griffon Engined Spitfire XIV to Roar in Blenheim

A battle-hardened World War II Spitfire fighter has been delivered to its permanent home at Omaka airfield, near Blenheim, New Zealand.

Repost and embellishment: The 70-year-old aviation marvel is one of only six Spitfire Griffon Mark 14 in existence, and the only one of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

The plane was delivered by a direct flight from Auckland to the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre hanger on Sunday.

Spokesman Graham Orphan (above) said the plane would eventually be included in the planned WWII display at the heritage centre. The plane was on loan from owners, the Chariots of Fire fighter collection, he said.

"We are thrilled to get it, and it is a privilege not only to have it based in Marlborough, but also in New Zealand.

"In terms of historic aircraft this is the Rolls Royce of Rolls Royce powered fighters."

NH 799 Pre-Crash in the 1990s

The Spitfire Griffon was involved in a crash at Wanaka in 1996 which almost claimed the life of aviation entrepreneur Tim Wallis.

Hours of painstaking restoration over 19 years had brought the Spitfire back to its original condition, right down to the pilot's leather seat in the cockpit. It is valued at $4 million.

Wallis was reunited with the plane when it appeared at this year's Omaka airshow alongside two other Spitfire in the Twilight Extreme segment of the show.

Photos Harry Mole

Powered by a 2250 horsepower V12, the Supermarine Spitfire Griffon saw action with the Royal Air Force in India and Burma in the later stages of WWII, Orphan said. The engine's roar was known as "the sound of victory".

"It is the final salute to piston-powered engines before jet fighter came."

Orphan was convinced people would flock to the heritage centre to see it.

"Spitfires have a magnetic appeal that transcends all age groups."

The first stage of the display when completed later this year will include the Spitfire Griffon, alongside the Focke Wulf FW190, Russian Yak 3 and Avro Anson bomber from the heritage collection.

The Spitfire will fly in special events at Omaka during the summer  - The Marlborough Express

Spitfire FR Mk.XIVe NH799 (ZK-XIV) is owned by 'The Chariots of Fire Fighter Collection' and based at Omaka airfield, New Zealand. Post restoration first flight 2 April 2015, with John Lamont at the controls. Purchased by the Chariots of Fire Fighter Collection, who are based at Omaka, in 2010. Restored to airworthy condition by Avspecs Limited at Ardmore Airport, Auckland. The restoration was completed in time for the Classic Fighters Airshow held over the Easter weekend (3–5 April 2015) with NH799 is resplendent in a South East Asia Command (SEAC) colour scheme, and wears the individual letter T with the serial NH799 both in white.

NH799 was previously owned by the Alpine Fighter Collection at Wanaka until it crashed on take-off on 2 January 1996 which seriously injured pilot/owner Sir Tim Wallis. Was initially restored to flight by Historic Flying Ltd at Audley End, UK, and flew on 21 January 1994 (as G-BUZU and codes AP-V).

The Mk XIV was the most important of the Griffon powered Spitfires, and the only one to see significant wartime service. It used the two-speed two-stage supercharged Griffon 61 or 65, giving 2,050 hp and a significantly improved performance at higher altitudes when compared to the earlier Griffon powered Mk XII. The Mk XIV was based on the Mk VIII fuselage, already strengthened to cope with the Merlin 61 engine. Early models used the “c” type universal wing (four 20mm cannon or two 20mm cannon and four .303 inch machine guns), while later production used the “e” wing (two .50 inchy machine guns instead of the .303s).

The Griffon engine improved the performance of the Spitfire at all heights. Tests in early 1944 found it to be faster than the Mk IX at every altitude, with the best rate of climb yet seen. The only area not to see any improvement was manoeuvrability, which did not rely on the engine but on the airframe. It had a similar advantage over the Fw 190A, which had a similar performance to the Mk IX. The only problem posed by the Griffon was that it span in the opposite direction to the Merlin. Merlin powered Spitfires had tended to veer left on takeoff. The Mk XIV veered to the right instead.

The superior performance of the Mk XIV made it the ideal aircraft to deal with the menace of the V-1. No.91 Squadron, based at West Malling, ended up with the best record against the flying bomb, shooting down 184 with its Mk XIVs.

From September 1944 the Mk XIV was used with the 2nd Tactical Air Force. It equipped all twenty Spitfire squadrons on the continent between D-Day and VE-Day. Its role in Europe was normally armed reconnaissance, searching for any enemy targets behind the German lines. It could carry up to 1000 lbs of bombs, or in a FR role 500 lbs of bombs and a camera.

More survivors:

...and a close relative, (if only by paint scheme) not so lucky:

(Ps- no right to the photos claimed. Happy to credit, link or remove. Simply a fan page)

Spitfire: Whatever became of Evelyn ?

The Spitfire "Evelyn"

Whatever became of her ?

Many of us aircraft nuts who grew up in South Africa were enarmoured by Evelyn, the only airworthy Spitfire, lovingly restored at the SAAF museum in Lanseria. 
We were all distraught when she was subsequently sold to a foreign collector.

I recently did an online search, and discovered her whereabouts:

Spitfire HF. IXe MA793, painted as "Evelyn"  SA in the 1980s

This aircraft was produced at Castle Bromwich and was delivered to 6 MU RAF on 21 July 1943. It was shipped to the Mediterranean on 5 August 1943 and was operated by the Mediterranean Allied AF till it was transferred to the USAAF on 31 October 1943. It was returned to the RAF in May 1944 and stored with 39 MU in the UK till it was sold to the South African AF on September 30, 1948, serialled 5601.

