RW 382 - 1945 SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MKXVI

1945

SUPERMARINE

SPITFIRE MKXVI

RW 382

RW382

VFR

Used

EGKB

50.0

1

• Manufactured at Castle Bromwich in 1945 as a Spitfire Mk LFVXIe • Served with the Royal Air Force until December 1954 • Appeared in the ‘Battle of Britain’ film as a static airframe • RW382 has been fully restored, with an overhauled engine and propeller, flying again in 2013 • Engine has 450 hours remaining to overhaul (out of 500 hours) • RW382 is in outstanding condition • Aircraft to be sold with a new ‘Permit to Fly’ (valid for 12 months) and overhauled propeller

RW382 was built at Castle Bromwich and rolled off the production line on July 20, 1945, just months after the war's end. As a Mk.LFVXIe the aircraft was identical to a Mk.IX except for its Packard Merlin 266 engine, and Low-altitude fighter (LF) configuration with 'low back' fuselage and clipped wings. After a period of storage with No. 6 MU (Maintenance Unit) RW382 was allocated to No. 604 (County of Middlesex) Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force. Arriving on April 1, 1947, it was coded NG-C and served with No. 604 for three years. When the Squadron re-equipped with de Havilland Vampire jets, RW382 endured more time in storage at RAF Lyneham before going to No. 3 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit at Exeter in June 1951. 3 CAACU was managed by Exeter AirportLtd and provided target towing, testing and instrument calibration for all three branches of the military using types such as the Bristol Beaufighter, de Havilland Mosquito, Spitfires FXXI and LFXVIe, and later jets. After four months duty with 3 CAACU, RW382 went to the Control and Reporting School at Middle Wallop. Set up by Fighter Command in 1940 to train controllers, the school used Spitfires to teach controllers the skills of radar. On 14 July 1953 RW382 was flown to No. 45 MU at Kinloss, and two weeks later to No.29 MU at High Ercall. It was eventually struck off military charge on 14 December 1954. After a period of use as an instructional airframe, RW382 was repainted in preparation for the duties that would occupy its next four decades. Wearing the scheme of RW729 DW-X, RW382 became a gate guardian at RAF Leconfield in 1957. A brief respite came with the 1968 Battle of Britain movie, when RW382 was loaned out to feature as a static aircraft in the film. In 1973 the airframe returned to its gate guardian task, mounted on a pole at the RAF Uxbridge main gates. It remained there until 1988 when Tim Routsis of Historic Flying Ltd (HFL) obtained Ministry of Defence agreement to remove RW382 and replace it with a replica Spitfire, thus marking the start of HFL's gate guardian restorations. Wearing its original paint scheme as RW382 NG-C, the Spitfire was returned to airworthy status at HFL's Audley End base on July 3, 1991. Although purchased by David Tallichet of Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation, California, RW382 was kept at Audley End for several years until 1995 when it was dismantled and shipped to the United States. The airframe was grounded after an accident in 1998 returning to the UK several years later, a complete overhaul commenced in 2005 at Airframe Assemblies Ltd on the Isle of Wight. The fuselage arrived with the Spitfire Company (Biggin Hill) Ltd in February 2011 where the restoration was completed and the No. 322 Squadron paint scheme applied. RW382 has remained at Biggin Hill and operated by the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar and maintained by The Spitfire Company Biggin Hill.

Rolls Royce Merlin 66 Engine