12 |FLIGHTPATH
Scone’s Spitire Pair
Vintage Fighter Restora-
tions(VFR),atScone,
New South Wales, is mak-
ing excellent progress on
two Supermarine Spit-
fires. All going well, both
mayflyagainthisyear.
In the past six months
the wings from MH415, an
HF Mk.IXb, were disman-
tled, rebuilt and re-
skinned. They are now
largelycompletedanddue
to enter the paint shop in
early April. Given the
provenance of this air-
craft, it is important that
as much of the original
material is preserved and, as the condition
oftheaircraftwasexceptionaluponar-
rival, this has mostly been possible with
the exception of the main wing spars
whichhavebeenreplaced.
Thestructurallycompletefuselagewas
fully painted in its original scheme, as de-
liveredto129(Mysore)SquadronRAFat
Hornchurch in August 1943, in time for the
Warbirds over Scone airshow.
The wings of MH603, another Mk.IX,
were trial-fitted in July 2017. Since then,
the aircraft has also made rapid progress.
The fuselage, wings and empennage have
allreceivedtheirfinalcoatsofpaintand
allofthemarkingshavebeencompleted.
TheSpitfirewearsthecoloursitworein
early1944,whenservingwith331(Nor-
wegian) Squadron RAF, when it was regu-
larly flown by Captain Bjørn BjørnstadDFC (seeFlightpathVol.28,No.4).The
aircraft is now sitting on its undercarriage
with all major components fitted includ-
ingtherudder.Workisprogressingwith
fitting the wing root fairings and other
small items, and delivery of its overhauled
RollsRoyceMerlinfromtheUnitedStates
isexpectedinthenearfuture.Theengine
forMH415shouldbedeliveredatthesame
time. Work on both Spitfires is progress-
ingsowellthatthereisagoodchance
both will fly this year.
Ross Pay and the skilled team at VFR
areexcitedattheprospectofthese
twoSpitfiresbeingcompleted,butareal-
ready considering other projects to take
on.Itisrelativelyearlydaysforthis
restorationbusinesssowhoknows
whatthey’lldragintotheworkshopnext.
IftheSpitfiresareanythingtogoby,the
restorationprocessandtheendresult
will be something to look forward to.
John ParkerTOP:The deinition of ‘anticipation’ is this photo of
MH603 quietly waiting for its Merlin.[Dave Soderstrom]ABOVE LEFT:The collection of aircraft in the hangar,
being readied for the airshow, would not have been
possible several years ago.[John Parker]LEFT:This is not the irst time MH415 has ventured
south of the Equator. It served with the Dutch in the
Netherlands East Indies in the later forties.
[Dave Soderstrom]