Spitfire Mk I N3200 first flight since May 1940 today!

[lmritger]

Link: http://www.globalaviationresource.com/v2/2014/03/26/aviation-news-spitfire-mk-ia-n3200-flies/

I can't overstate how excited I am to see this aircraft in the air. Any Spitfire restoration is cause for celebration, but this 19 Squadron veteran is much, much more special than most... it was shot down over Dunkirk on 26 May 1940 and force-landed by Sqn Ldr Stephenson, who was quickly taken prisoner. N3200 then became a very popular tourist attraction for the German conquerors, who stripped it and posed with it over the summer of 1940 as she was slowly claimed by the beach. She was recovered in the late 1980s and restoration work started in 2007... the results speak for themselves, this is every bit as jaw-dropping as P9374 and equally as special, being a fellow Battle of France veteran. And unlike P9374, where the aircraft code letter has been left off until positively identified, N3200 never carried one... she had only just had her 19 Sqn "QV" code applied when she was thrown into the desperate effort to protect the Dunkirk evacuation and lost.

What an absolute stunner... what an amazing restoration.

Lynn

[Cherrybomber13]

WOW
I'm not really a spitfire guy but WOW what a beauty. Tremendous effort. It's amazing that it survived the war.

[DH82EH]

She really is a beauty!
The only reason she "survived" the war is because she was swallowed by the beach and the tide!

A machine like this is practically the "Holy Grail" for Spitfire aficionados.
19 Squadron, Battle of France vet. Cool!

Thanks for the link!

Andy Scott

[JohnB]

She really is a beauty!
The only reason she "survived" the war is because she was swallowed by the beach and the tide!
Andy Scott

I agree, a great piece of history...even if you're not an aircraft fan.

But I've got to wonder after years buried under beach sand, how much of it is original? Is there any 1939-40 metal left in her (aside from the data plate?) .

[marine air]

It's one of those "Don't ask, Don't tell" warbirds.

[lmritger]

There was a fair bit left of her when she was pulled off the beach- wings, engine, most of the prop, and most of the fuselage center section. I don't know how much they were able to use but I recall seeing a pic of the bits in storage, and they didn't look too bad (surprisingly). It will be interesting to find out, but knowing how dedicated this team was in restoring P9374, I'd wager they used everything they possibly could to help maintain that provenance.

I can't wait to see her with P9374 and the Battle of France Hurricane which I believe has now come home to England from New Zealand... pair that with the French Hawk 75 and MS 406, and suddenly we have a Battle of France setpiece which would have been absolutely unthinkable 15 years ago.

If only someone could get a Battle back into the air... !

Lynn

[Courier Sportster]

why one white and one black wing underside? i can't recall ever seeing that before.

[shrike]

why one white and one black wing underside? i can't recall ever seeing that before.

Recognition markings for ground observers. RAF fighters were painted that way from about the Munich Crisis, til June,1940 when the order was given to paint the underside in Sky type S

[Pat Carry]

Too nice for words!

[Warbird Kid]

Keep pumping out those Mk. I's and II's!!!!!

I wonder if they could build me a brand new TF Spitfire fuselage?

[UC61K]

She is a beautiful example! Keep 'Em Flying!!!
Jim C.
UC-61K 43-14964 / RAF HB-690
CHEERS!

[SaxMan]

Absolutely stunning.

With the 75th Anniversary of the BoB next year...I wonder what kind of fly-bys will be planned?

[Chris Brame]

Beautiful bird, however much is original. As intact as it was when it bellied in, I'm surprised the Germans didn't recover it right away as a war prize and fix it up to fly - did they already have any other captured Spitfires that early in the war?

[51fixer]

Beautiful bird, however much is original. As intact as it was when it bellied in, I'm surprised the Germans didn't recover it right away as a war prize and fix it up to fly - did they already have any other captured Spitfires that early in the war?

From photos it got some parts chopped off as souvenirs right away. Also looked real close to the water on the beach.
Maybe wasn't worth it to them at that moment and might have gotten wet from the ocean.

[DH82EH]

This image was posted on Key forum by Peter Arnold, with the credit to Jean-Pierre Duriez.

Gives a pretty good idea of the starting point.

They were probably able to re-use her shadow!

All kidding aside, I was talking to John Romain a few years ago when he was in Niagara to fly Ed Russells aeroplanes. He told me that, with at least one of these Spitfires from the sands, They were able to re-use the engine block! Imagine!

Andy