Vickers-Supermarine Type 356 Spitfire F.Mk.24 - PK683

The Spitfire F.Mk.24 was the last version of this famous fighter, it was developed by the Supermarine design team at Hursley Park, near Winchester and appeared in 1946 as a long-range, fighter-bomber development of the Mark 22 from which it differed in having a 24 volt electrical system, rear fuselage fuel tanks, and provision for underwing rockets, some aircraft also had the short barrelled, electrically fired Hispano Mk.V* cannon, and all Mk.24s had the enlarged tail unit designed for the Spiteful. In common with all Mk.21 and later Spitfires it featured the new, blunt-tipped wing with long span ailerons and it was powered by a Rolls Royce Griffon 61 engine driving a five-bladed propeller.

PK683 was assembled at Vickers-Armstrongs at South Marston in 1946 and made its first flight on 19 February 1946 piloted by Supermarine test pilot Les Colquhon. It was delivered to the RAF at No 33 Maintenance Unit, RAF Lyneham on 13 August 1946 and it was stored there until 1950 when it was allocated to the Far East Air Force. It was sent to 47 Maintenance Unit at Sealand for packing and dispatched to Singapore via Birkenhead Docks on the SS Pyllhus . On arrival in the Far East it was stored by 390 Maintenance Unit at RAF Seletar until 1951 when it was issued to the Singapore Auxiliary Air Force, the following year it was involved in an accident and in 1952 it was returned to 390 Maintenance Unit for storage. In 1954 it was struck off charge and issued to the ATC in Malaya as an instructional airframe with the number 7150M. It was subsequently displayed at Kallang International Airport and at Fairey Point Officers Mess, RAF Changi until 1970 when it was returned to UK aboard a Belfast of 53 Squadron. It was then stored at Bicester, Colerne and Cosford until 1976 when it was issued to 424 (Southampton) Squadron, Air Training Corps and put on display in the R.J.Mitchell Memorial Museum. In 1984 it was moved from there to its present home in the Southampton Hall of Aviation.

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