A pleasant surprise for all Warbird enthusiasts in Australia was the recent announcement by Archerfield Qld based Fighter Pilot that they are importing a Supermarine Spitfire XVIe, RAF Serial TE392 from the USA.
The aircraft is a single seater and will be based at Archerfield for use as a display aircraft. Until recently the aircraft has been in the ownership of Lone Star Flight Museum, Ellington Field, Houston, Texas. The aircraft was shipped recently from the USA via New Zealand and its arrival in Brisbane is imminent. The Fighter Pilot organization is rapidly gaining a reputation for the acquisition of some excellent Warbirds including Yakovlev Yak-52, Aero Vodochody L-39 Albatros, North American P-51D Mustang, Yakovlev Yak-3 (SteadFast) and Waco Classic YMF-5. Fighter Pilot participates in many airshows across Australia and also has a successful business offering a wide range of “pay for ride” flights in their fantastic fleet of aircraft.
Once the Spitfire arrives it will be fully inspected and any required maintenance will be attended to. She will then be assembled and test flown prior to joining the Fighter Pilot fleet. The plan is then for the Spitfire to be displayed as much as possible.
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- Airborne over Texas
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- TE392 at Texas airshow
The Spitfire Mk XVI was in fact almost identical to the Mk IX except for the use of a USA built Packard Merlin 266 instead of the Mk IX‘s Rolls Royce Merlin 66. The fuselage of the Mk XVI was produced as a conventional high back and later as a low back with a bubble canopy.
Supermarine Spitfire TE392 History
TE 392 was built at the main Castle Bromwich Vickers Supermarine plant in 1945 as a LF Mk. XVIe bubble canopy low back aircraft. Spitfire LF Mk.XVIe TE392 was delivered to the RAF in 1945. However its service history is not fully known and following WWII the aircraft served as a gate guard with different RAF bases including Wellesbourne Mountford, RAF Waterbeach, (Castle Bromwich) RAF Kemble and RAF Credenhill. Douglas W. Arnold, Warbirds of Great Britain Ltd, acquired the Spitfire in 1984 and it was stored a various UK sites until 1992 when it was sold to Mike Araldi of Jet Cap Aviation Corp, Bartow FL and restoration was completed including conversion to a high back configuration. B. D. “Buddy” Hunter of Houston Texas acquired the aircraft in 1996 and it was donated to Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston Texas and flew again on 24 December 1999. The Spitfire was repainted in what is believed to be its Second World War colors (TE392/ZX-Z) in commemoration of Texan Lance C. Wade, a volunteer who flew with the RAF from 1940 to 1944 and became an ace. The aircraft then flew with the LSFM until in 2008 the aircraft was subjected to being submerged in the floodwaters associated with Hurricane Ike. Following this the aircraft was again placed into storage but soon after was repaired and restored but has not flown since.
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- On display in the UK
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- Gate guard at a RAF airbase
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- Supermarine Spitfire TE392
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- Harvard VH-USN
It is a goal of Fighter Pilot to have TE932 flying in time to appear at the Temora Aviation Museum’s Warbirds Downunder Airshow 2018 on October 12 – October 13 so that it can fly alongside Australia’s other Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVI, VH-XVI Military S/N: TB863 of the TAM collection.
Fighter Pilot has also revealed their intention to acquire a second Spitfire, this time a Tr.9 two seater to allow for passengers to experience the Spitfire performance for themselves in 2019.
In other exciting news Fighter Pilot has also acquired a North American SNJ5 registered VH-USN, previously with the Archerfield based Flying Fighters Collection and it hoped to have this aircraft flying within the next 3 weeks.
Warbirds Online thanks Fighter Pilot for their assistance with this news article and we will continue to cover this Warbird as it takes to Australian skies for the first time.
Images courtesy of
- Air Britain Photographic Images Collection
- David A Ingham
- Brian Silcox
- RA Scholefield – AIRLINERS.NET
- Fighter Pilot
- Online Sources
- John Parker
© John Parker 2018
The more spitfires flying in Australia the better, the most beautiful aircraft ever built
Hi Ron
We agree!
