The Spitfire and Hurricane

Here's a few pics of some of the fleet of Spitfires and Hurricanes of the BBMF..

Hurricane LF363 - built at the Hawker factory in Langley nr Slough in Jan 1944.  It is believed to be the last Hurricane to enter service with the RAF. It served operationally with No 309 Polish Sqdn flying coastal protection patrols.  During training for D-Day it was used by Nos 63 and 26 Sqdns.
Here she is in the BBMF Hangar at RAF Coningsby

Supermarine Spitfire MkIIa P7350 - the oldest, original airworthy Spitfire in the world and the only Spitfire still flying today, which fought in the Battle of Britain.  Believed to be the 14th of 11,989 Spitfires built at the Castle Bromwich 'shadow' factory, P7350 entered service with the RAF in August 1940.

Spitfire Mk LFIXe Mk 356 was built at Castle Bromwich and served with No 443 'Hornet' Sqdn, Royal Canadian Airforce at RAF Digby, Lincolnshire. From there she moved to Bournemouth then to Westhampnett (now Goodwood) and later to Ford in Sussex. It's first operational mission was part of a 'Rodeo' fighter sweep over occupied France on 14 April 1944.  From then on she was involved in fighter sweeps and in attacking ground targets by dive bombing and strafing in the lead up to D-Day and in support of the landings and fierce fighting afterwards.

Spitfire PR Mk XIX PS915 - Built at Southampton in 1945.  She entered service just too late to take part in World War Two, joining No 541 Sqdn in June 1945.  Of the total of 20,341 Spitfires built, only 225 were built as Mk XIXs, making them quite rare beasts!  Today there are only four airworthy examples in the world with two of them flown by the BBMF.
She currently wears the colour scheme and markings of PS888, a PR XIX of 81 Sqdn based at Seletar in Singapore during the Malaya Campaign.

PS 915 in the Hangar at Coningsby receiving care and attention 

Spitfire Mk VVI TE311 built at Castle Bromwich and taken on charge by the RAF on 8th June 1945.  It is a low back/bubble canopy spitfire with 'clipped' wings.  This particular example was used in filming for the film 'The Battle of Britain'
The aircraft is currently painted to represent Spitfire Mk XVIe TB675 '4D-V' of No 74 Sqdn, the personal aircraft of Squadron Leader AJ 'Tony' Reeves DFC, the Squadron's Commanding Officer from the end of Dec 1944.

LF363 parked next to the Lancaster at RAF Coningsby

The iconic image of the 'Flight' a Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane - Here pictured outside the BBMF hangar

The 'clipped' wing Spit making a pass over Coningsby

A sight that any Luftwaffe pilot feared during WWII, a Spitfire and Hurricane taking up firing positions to your rear..
I took this during a test display at Coningsby

Hurricane LF 363, canopy closed flying in the grey Lincolnshire skies

PS915 being tended to before a test flight

Hawker Hurricane IIC PZ865 - the last Hurricane ever built (from a total of 14,533). She rolled of the production line at Langley on 27 July 1944 with the inscription 'The Last of the Many' painted on her sides.
Hawkers were keen to preserve the last one ever built so bought it back from the air ministry and put her into storage.  She later participated in Kings Cup air races.
Currently she is painted to represent Hurricane Iic HW840, 'EG-S' of No 34 Sqdn, South East Asia Command, the personal aircraft of Flight Lieutenant Jimmy Whalen DFC, a Canadian pilot.

With the sun glinting on her, Hurricane EG-S lines up for landing at Coningsby

This picture reminds me of the poem 'High Flight' by Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee Jnr who flew Spitfires out of RAF Digby.  I've reproduced the poem below.  The picture was taken on a gloriously sunny day at Coningsby

Hurricane LF 363 being worked on outside the BBMF Hangar

Hurricane PZ865 'EG-S' stands outside the BBMF Hangar alongside the Lancaster 

Hurricane PZ865 - a study

High Flight Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there, I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung My eager craft through footless halls of air. . . . Up, up the long, delirious burning blue I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or ever eagle flew — And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God