Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Spitfire Productions PV202 Ltd's, 2 seater Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX(T), PV202, G-CCCA, conducting its first experience flight of the day, at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford on 23rd August 2024, with pilot Charlie Brown flying.
This Spitfire was built as a one seat LF Mk.lX at Castle Bromwich and delivered to the Royal Air Force at 33 Maintenance Unit (MU), Lyneham as PV202, on 18/09/44.
It moved to 84 Ground Support Unit (GSU), Thruxton and then, on 19/10/44, entered service with 33 Squadron based at Melville, France carrying the codes 5R-Q. It went on to Maldegem, Belgium and returned to the UK on 14/12/44.
It completed 20 operational sorties with ten pilots from Britain, Denmark, Holland and South Africa, during its service with 33 Squadron. A move between MU’s took it to 83 GSU, Dunsfold in January 1945, before going to 412 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force at Heesch, Holland, where it had Squadron codes VZ-M and VZ-W. 412 Squadron moved to Rhein and Wunsdorf, Germany, forward operating airfields. On 04/05/45 Flying Officer H.M.Lepard carried out the last of PV202’s 76 operational sorties with 412 Squadron, which then returned to Dunsfold at the end of May, with PV202 going to 29 MU, High Ercall for storage in July 1945.
In 1950 the aircraft was converted by Vickers-Armstrong to a trainer - Mk.IX(T) - for the Irish Air Corps (IAC). Delivery to the IAC was on 15/06/51 coded as IAC161. In 1960 the IAC retired its IX(T)'s to the ground technical training school, Baldonnel, as instructional airframes. IAC161 was sold in December 1960, with three other IX(T)'s, to Tony Samuelson, for the Battle of Britain Film Company. 2 were made airworthy and used in the filming. IAC161 was not used, staying in store at Cricklewood. In April 1970 the four IX(T)'s were sold to Sir William Roberts. IAC161 was moved to Flimwell and later to Shoreham, before going to join Roberts’ 'Strathallan Collection' aircraft museum in Scotland.
In 1979 it and its sister aircraft IAC162/ML407 were put up for sale and went to Nick Grace, at St. Merryn in Cornwall. He kept IAC162 for himself and sold IAC161 to Steve Atkins at Saffron Walden.
Atkins later relocated to Sussex with the Spitfire. It was restored as a 2 seater with a modified rear canopy. On completion it flew from British Aerospace (BAe) Dunsfold on 23/02/90, wearing 412 Squadron colours, as PV202 VZ-M. Atkins passed ownership to shareholder Richard Parker, who operated her extensively on the airshow scene, until selling it to Rick Roberts on 14/07/92.
Roberts operated the aircraft extensively. Over this time it suffered an undercarriage malfunction at its home base at Goodwood. Following repairs at Earls Colne, it changed its colours to the earlier 33 Squadron markings as 5R-Q. Roberts sold the aircraft in March 2000 to Greg McCarrach, for export to South Africa, but it was written off in a fatal accident at Goodwood on 8/04/2000.
The aircraft's remains were bought by Karel Bos, owner of Historic Flying Ltd (HFL) and arrived at The Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) workshop at Duxford on 28/02/01.
A comprehensive rebuild was done by HFL. It was given the colours it wore when delivered to the IAC in 1951and to converted back to its original configuration, with the original bubble top rear canopy. A Rolls-Royce Merlin 66, correct for this mark, was rebuilt in America and replaced the previously fitted Packard 266 Merlin.
The aircraft was substantially complete by February 2004, but during ground testing it was found that an engine component had failed and it needed removal of the complete engine for repair. IAC161 was grounded for the rest of 2004 whilst a replacement part was sourced and the engine stripped and repaired. Engine runs took place, with a post restoration flight later made on 13th January 2005, in the hands of John Romain.
In March 2007 it was painted in Royal Netherlands Air Force colours to represent ‘H98’, one of 3 Spitfire Trainers sold to the Netherlands in March 1948.
For the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, 2010 the aircraft appeared in livery to represent Spitfire X4474 of Duxford’s 19 Squadron, a late production Mk.1, flown by Sergeant Bernard Jennings during the Battle of Britain in September 1940.
In 2014, the aircraft was repainted once more into a 33 Squadron RAF scheme, representing codes similar to those it wore during 1944.
In late 2022 another overhaul led to a new livery, in the personal colours of Spitfire IX ML365/JW, as flown by Group Captain Peter Russell ‘Johnnie’ Walker CBE DFC & DSO. As well as having his initials as codes, the aircraft’s fuel tank panel was marked on both sides with a depiction of the ‘Johnnie Walker’ whisky character. PV202 is flown by Aerial Collective, ARCo’s in-house warbird experience provider. ARCo is a 100% shareholder of PV202's registered owner company.
