Supermarine Spitfire Mk Ia

N3200

 

Registration: G-CFGJ

Operator: Imperial War Museum

Year of Manufacture: 1939

Powered by: Rolls Royce Merlin III

Colour Scheme:  Royal Air Force,  19 Squadron

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Built at the Supermarine factory at Southampton, N3200 made its first flight on 29th November 1939 and after storage, was delivered to 19 Squadron at Duxford on 19th April 1940.  When flying from RAF Hornchurch in the hands of  Sqn. Ldr. G D Stephenson, it was shot down and made a wheels up landing on the beach near Sangatte, France on 25th May 1940.  Covered by the sea and sand, the wreck was forgotten until discovered and recovered in 1986.  Acquired by the current owner in 2000 the Spitfire was brought to Duxford and rebuilt by Historic Flying Ltd.  It made its first flight on 26th March 2014 in the hands of John Romain.

 

Large image: John Dibbs

Small image: Cole Pope