SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE

Spitfire MkIIa P7350

TMB have enjoyed an ongoing mutually beneficial relationship with the Royal Air Force’s historic collection, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), based at RAF Coningsby, for some while, the result being that they kindly let us acquire any original ‘scrap’ materials removed from their aircraft during restoration programmes.

All the BBMF’s aircraft are historically irreplaceable but, of these, the most coveted is their ex-Battle of Britain Spitfire ‘P7350’, which first flew in August 1940, being the 14th aircraft, of nearly 12,000 built at Supermarine’s Castle Bromwich factory. ‘P7’, an early Mark IIa Spitfire, served through the rest of the Battle of Britain and thereafter, surviving WW2 complete with battle scars and bullet holes, making it today the oldest most original and historically significant airworthy Spitfire in existence.

However as with all old aeroplanes and cars, to maintain them both in tip top operational condition and preserve them for the years to come its necessary to perform a degree of mechanical replacement and in 2008 P7 underwent a restoration programme during which a quantity of original Duralumin components were removed, namely her main spar plus various pieces of outer skinning and other minor items. TMB acquired this material directly from the BBMF and it is of this original, genuine 1940 ex-P7350 provenance metal that our P7350 sculptures, cufflinks and cases are crafted.

More information on P7 can be found on the BBMF’s website www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/theaircraft/spitfirep7350.cfm