This Video and Audio content is
Copyright © 2024 StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
Spitfire Productions PV202 Ltd's, 2 seater Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX(T), PV202, G-CCCA, conducting its first experience flight of the day, at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford on 23rd August 2024, with pilot Charlie Brown flying.
This Spitfire was built as a one seat LF Mk.lX at Castle Bromwich and delivered to the Royal Air Force at 33 Maintenance Unit (MU), Lyneham as PV202, on 18/09/44.
It moved to 84 Ground Support Unit (GSU), Thruxton and then, on 19/10/44, entered service with 33 Squadron based at Melville, France carrying the codes 5R-Q. It went on to Maldegem, Belgium and returned to the UK on 14/12/44.
It completed 20 operational sorties with ten pilots from Britain, Denmark, Holland and South Africa, during its service with 33 Squadron. A move between MU’s took it to 83 GSU, Dunsfold in January 1945, before going to 412 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force at Heesch, Holland, where it had Squadron codes VZ-M and VZ-W. 412 Squadron moved to Rhein and Wunsdorf, Germany, forward operating airfields. On 04/05/45 Flying Officer H.M.Lepard carried out the last of PV202’s 76 operational sorties with 412 Squadron, which then returned to Dunsfold at the end of May, with PV202 going to 29 MU, High Ercall for storage in July 1945.
In 1950 the aircraft was converted by Vickers-Armstrong to a trainer - Mk.IX(T) - for the Irish Air Corps (IAC). Delivery to the IAC was on 15/06/51 coded as IAC161. In 1960 the IAC retired its IX(T)'s to the ground technical training school, Baldonnel, as instructional airframes. IAC161 was sold in December 1960, with three other IX(T)'s, to Tony Samuelson, for the Battle of Britain Film Company. 2 were made airworthy and used in the filming. IAC161 was not used, staying in store at Cricklewood. In April 1970 the four IX(T)'s were sold to Sir William Roberts. IAC161 was moved to Flimwell and later to Shoreham, before going to join Roberts’ 'Strathallan Collection' aircraft museum in Scotland.
In 1979 it and its sister aircraft IAC162/ML407 were put up for sale and went to Nick Grace, at St. Merryn in Cornwall. He kept IAC162 for himself and sold IAC161 to Steve Atkins at Saffron Walden.
Atkins later relocated to Sussex with the Spitfire. It was restored as a 2 seater with a modified rear canopy. On completion it flew from British Aerospace (BAe) Dunsfold on 23/02/90, wearing 412 Squadron colours, as PV202 VZ-M. Atkins passed ownership to shareholder Richard Parker, who operated her extensively on the airshow scene, until selling it to Rick Roberts on 14/07/92.
Roberts operated the aircraft extensively. Over this time it suffered an undercarriage malfunction at its home base at Goodwood. Following repairs at Earls Colne, it changed its colours to the earlier 33 Squadron markings as 5R-Q. Roberts sold the aircraft in March 2000 to Greg McCarrach, for export to South Africa, but it was written off in a fatal accident at Goodwood on 8/04/2000.
The aircraft's remains were bought by Karel Bos, owner of Historic Flying Ltd (HFL) and arrived at The Aircraft Restoration Company (ARCo) workshop at Duxford on 28/02/01.
A comprehensive rebuild was done by HFL. It was given the colours it wore when delivered to the IAC in 1951and to converted back to its original configuration, with the original bubble top rear canopy. A Rolls-Royce Merlin 66, correct for this mark, was rebuilt in America and replaced the previously fitted Packard 266 Merlin.
The aircraft was substantially complete by February 2004, but during ground testing it was found that an engine component had failed and it needed removal of the complete engine for repair. IAC161 was grounded for the rest of 2004 whilst a replacement part was sourced and the engine stripped and repaired. Engine runs took place, with a post restoration flight later made on 13th January 2005, in the hands of John Romain.
In March 2007 it was painted in Royal Netherlands Air Force colours to represent ‘H98’, one of 3 Spitfire Trainers sold to the Netherlands in March 1948.
For the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, 2010 the aircraft appeared in livery to represent Spitfire X4474 of Duxford’s 19 Squadron, a late production Mk.1, flown by Sergeant Bernard Jennings during the Battle of Britain in September 1940.
In 2014, the aircraft was repainted once more into a 33 Squadron RAF scheme, representing codes similar to those it wore during 1944.
In late 2022 another overhaul led to a new livery, in the personal colours of Spitfire IX ML365/JW, as flown by Group Captain Peter Russell ‘Johnnie’ Walker CBE DFC & DSO. As well as having his initials as codes, the aircraft’s fuel tank panel was marked on both sides with a depiction of the ‘Johnnie Walker’ whisky character. PV202 is flown by Aerial Collective, ARCo’s in-house warbird experience provider. ARCo is a 100% shareholder of PV202's registered owner company.
This Video and Audio content is
Copyright © 2024 StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
