TA805 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX - www.militaryplanes.co.uk

TA805

TA805 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXe, RIAT 2015 ©Nigel Key

AB910 | AR213 | BM597 | EP120 | MH434 | MK356 | P7350 | P9374 | PL965 | PM631 | PS853 | PS915 | TA805 | TD248 | TE311 | X4650
Supermarine Spitfire Built at Castle Bromwich and delivered to 29 Maintenance Unit in December 1944 and to 39 Maintenance Unit in January 1945.

TA805 was then issued to 183 Squadron at Chilbolton in June 1945 and then transferred to 234 Squadron at RAF Bentwaters in July 1945.

After going to 29 Maintenance Unit and stored, TA805 was delivered to South African Air Force on the 11th of March 1949.

In 1954, TA805 was sent to South African Metal & Machinery Co. in Cape Town and scrapped.

The remnants of the fuselage were sent to South African Museum at Snake Valley and other Remains of TA805 were discovered and eventually returned to the UK in 1981.

The remains were stored with Steve Atkins at Oxford, UK from 1989 to 1995.

The remains of aircraft were then sent to Isle-of-Wight as a restoration project in 1995 and on Peter R. Monk & Mike Simpson, Maidstone, Kent from 1996 to 2002.

Restoration began to airworthy condition by Airframe Assemblies, Sandown, UK; TA805 was moved to Aircraft Restoration Company, Duxford for completion.

TA805’s first restoration flight was on 7th December 2005 at Duxford. Markings are those of 234 Squadron worn when first at RAF Bentwaters in 1945.

Moved to Biggin Hill in 2006 where it is presently based, it is usually referred to as the Kent Spitfire.

TA805 was involved in a landing incident at Biggin Hill on 22 May 2014 and tipped up on its nose damaging the propeller however no-one was hurt and it returned to the air again on June 9th 2014.

SPECIFICATION (Mk IXe)

Length - 30ft 6in (9.3m)

Wingspan - 36ft 10in (11.23m)

Height - 11ft 8in (3.56m)

Engine - Rolls Royce Merlin 70

Power - 1,710 Hp

Max. Speed - 416 mph (669 km/h)

Range - 434 mile (699 km)

ARMAMENT

Cannon - 2 x 20mm Hispano

Cannon - 2 x 0.5" Browning