As noted in late November, Supermarine Spitfire F Mk.IX MH603 was fast approaching the conclusion of its down-to-the-last-rivet rebuild at Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR) in Scone, New South Wales, Australia. We can now report, via our colleagues at WarbirdsOnline and Aviation Spotters Online that the fighter made her first post-restoration flights on Saturday, December 11th. Veteran warbird pilot, Stephen Death was at the controls for the initial 20 minute hop, joined in the air by Paul Bennet who flew chase duties in Ross Pay’s CAC-built Mustang Mk.21 A68-107.
Following the first flight, VFR personnel wheeled the Spitfire back into their hangar to remove the engine cowlings and check for any potential issues. According to John Parker at WarbirdsOnline, MH603 needed very little adjustment, other than minor tweaks to control surface trim. Stephen Death then continued with the test program, taking the Spitfire up for a further series of flights. With the successful culmination of these trials, Steven Death signed off on the aircraft’s airworthiness certificate, reportedly declaring MH603 as being one of the finest Spitfires flying anywhere. The entire team at Vintage Fighter Restorations should be congratulated for their efforts to return this magnificent aircraft to the skies. For those with both the desire and financial fortitude to acquire her, MH603 is available for sale via our sponsors, Platinum Fighter Sales.
Many thanks indeed to Aviation Spotters Online and Warbirds Online for the details on this event, and to Darren Mottram for the beautiful photographs accompanying this article (all reproduced with permission).
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
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