MK IX Supermarine Spitfire PT 462, Moffat, Scotland
Built at Castle BromWich and then stored at RAF Heathhall, Dumfries, July to September 1944 prior to being sent abroad to join 253 Squadron and fight in the East Mediterranean for the remainder of the war. Transferred in June 1947 to the Italian Air Force, it was then sold to the Israeli Air Force in 1948 whence it took part in the conflict between Egypt, Syria and Jordan which ironically were also equipped with Spitfires of varying MKs.
Found by Rob Lamplough in a kibbutz in Israel and brought back to this country, it was bought by the late Charlie Church who restored it to flying status in 1987 with a two seat conversion. PT462 then went to Bartow an ex USAAF base in Florida after Charlie was killed flying another of his Spitfires.
P1462 was flown at many US air shows by Eliot Cross alongside the renowned P51 Mustang ‘Crazy Horse’ (also Rolls-Royce engined) flown by Lee Schultz, a well known veteran Vietnam pilot. It was out there that I met and flew PT462 while doing an Instrument Rating and Night Flying refresher course.
PT462 is now flying with the Dragon Spitfire Flight in North Wales.
The aircraft here is the exact replica of PT462 as it was in 1944 that I had built by a firm that build such aircraft for the Film Industry and present day ‘Gate Guardians’ of existing RAF Stations with a Fighter Command history.
Moffat is the birthplace of Air Chief Marshal Lord Hugh Dowding who was C-in-C Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. St. Ninians School here in Moffat, was founded by Dowding’s Father, Arthur in 1879 and was where Dowding was Rom. When the school closed in the early 1990’s, the Property was renamed Dowding House and now provides sheltered housing for retired RAF personnel and their spouses and is run by the Royal Air Force Association. I have left to the people of Moffat and Dowding House.
Engine:- Rolls-Royce Merlin 61/66 developing 1550bhp at 11000ft. Max. Speed 408 mph. Ceiling 43000ft
Armament 2 Hispano 20mm cannon – 120 rounds per gun 4 Browning .303 machine guns — 350 rounds per gun.
Could carry 2x250lb bombs underwing and ope centrally mounted 500lb bomb or a reserve fuel tank.
Total firing time – 14 secs, usually in bursts of 3-4 secs
Weight of rounds fired in 3 secs – 26lbs