Spitfire still taking to the skies over airport
ICONIC AIRCRAFT KEPT IN SHAPE FOR RETURN TO PUBLIC DUTIES
TWO Second World War fighter aircraft are making occasional appearances on the runway at East Midlands Airport.
A hangar at the airport, owned by engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, houses a Supermarine Spitfire and a P-51 Mustang used for publicity events and air shows around the country.
But with the pandemic stopping those events from happening, both planes have been spotted out on the runway as they are taken up for flights to keep them running well.
The Spitfire, PS853, was commissioned in January 1945 and saw active service with 16 Squadron in Belgium and Holland until the end of the war, where it took part in searches for German V1 and V2 rocket launch sites.
In peacetime, the craft continued to fly for meteorological research before transferring to what is now the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in 1957.
It was bought by Rolls-Royce in 1996 and has been based at the airport on and off for over 50 years – permanently since 2008.
Rolls-Royce spokesman
Bill
O’Sullivan said: “The constant development of the engines and aircraft ensured the Spitfire remained in production all the way through the Second World War, making it the only frontline fighter type to do so.
“In 1948, Rolls-Royce purchased its first Spitfire, based at Hucknall, where it was used for many purposes – from flight testing engine modifications to allowing test pilots to rapidly travel between airfields.
“When the jet age relegated pistonengined aircraft to history, the RollsRoyce Spitfire was later used for air displays to promote Rolls-Royce.
“Rolls-Royce bought PS853 in 1996 as a highly recognisable example of British engineering excellence.
“The Spitfire remains just as popular today at airshows as it was after the war.”
Meanwhile, the North American P-51 Mustang long-range fighter is one of about 175 still able to fly, almost all of them in the USA.
Mr O’Sullivan said: “In these restricted times the flying has rightly been curtailed to the barest minimum to keep the pilots’ flying skills current and to maintain the aircraft in good health.”