A rare Supermarine Spitfire is currently listed for sale by Platinum Fighter Sales, this time a photographic reconnaissance variant with a documented wartime background. The Spitfire is one of the most recognizable aircraft from WWII and continues to be a regular point of interest whenever one appears on the market. This particular example has been restored and remains airworthy, while still retaining much of its original character. This particular aircraft is a 1944 Supermarine Spitfire P.R. Mk XI PL965, an original airframe with continuous history, showing 803 total hours since new. It is powered by its original Rolls-Royce Merlin 70 engine (serial number 70/182411), which was reinstalled during major work carried out between 2009 and 2010. The engine overhaul was completed by 2022 by Retro Track & Air in the UK, and it has logged just 16 hours since then, making it one of only a small number of Spitfires still flying with their original wartime powerplant.
The engine is fitted with an electric pre-oil pump along with twin spin-on filters. It is paired with a Dowty-Rotol R12/4F5/4 propeller, which was overhauled in 2022 and has logged around 16 hours since then. According to the Platinum Fighter Sales President, Simon Brown, the aircraft has been on and off the market over the past few years. He pointed out that it differs from most Spitfires offered for sale, as it is a photographic reconnaissance version and was never fitted with guns, unlike the ones that are mostly available on the market. Avionics are kept fairly simple, with a Becker VHF radio and a Becker transponder installed. The aircraft is finished in PRU Blue, carrying its wartime “R” for Robert markings, while the interior still reflects its original wartime configuration. The aircraft is based at North Weald in the UK and is being offered with a fresh annual inspection. The aircraft last flew on October 1, 2025, and operates under a Permit to Fly (PtF).
Wartime Service
PL965 was built in mid-1944 at Aldermaston as a P.R. Mk XI, the photographic reconnaissance version of the Spitfire. Unlike the better-known fighter variants, it was intended for high-altitude, high-speed work, operating above 30,000 feet and capable of speeds in excess of 400 mph, which makes it the fastest Merlin-powered Spitfire. After an initial stint with No. 9 Maintenance Unit at Cosford, the aircraft was passed on to No. 16 Squadron, which was operating out of Melsbroek Airfield in Belgium as part of the Second Tactical Air Force. These PRU Blue Spitfires flew unarmed and typically alone, carrying out photo reconnaissance over enemy territory, including bomb damage assessment and mapping work. Over the course of its service, PL965 flew more than 40 operational sorties over Germany, France, and the Netherlands, including missions to Bremen, Hamburg, Kiel, and Berlin.
Postwar History
After the war, PL965 spent a short period back in the UK before being moved to Germany. It was later sold to the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1947 and flown to Deelen, where it was used as a ground training airframe. By 1960, the aircraft had been placed on display at the museum in Overloon in the Netherlands, where it stayed for close to three decades. It eventually returned to the UK in 1987, when restoration work began to bring it back to flying condition under the direction of the late Nick Grace. The rebuild, carried out by MAPS Ltd at Rochester, found the fuselage in good condition, with new wing spars installed and control surfaces restored. The aircraft returned to flight in December 1992, with test flying conducted by Mark Hanna. Since then, it has appeared regularly at airshows in the UK and abroad, including in the United States, before returning to Europe in 2004. Later that year, PL965 joined the Hangar 11 Collection at North Weald.
The aircraft has been returned as closely as possible to its wartime configuration, including the installation of original reconnaissance cameras and period equipment. It retains its original seat, and its head armor bears the signature of wartime pilot Norman Godfrey DFC. In addition to airshow appearances, PL965 has featured in film and television productions and was the subject of the 1996 Osprey title Spitfire in Blue, which documents its wartime service and later history. If you’re interested, this historic aircraft is available for £2,950,000 (about $4 million) plus VAT where applicable. For more information about this 1944 Supermarine Spitfire P.R. Mk XI PL965, click HERE.
