'Dunkirk Spitfire' Flies Again.....

61 years after crash-landing on the beach between Calais and Dunkirk, and 31 years after reappearing from the sands, Spitfire P9374 has taken to the air again...

Video: A rare Spitfire Mark I takes to the skies once more - Telegraph

This has been a true 'epic of aviation archaeology', watched over for many years by well-known author Andy Saunders who appears in the video. Although the 'rebuild' obviously consists of new and newly-built parts, the aircraft has been lovingly re-created to its exact 92 Squadron Battle of France specification by John Romain and the team at Arco, Duxford - acknowledged as the best in the business for restoring and operating Spitfires in the UK.

I for one cannot wait to see this Spitfire !

 

Saw a spit with passenger at waddington today Martin...any idea what it was there for? not BBMF surely?

 

Thanks for posting Martin, great to see another plane fly again, especially with all the airshow crashs of late!

 

Not sure - the BBMF don't operate any two-seat Spitfires..........

 

I was about to see a spitfire & huricane previous weekend, until later to be told it was cancelled due to bad weather over the North Sea

 

Martin, dont know if you subscribe to keypublishing group of forums. Fighter control forum etc. They have a few threads on the Dunkirk Spitfire going back to 2006

 

Great news to see it flying again. It's quite unbelievable it was completely restored after so many years.

 

Thanks Martin, gorgeous craft, good to see her fly again.

 

Incredible and absolutely first class. If you read Fly For Your Life by Bob Tuck, I believe the loss of Peter was mentioned.

 

*Bump* for an update
"One of the earliest Spitfires ever to go into action has gone on sale for £2.5 million after spending 40 years buried in sand on the French beach it crashed on.
The Mark 1 version of Reginald Mitchell's famous design was among the first built in March 1940 but Spitfire P9374, once flown by an airman involved in the Great Escape, never made it to the Battle of Britain as it crash-landed in May 1940.
The fighter plane, dubbed the ballerina because of its grace in the skies, was being piloted by Flying Officer Peter Cazenove over Dunkirk when it was hit by a single bullet from a German Dornier bomber.
Before it was lost, Spitfire P9374 was at one point almost certainly flown by Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, later 'Big X', who was part of the famous breakout from German prisoner of war camp Stalag Luft III.
Cazenove, a 32-year-old Old Etonian of the stock-broking dynasty flying his first combat mission, had no choice but to bring the aircraft down on the wet sands at Calais, despite radioing in to say 'Tell mother I'll be home for tea!' shortly before doing so.
He was then captured by the Nazis and also taken to the Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp, famous for The Great Escape.
The plane became consumed by the sandy beach and remained there for the next 40 years. In 1980 the wreckage was discovered when part of it was spotted poking out from its sandy grave.
It was corroded and covered in barnacles but amazingly still intact. The plane was dragged from the beach and taken to the Musée de l'Air in Paris.
Sadly, Cazenove died just a few weeks before the Spitfire was discovered. Shortly before he passed away he is even said to have told his wife ‘I wonder whatever happened to my Spitfire'.
Originally built at the Vickers Armstrong factory in Southampton, Spitfire P3974 was delivered to 92 Squadron at RAF Croydon in March 1940, one of the most celebrated squadrons in the RAF.
The Merlin III engine installed in P9374 was built at Rolls-Royce, Derby, on October 27 1939.
During Spitfire P9374's service with 92 Squadron it is known to have been flown by at least eight different pilots, and was almost certainly flown by the squadron's commanding officer Squadron Leader Roger Bushell, later 'Big X' of the Great Escape fame.
Records show that P9374 had a total flight time of 32 hours and 5 minutes at the time of its loss.
Eventually the plane was bought by American billionaire philanthropist Thomas Kaplan, who had it meticulously restored to its original condition by a team of expert engineers.
Mr Kaplan, an Oxford-educated gold trader, owns both of the surviving Mk1 Spitfires.
He has now listed the plane Cazenove piloted for sale through London auctioneers Christie's UK, 75 years since the Battle of Britain, with an estimate of £2.5 million.
He plans to donate the proceeds to the RAF Benevolent Fund and wildlife charity Panthera."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3057575/Spitfire-shot-Dunkirk-discovered-buried-Calais-beach-40-years-later-auctioned-2-5million-fully-restored.html

 

Thanks for the update Gordon, they are always welcome

 

Martin, a spectacular link, many many thanks. Like Skipper it is hard to believe it survived being buried in moist sand at least to the point it could be restored. Corrision , aluminium and sodium chloride plus H2O are fast friends. It is a miracle, Pope Francis must have intervened ! Again I cannot understand how a fighter plane lands on relative packed sand and is gradually covered by tides to be discovered decades later. One would have thought that the Germans would have saved it and put it back into flight for study.

That brings only the second Mark one know to exist and it is probably the least modified, if at all. That video is wonderful I use to enjoy such films vicariously until that most lucky day when I caught a ride in a Yak 9, I just relived that time !! I always though I would die before having such an experience.To me the Spitfire is the most beautiful aircraft ever built and I have only seen one fly at Duxford at a show, sheer magic, I remain moved by seeing it 35 years ago.

Thank you Martin and especially for bringing urgh out ! That is now as rare as finding a Mark 1 !!

urgh, great to see you here.

Gaines

 

*bump for an update*
It's just sold for £3.1 Million in total. When I win the lottery...
"One of the earliest Spitfires ever to go into action has sold for a record-breaking £3.1 million after spending 40 years buried under a French beach after it crashed. The Mark 1 version of Reginald Mitchell’s famous design, which was among the first built in March 1940, was flown by Great Escape veteran Peter Cazenove in an air battle over Dunkirk. But just 55 minutes into a flight, on May 24, 1940, Cazenove’s Spitfire was shot down a single bullet fired from a Dornier 17-Z bomber.
Cazenove, a 32-year-old Old Etonian of the stock-broking dynasty flying his first combat mission, had no choice but to bring the aircraft down on the wet sands at Calais, despite radioing in to say ‘Tell mother I’ll be home for tea!’ shortly before doing so.
He was then captured by the Nazis and taken to the Stalag Luft III prisoner of war camp, famous for The Great Escape.
While its pilot survived, the Spitfire, known as P9374, was left to nature and was consumed by successive tides, sinking deeper into the sands where it remained for the next 40 years.
In September 1980 it was discovered after strong tides pushed it back above the surface.
It was corroded and covered in barnacles but amazingly still intact. The plane was dragged from the beach and taken to the Musée de l’Air in Paris. Eventually the plane was bought by American billionaire philanthropist Thomas Kaplan, who had it meticulously restored to its original condition by a team of expert engineers. Mr Kaplan, an Oxford-educated gold trader, owned both of the surviving Mk1 Spitfires and yesterday he sold P9374 at Christie’s ‘Exceptional Sale’ in London. The plane had an estimate of between £1.5 million and £2.5 million with bids kicking off at £1 million but the hammer eventually went down at £2.7 million."
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/military-vehicle-news/ok-wow-iconic-spitfire-sold-for-a-record-breaking-3-1million.html?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=postplanner&utm_source=facebook.com

 

Absolutely great footage, thank you! I think that it is outstanding that someone has the resources and time to restore these epic and legendary war machines.

Couple of weeks ago there was an air show quite near where I live and they had Mustang P-51 there. Last year they had one later Mk Spitfire but can't remember what it was. Couldn't make it last year nor this year but hopefully they bring some legendary aircraft to the show next year too.