Kind regards
John
I have flown a spitfire in England an experience never to be forgotten you could have peeled the smile off my face. It’s fast smooth and very light on the controls. If you have the time and some spare money you just have to to do it. If not then just sell wife and kids.
Hi Chris
What a great experience. I’m sure you still have the wife and kids with you.
Kind regards
John
I live out near Samford and just saw a Spitfire flyover. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I imagine this is the one on a test flight. The time was 11:00 6 May 2018. First time I’ve seen one in the air and it is certainly the most beautiful thing I have seen!
Hi Peter
It could have been the Temora Aviation Museum Mark 16 which was in Qld recently or may have been a scale Spitfire reproduction which is based in Qld.
Kind regards
John
I live on the flight path of Biggin Hill Airport Kent UK.
I am so lucky ,sometimes a Spit goes over our house twice a day.I can hear them coming inside our house. I always dash outside to see them go over. Biggin Hill has more Spitfires than anywhere in the world. Never get tired of the sight and sound.
Hi John
Must be a wonderful place to live.
Kind regards
John
Did I see this flying over Cleveland yesterday (Thursday 14th June)?
Hi Greg
No this would not be that aircraft – it could have been the Temora Aviation Museum Mark 16 which was in Qld recently or may have been a scale Spitfire reproduction which is based in Qld.
Kind regards
John
Hi guys, is this spitfire able to be viewed at archerfield yet?
I’ve waited a long time to see a real one in person
Hi Shaun
You would have to contact the owners, but we don’t think so.
Kind regards
John
Hi guys, I live near Port Macquarie on the mid north coast of NSW. Yesterday 17/10/2018 I am positive I saw a Spitfire fly over heading North, the wing shape was unmistakable but the engine sound was not what I expected from a Merlin. Thought it may have been a replica … any ideas. Thanks.
Bob
Hi Robert
Not sure what you may have seen/heard flying overhead at that time – sorry we can’t shed any light on it.
Kind regards
John
My 93 YO father trained as a pilot in the Empire Air Training School in Canada and requalified here in the 70s. He lives in QLD. Is there any way I could get him up in a WW2 aircraft ?
Hi Jeremy
You could try contacting Mustang Flights Australia at Caboolture Qld . This is their website https://www.mustangflights.com/. Also Fighter Pilot is at Archerfield Qld. Their website is https://fighterpilot.com.au/.
Kind regards
John
I was fortunate and privileged to be selected to fly most of the recertification flights on this wonderful aircraft after it arrived at LSFM in Texas. I acquired about 65 hours doing these flights and several air shows. It is probably the most nimble of the fighters I have flown. I was thoroughly impressed by the little fighter. Can’t say enough positive about it. Hope she has found a good forever home.
Hi Dan
Thank you for letting us know about your personal history with this great aircraft.
Kind regards
John
Hi John
To all your followers, as a comitment to my late father a Rat of Tubruk i got airborne in MT818 flying out of Biggen Hill, this was somthing that you never forget, the smell and the sound of the merlin barking into life, its still gives me so much pleasure replaying the 30 min video.
A lifes dream came to reality, my next challenge i am considering is builing a life size model for people to view and sit in, big challenge.
May more fly for longer, great work, thanks to all spity workers.
Long time retired.
Steve
Hi Steve
Thanks for sharing your story and good luck with the build.
Kind regards
John
Saw the Spit fly over a few months ago near South Passage Bar North Stradbroke. Any news on the two seater.
Hi Danny
The 2 seater construction is ongoing and we publish an update in the future.
Kind regards
John
I have an original photo of me as a five year old,sitting under the tail of te392 at raf gaydon in the uk ,i would dearly love to get to reproduce that photo for nostalgia
Hi all,
I am ex RAF and spent a lot of time with this spitfire as a gate guard outside of HQ at RAF Hereford, we also had two hawker hunters on the parade ground. TE392 being sold in 1983 as a Mk VXI with a bubble canopy and square wing tips, TE392 had a lot of work and changes made in America, seeing her back in the sky is out of this world. Forty years on I wish I looked as good as her.
Hi Peter
Yes it’s a great Spitfire and we hope it flies on for many years to come – thanks for your comments they are appreciated.
Kind regards
John