Supermarine Spitfire T.9 TE308 (G-AWGB) Finished as A58-606 ‘Grey Nurse’ Sharkmouth, operated by Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar.
As
one of the most successful fighter aircraft of the Second World War and
one which was produced in huge numbers, it can be a little surprising
to learn that the Supermarine Spitfire was not produced in a two seat
training variant during the war, meaning that pilots converting to this
awesome machine would be making their first flight in the Spitfire as
their first solo. The Vickers Supermarine company did propose the
development of a two seat variant of the Spitfire to Air Ministry
officials as far back as 1941, but as there was no official support for
the project at the time, they simply returned to further development of
single engined fighters.
Once the war had ended, stories of
unofficially modified two seat Spitfire projects started to circulate,
with the ones produced by the Soviet Air Force being perhaps the most
significant. Britain would eventually supply Russia with more than 1000
Spitfires and it was discovered that they actually converted several
Spitfires to two seat configuration, however, rather than moving the
front cockpit slightly forward as Vickers Supermarine would later do,
the Russians elected to simply add a second cockpit behind the existing
one, using a narrower section of the fuselage. Making these aircraft
extremely distinctive, this also must have also created a rather
claustrophobic working environment for the second pilot.
With this
information in hand, Vickers Supermarine revived their interest in
producing a two seat Spitfire as a private venture and in 1946, selected
a Spitfire Mk.VIII airframe as their donor aircraft. In fact, one of
the most interesting facts about the two seat Spitfire variant is that
there is no such thing as a new-build Spitfire T.9 trainer, because
every single example was originally manufactured as a single seat
fighter.
Something of a post war phenomenon, the two seat Spitfire
did attract several military operators over the years, including the
Irish Air Corps, however, it is during the warbird restoration era and
more specifically over the past two decades that the popularity of
‘Spitfires made for two’ has really become established. As arguably the
most famous aircraft of all time, the ability to boast that you had
flown in a Spitfire used to be the preserve of talented and extremely
fortunate pilots, however, as they now had the opportunity to carry a
passenger, the chance to fly in a Spitfire was now open to anyone and
there has been no end of people desperate to have a Spitfire flying
experience.
Nowadays, offering Spitfire experience flights has
become an extremely lucrative business, to a point where only a few
years ago, almost every Spitfire under restoration was being converted
to T.9 or two seat Spitfire standard. These aircraft are now much loved
in their own right, regularly appearing at Airshows, in addition to
operating in all but the poorest weather conditions, taking its latest
lucky passenger on their Spitfire experience flight. These Spitfires
made for two are maintaining and even enhancing the legacy of this
magnificent aeroplane, bringing R.J Mitchell’s classic fighter to the
attention of a new generation of Spitfire aficionados.
Supermarine
Spitfire TE307 was originally constructed as a Mk.IXe fighter variant
in 1945, but due the end of the war in Europe, was immediately placed in
storage, where she would remain for the next five years. She was then
selected as a conversion airframe to T.9 trainer standard, initially
earmarked for service with the Egyptian Air Force, but when this sale
fell through, embarked on a service career flying with the Irish Air
Corps. Following retirement and disposal, she would go on to be used
during the filming of the famous move 'The Battle of Britain', before
moving into private ownership and periods spent with different owners in
France, Canada and the US over the next few decades. She would later be
purchased by Warbird Experiences at Biggin Hill and returned to British
skies at that time wearing the famous standard RAF wartime day fighter
scheme, however, she was about to take on a very different persona.
In
a development which saw this aircraft become one of the most
distinctive airworthy Spitfires in the world today, TE307 was given a
smart new scheme in honour of the fighters flown by the men of No.457
Squadron Royal Australian Air Force during WWII. With each of their
aircraft benefitting from the application of sinister looking shark
mouths under the engine cowling, the unit was known as the 'Grey Nurse'
Squadron and Spitfire TE307 now carries the registration A58-606 and the
codes ZP-W in honour of Squadron Leader Bruce Watson, who flew with
this unit.
If you would like to fly in one of the most distinctive
Spitfires in the world today, you need to get in touch with our friends
at the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar and join the long queue of people
hoping to have this unique aviation experience.