 It is currently on display at the "TAM Asas de Um Sonho" Museum, located in Sao Carlos, Brazil. It is also the only airworthy Spitfire in South America. The aircraft was donated to the museum by Rolls-Royce and painted in the colours and markings of RAF ace Johnnie Johnson.

About the restoration:

The Spitfire "WR RR" or known locally in SA as Evelyn....is not the original aircraft Bob Rogers flew in WW II

This aeroplane, historical as it is, was merely painted to resemble his Spitfire. It was not his original Spitfire they restored from the scrap heap and painted as WR RR. Evelyn was named after his wife. His actual Spitfire WR RR; was a clipped wing Spitfire MK9E, which he flew as 40 Sq OC in Italy. Bob's aircraft is often depicted as the aircraft above in models and aviation paintings, but the historical truth is that his original aircraft was a clipped-wing MK9E.

"Evelyn" today, in Brazil

Serial #: MA793

Construction #: Unknown

Civil Registration: N930LB

Model: HF Mk. IXe

Name: None (Known as "Evelyn" In SA, Painted as above)

Status: Airworthy

Note:

Only Spitfire existing known to have flown with USAAF.

History: 

Delivered to RAF as MA793, 19??.

- Assigned to 6 MU in July 1943.

Transferred to USAAF as MA793

- BOC: Oct. 31, 1943

- SOC: May 1944.

Delivered to South African Air Force 5601, Sept. 30, 1948.

Meerhof Hospital for Handicapped Children, Pretoria. Apr. 27, 1954-1967.

- Displayed in playground.

Larry Barnett & Alan Lurie, Johannesburg, 1967-1986.

- Rebuilt to flying condition.

- First flight Aug. 29, 1975, Johannesburg-Jan Smuts.

- Flown as SAAF PT672/WR-RR.

- Loaned to SAAF, Lanseria AB, 1976-1986.

Larry Barnett International California, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, July 14, 1986-1999.

- Shipped to Chino, CA, first flight Jan. 1, 1987.

- Operated by David G. Price/Museum Of Flying, Santa Monica, CA Aug. 1986-1999.

-- Flown as RAF/EN398/JE-J

Rolls Royce PLC, Filton, UK, 1999.

Transportes Aereos Regional- TAM/Wings Of Dreams Museum, Sao Carlos, Brazil, 1999-2002.

- Shipped to Brazil from Camarillo, CA, Jan. 2000.

- First flight, Jundai, Brazil, May 3, 2002.

- Flown as EN398-JE-J.

60 Moth balled Griffon Engined Spitfires found

Buried Spitfires in Burma to be excavated: Sydney Morning Herald and London Telegraph:

Myanmar (Burma)'s government has signed an agreement with a British farmer to allow the excavation of dozens of rare Spitfires buried in the country at the end of World War II.

The historic hoard may hold as many as 60 of Britain's most famous fighter plane, the largest number of Spitfires left anywhere in the world.

Revered for their role in the Battle of Britain in 1940, there are only 35 Spitfires still flying around the world. It is thought that those buried in Burma could be worth £1.5 million ($2.3 million) each. 

The deal was made possible by the intervention of the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, who discussed bringing the planes home when he met the Burmese President, Thein Sein, in April.

David Cundall, a farmer and aviation enthusiast, struck the historical equivalent of a gold mine when he found the planes in February, almost 70 years after they were carefully greased and wrapped to preserve them, before being buried in crates.

"We estimate that there are at least 60 Spitfires buried and they are in good condition," said Htoo Htoo Zaw, Mr Cundall's Burmese business partner. "This will be the largest number of Spitfires in the world."

"We want to let people see these historic fighters, and the excavation of these planes will further strengthen relations between Burma and Britain."

Work on digging up the planes will start at the end of this month.

The find is considered even more valuable because the Spitfires are rare Mark XIV fighters, equipped not with the famous Rolls-Royce Merlin engine but the more powerful Griffon type.

Although more than 20,000 Spitfires were built in Britain during the World War II, only 2,042 later models were powered with Griffon engines and just a handful are still flying.

Mr Cundall, 62, spent 16 years and more than £130,000 of his own money scouring former RAF airfields in Burma for the planes, after receiving a tip-off that they were buried at the end of a runway in August 1945.

It is thought the aircraft were abandoned in Burma before they ever took to the air because they were no longer needed with so many Spitfires then flying and the war ending.

According to the Burmese press, Mr Cundall and Mr Zaw signed the deal to excavate the planes on Tuesday in Rangoon with Tin Naing Tun, Burma's director-general of civil aviation.

Burma's transport minister, Nyan Tun Aung, was cited as hailing the agreement as a milestone in Anglo-Burmese relations, and as recognition by the British government of Burma's recent pro-democracy reforms.

Mr Cameron made retrieving the planes a priority when he travelled to Rangoon in April to meet Mr Thein Sein and Aung San Suu Kyi.

But the deal was delayed after a tussle between Mr Cundall and the British businessman Steve Boultbee Brooks over who had the right to extract the planes.

Most of the Spitfires are expected to be returned to Britain, with some remaining in Burma on display.

Telegraph, London