Supermarine Spitfire TA805
Supermarine Spitfire TA805
Supermarine Spitfire TA805 was built at the Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory in late-1944 and after being accepted by the RAF was put into storage until after VE Day when in June 1945 it was transferred to 183 ‘Gold Coast’ Squadron at Chilbolton near Andover in Hampshire wearing the Unit’s ‘HF’ codes. The Squadron was tasked with converting from Hawker Typhoons to Spitfires ready for peacetime Service during June and July. At the end of July TA805 was sent to 234 ‘Madras Presidency’ Squadron, based at Bentwaters, near Ipswich in Suffolk with the unit codes ‘FX’. This Squadron was also in the process of converting from the Mustang IV, August being spent at Hawkinge at a Practice Armament Camp where gunnery and bombing methods were practiced.
The Squadron returned to Bentwaters soon after and took part in the Air Parade over London in September, TA805 probably taking part in the proceedings. In late 1948 the South African Air Force bought a batch of Spitfires and TA805 was one of them, going on to see five years service before being struck-off and sold for scrap to South African Metal and Machinery Company at Salt River, Cape Town where she lay for almost thirty years when the mortal remains of a number of Spitfires were discovered and some bought by UK collectors, TA805 being one of them. Steve Atkins, the new owner stored the remains until 1996 when the aircraft was bought by the current owners. The restoration to flying condition commenced shortly afterwards with Isle-of-Wight based Airframe Assemblies who restored the structures and passed them on to the Duxford based Aircraft Restoration Company who returned the aircraft to flying condition, the first flight taking place in December 2005.
Now based at Biggin Hill airfield in Kent it has been christened the ‘Kent Spitfire’ and regularly performs at many airshows and events around the UK and Europe.