~ Spitfire Mk.IX SM520 (2021) ~

This repaint, made for the FlyingIron Simulations Spitfire Mk.IXc, depicts the restored Spitfire Mk.IX SM520 as it looked in 2021. The real aircraft has been rebuilt as a two-seat trainer Tr.9 Spitfire, with a Mk.IX style paint scheme adapted to fit the modified fuselage. This repaint "re-adapts" the paint scheme to the stock fuselage, while keeping the vast majority of the paint work exactly the same as it is on the real aircraft. Owned by Steve Boultee Brooks, the aircraft is registered as G-ILDA in the UK and is typically based at Goodwood Aerodrome in southern England, but has also spent time at both Duxford and Headcorn. It is operated as part of Spitfires.com (formerly known as the Boultbee Flight Academy), which provides flights with, and rides and pilot training in, Spitfires.

Spitfire SM520 was manufactured in late 1944 as a HF Mk.IXe high level fighter by the Castle Bromwich Aeroplane Factory, located near Birmingham, UK. It was delivered to RAF No 33 Maintenance Unit at RAF Lyneham on November 23, 1944, initially to be prepared for combat assignment, but with the air war in Europe winding down, it was placed into storage. In 1948, it was one of 136 Spitfires delivered to the South African Air Force (SAAF) - 80 gifted, and the remainder sold by the UK Government for £2000.00 a piece. Unfortunately, very little is known of SM520's history after that, but the SAAF Spitfires were used mostly for training, being issued to various bombing, gunnery and air navigational schools, and latterly to the Air Operations School to train pilots before going to Korea to operate with the SAAF P-51 Mustangs.

During its time with the SAAF, SM520 was involved in a major flying accident and the airframe was recovered to Ysterplaat AFB until the wreckage was disposed to the scrap yard of SA Metals in Cape Town. There it languished for many years until it was recovered to the SAAF Museum storage compound at Snake Valley and positively identified by Spitfire historian Peter Arnold as SM520 in 1981. In 1989, it was acquired by noted Spitfire restorer, Steve Atkins, who brought the aircraft's remains back to the UK to the form the basis of an airworthy restoration. The project then passed to Alan Dunkerley in the 1990's and was sold again to Paul Portelli in 2002. It was Mr. Portelli who decided that it should be restored and converted to a Tr.9 trainer. Airframe Assemblies, on the Isle of Wight, was contracted to convert the fuselage and build a new set of wings, and Classic Aero at Thruxton undertook the fitting-out and final stages of the restoration. It was registered as G-ILDA, named after Mr. Portelli's granddaughter. Originally completed in the markings of a Royal Netherlands Air Force Tr.9 Spitfie, "H-99", its first post-restoration test flight was performed at Thruxton on October 17, 2008. Paul Portelli's untimely death meant that on completion the aircraft was put up for auction at Bonhams, where it was purchased by the current owner, Steve Boultbee Brooks, in April 2009. Since that time it has been used as part of Spitfires.com (previously known as the Boultbee Flight Academy), a business which provides Spitfire flights and training.

After its acquisition by Steve Brooks in 2009, a decision was made to repaint the aircraft in a wartime British style paint scheme. Owing to the aircraft's only known history of service with the SAAF, it was decided to choose a color scheme that had ties to the SAAF in World War Two. The first and probably only ever two-seat Spitfire in RAF service was an unofficial conversion of a former, tired, RAF No 4 (SAAF) Sqdn. Mk.V, ES127, that is thought to have been converted locally in Sicily by No 118 Maintenance Unit at Catania. This conversion had the front fuel tank removed and a second wind screen attached that enabled passenger and observer flights to be given. The squadron code markings used for No 4 (SAAF) Sqdn. were 'KJ', and the letter used for this specific aircraft was 'I'. SM520 now wears those same code letters. The Squadron later traded in its old Mk.V's for Mk.IX's at Sinello, Italy, in May 1944, having fought through Africa and up into Italy where it was engaged until the end of the war, flying ground attack missions against enemy communications and giving air support to the Allied Armies in the area of battle. Once in Italy, the squadron was switched from the desert color scheme to that of the European "Standard Day Fighter" camouflage scheme of grey/green, as represented by the livery SM520 carries today.