FlyPast 01.2018

January 2018 FLYPAST 43

down and prepared for sale, along
with another Mk. XV, PR503. In 1998
UB414 was sold to a syndicate in the
USA and moved to Missouri in May of
the next year. There it was surveyed
for rebuild by engineer Jim Cooper
and his team.
PR503 was chosen for
restoration – it is now airworthy

in the US (see last issue) – and

SR462 was put on the back burner.

Tim Percy had discovered that his

father had flown this machine, so

he set about acquiring and bringing

it to the UK for restoration to flight.

With the fuselage completed it

will begin the process of having

systems and the Rolls-Royce

Griffon fitted over the next year.

This process will be carried out by

Old Warden-based Kennet Aviation.

When time allows

I mentioned Spitfire XVI TB382

earlier. Built in late 1944 at Castle

Bromwich, it was issued to Brize

Norton, Oxfordshire, on January

19, 1945 where 6 Maintenance Unit

fitted it out for service. Its first

allocation was to 602 Squadron

based at Ludham in Norfolk,

where it wore the codes ‘LO-Z’.

It was flown by Raymond Baxter,

a pilot with the unit, later to gain

fame as a television presenter.

During its time with 602 Squadron,

TB382 completed at least 20 dive-

bombing and armed recce sorties.

In April 1945, TB382 moved to

nearby Coltishall, Norfolk, and

spent its career moving around a

variety of units until it was retired in

1955. It became a display airframe
      with stints at Thornaby, Yorkshire,
      from 1955, Middleton St George,
      Durham, from 1956 and Ely, Cambs,
      from 1964.
      In 1967 TB382 was moved to
      Henlow, Bedfordshire, where the
      fighter had a Rolls-Royce Merlin
      266 installed and a borrowed
      three-bladed Rotol propeller (from
      Sea Hurricane Z7015) fitted, so it
      could be taxied during the filming of
      Battle of Britain.
      TB382 was transferred to the
      RAF Exhibition Flight in 1969,
      based initially at Bicester, and later
      Abingdon, both in Oxfordshire. It
      became a popular exhibit, being
      moved by road to airshows and
      events across the UK. Mk.XVI TE311
      was also used in this manner.
      The Exhibition Flight passed
      both Spitfires to BBMF in 1999

to be used for spares recovery.

When inspected TE311 was deemed

restorable and it was flown again on

October 19, 2012, joining the BBMF

fleet.

Having been denuded of parts, the

hulk of TB382 was exchanged with

Airframe Assemblies (in return for

TE311’s wings) to be totally restored.

While both wings are substantially

complete – TB382 does not have

a tail, control surfaces, engine

bearers or indeed an engine – but

these are things the company can

easily rectify. Restoration will start

when time allows.

Clockwise from above

Both wings for Hawker Tempest II MW763

were having major components removed,

prior to restoration to an airworthy

standard.

The partially completed fuselage of Spitfi re

Mk.XVI TB382. Full restoration on this

airframe will begin when time allows.

The high-quality of the restoration work

carried out by Airframe Assemblies is

apparent here in this re-built component

awaiting fi tting.

A Spitfi re bulkhead awaits restoration in the

workshop.