Spitfire - Shuttleworth Military Pageant 2011

Spitfire IXb MH434 (The Old Flying Machine Company) opens the Shuttleworth Military Pageant on 07AUG11.

Pilot, Stuart Goldspink

Construction No. CBAF-IX-552 was built in 1943 as MH434, and upon entry into the RAF served with 222 (Natal) Squadron at Hornchurch. Within three weeks of its arrival, MH434 was responsible for the downing of four German fighter aircraft. MH434 later served with 349 Squadron. During WWII, MH434 claimed five kills, flew a total of 74 missions, and at one point was the personal aircraft of Henry Lardner-Burke an eight kill ace. In 1944 MH434 was transferred to 350 Sqn at Hornchurch, before being returned to 222 Sqn. After 79 operational sorties, MH434 was retired in March 1945.

After her actions during WWII, she was bought by the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1947, and would again see action. Serving first as H-68 with 332 Sqn and later with 322 Sqn as H-105, she was mainly involved in ground strafing and light bombing missions before crash-landing in Semarang, in Java. After spending some time in storage, MH434 was repaired and flew again in Holland on the 10 March 1953.

Now surplus to RNethAF requirements, in October 1953 she was handed over to the Belgian AF as SM-41, and flew with the Advanced Pilot School at Koksijde and with 13 Wing at Brustem.

MH434 was put up for sale on 26th March 1956 and bought by COGEA serving as a target tug and given the identity OO-ARA. MH434 was subsequently purchased and returned to Britain by airline pilot Tim Davies. The Spitfire was registered with the CAA as G-ASJV and moved to Stansted then Elstree and given a full overhaul. Although flown purely for the owners pleasure, the aircraft was given its first movie role in the film, "Operation Crossbow".

Spitfire Productions Ltd was created by Group Captain Hamish Mahaddie for the film Battle of Britain, and saw MH434 join the cast of many Spitfires in November 1967. It was after this film that MH434 was once again up for sale and was purchased by Sir Adrian Swire, Chairman of Cathay Pacific Airways. She was once again painted in a grey green camouflage scheme and had in initials "AC-S" painted on the fuselage as squadron codes. More film and TV appearances were to follow including the all star "Bridge Too Far".

In April 1983, MH434 was sold at auction to Ray Hanna (Nalfire Aviation Ltd) and became one of the OFMC's founding aircraft. MH434 had been flying continuously since its construction in1943, a rare thing in warbird circles as many are recovered as wrecks and rebuilt, so she received her first major rebuild in the winter of 1994-95. She is currently in her original WWII RAF colour scheme, resplendent in the 222 (Natal) Sqn codes she wore during her wartime service.