Spitfire RW382 was manufactured as a ‘low-back’ Mk.XVI by the Castle Bromwich Aeroplane Factory. The Mk.XVI is essentially identical to a Mk.IX Spitfire, but powered by an American built Packard Merlin 266, rather than a Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 as fitted to the Mk.IX.

RW382 was manufactured too late to see action in World War II and was delivered to No 6Maintenance Unit at Brize Norton in July 1945 before being transferred to No 604 Auxiliary Squadron at Hendon and continued to serve until April 1950. The aircraft was retired in April 1950 and again in 1953 having operated with No 3 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Cooperation Unit at Exeter and later the Control and Reporting School at Middle Wallop.

In 1968 she was removed from gate guardian duties at Leconfield to be used as a static prop in the movie “Battle of Britain” before then going back on display outside various bases. Fast forward to 1988 and Historic Flying Ltd acquired the project aircraft before selling it on to David Tallichet the following year and after a two-year restoration she flew again on July 3rd 1991 as G-XVIA. Four years later and the aircraft was shipped across the Atlantic to reside in the USA.

In June 1998 the aircraft was involved in a crash in Blue Canyon, California during poor visibility which fatally injured the ex-RCAF pilot, Thomas Jackson. The wreckage was shipped back to the UK in 2002 and nine years later the restoration journey began at Peter Monk’s Spitfire Company Ltd at Biggin Hill where it was converted from a low-back Mk XVIe to high-back Mk IX configuration. Now complete with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, full wing tips and the earlier rounded tail she took her first post-restoration test flight in September 2013.

Today, the aircraft wears the markings of the Mk.IXc ‘Porky II’, which was assigned to the USAAF 309th Fighter Squadron in 1943.

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