D-Day Spitfires - MH434 and ML407

Описание: #SupermarineSpitfire #Spitfire #MH434 #DDaySpitfires #DDay75

Two of the most famous Supermarine Spitfires in the UK, Merlin Aviation Ltd's Mk.IXB, MH434, coded ZD-B, operated by the Old Flying Machine Company and registered as G-ASJV and Air Leasing Ltd's Spitfire IXT, ML407, G-LFIX, coded OU-V formation flying together at IWM Duxford during the Daks over Duxford event on 5th June 2019.

MH434 - The most famous military aircraft of all time and perhaps the most famous of all Spitfires still flying today, MH434 was built in 1943 at Vickers, Castle Bromwich. This Spitfire is remarkably original, having never been subject to a re-build.
For its inaugural flight at the beginning of August 1943, MH434 was air tested by the legendary Alex Henshaw - a record breaking pilot from pre-war days and Chief Test Pilot for Supermarine at Castle Bromwich.
Within the same month MH434 was scoring with 222 Squadron. It was first allocated to South African pilot Flt Lt Henry Lardner-Burke, DFC (1916-1970, seven and a half kills, three damaged, retiring as a Wing Commander). On the 27 August in the St Omar area over France, Lardner-Burke, in ‘434, shot down a Focke-Wulf FW-190 and damaged a second during a mission to escort USAAF B-17 bombers. On the 5 September 1943 they again shot down another FW-190 in the Nieuport area, and on the 8 September 1943 claimed a half share in the downing of a Messerschmitt Bf-109G in Northern France.

In 1944 MH434 was transferred to 350 Sqn. Hornchurch, before being returned to 222 Sqn. Lardner Burke had by now been posted on, and the aircraft was next assigned to Flt Sgt Alfred ‘Bill’ Burge. He flew another 12 operational sorties in the aircraft before the Squadron’s existing Mk IXs were exchanged for a modified variant that could carry rockets. After over 80 operational sorties, MH434 was stood down in March 1945.

Post war MH434 was bought by the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1947. The Spitfire served with 322 Sqn. As H-105 - mainly ground strafing and light bombing missions - before crash-landing in Semarang, Java. After spending some time in storage, MH434 was repaired and flew again in Holland on the 10 March 1953.

The Belgian Air Force became the next owner and as SM-41 she served at the Advanced Pilot School at Koksijde and with 13 Wing at Brustem.

In 1956 MH434 was purchased and brought back to Britain by airline pilot Tim Davies. As G-ASJV the Spitfire was moved to Stansted then Elstree for a full overhaul. The aircraft was flown purely for pleasure and took part in it's first movie role, Operation Crossbow.

November 1967 saw MH434 join the motion picture airforce of Spitfire Productions Ltd. Set up by Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie for the film 'Battle of Britain'. At the end of the movie in 1968 MH434 was sold again. The new owner, Sir Adrian Swire, Chairman of Cathay Pacific Airways, had the Spitfire painted in 1944 camouflage colour scheme with his initials AC-S, as squadron codes. There were several film and television appearances during this period, including 'A Bridge Too Far.'
In April 1983 MH434 was sold at auction to it's most illustrious owner, Ray Hanna (Nalfire Aviation Ltd) and became one of the Old Flying Machine Company's founding aircraft. The first major rebuild took place in the winter of 1994-95. MH434 has become a regular movie co-star and airshow performer and when not in make up for a role is flown in the authentic 222 Sqn. Codes ZD-B.

ML407 - The Grace Spitfire ML407 was originally built at Castle Bromwich in early 1944 as a single seat fighter and served in the front line of battle throughout the last twelve months of World War II. ML407 flew a total of 176 operational combat sorties amassing an impressive total of 319 combat hours. Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton DFC who was accredited, whilst flying ML407, with the first enemy aircraft shot down over the Normandy beachhead on 6th June D-Day. ML407 was converted in 1950 to the two seat configuration for the Irish Air Corps as an advanced trainer. Design Engineer Nick Grace acquired ML407 in late 1979 from the Strathallan Collection and spent five years meticulously restoring the Spitfire to flying condition. After Nick Graces untimely death in a car accident Carolyn Grace took up the gauntlet of keeping this aircraft flying and now the next generation, Nick and Carolyn's son, Richard Grace, is not only maintaining the aircraft but is flying the aircraft just as his mother and late father did.

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