P7350 undergoing its major maintenance in the ARC workshop at Duxford during August 2009. It returned to flight in October 2009. Jarrod Cotter
MAJOR MAINTENANCE AT ARC DUXFORD The Aircraft Restoration Company (ARC) based at Duxford near Cambridge won a contract in 2007 for five years with an option to extend to seven years for the major maintenance of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight fighters, awarded after a competitive tender process. BBMF Spitfire IIa P7350 was delivered to ARC in October 2008. The extensive work carried out by ARC during this ‘major’ maintenance programme has given the world’s oldest airworthy Spitfire a new lease of life in the air for at least another 50 years. Among the refurbishment work carried out, both wings were re-sparred and the wing carry-through spar was replaced. Several wing skin panels were also replaced to deal with corrosion and to remove previous repairs (unfortunately, the wing skin panels with legacy repairs, which were rumoured to have been battle damage repairs from 1940, had to be replaced with new skin panels). In addition, the fuselage was stripped of its skin panels, all the gloss white paint that had coated the inside was removed and four or five of the fuselage skin panels were replaced to remove previous repairs. In all some 40-50 per cent of the aircraft’s skin panels have been replaced. The fuel tanks were also replaced. All of this work will keep this historic and irreplaceable aircraft flying for very many years to come. Although some of the aircraft’s originality has been sacrificed it retains its authentic appearance and, most importantly, airworthiness, in keeping with the BBMF’s philosophy – not necessarily original but authentic and airworthy. For more on the work of ARC turn to pages 103-110. 16 aviationclassics.co.uk
dropped on landing, the aircraft cartwheeled and the extensive damage meant that its flying days were over for good.
K9998 ‘RESURRECTION’
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Spitfire IIa P7350 is the oldest airworthy Spitfire in the world and the only one flying today that actually flew and fought in the Battle of Britain. Between October 2008 and September 2009 the aircraft underwent a major maintenance programme, conducted by the Aircraft Restoration Company at Duxford, during which it was repainted to
represent Spitfire K9998 QJ-K, Geoffrey Wellum’s mount on the morning of 11 September 1940 during his first taste of aerial combat and his ‘blooding’ as a fighter pilot. Geoffrey was eventually officially credited with three enemy aircraft destroyed, four ‘probables’ and several damaged. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in July 1941. He was just one of the many fighter pilots who played their own valiant part during World War Two, paying the price for their courage in a variety of ways; many of them making the ultimate sacrifice. All of them deserve our unstinting gratitude. !
The accurate Battle of Britain era camouflage paintwork of P7350 caught over the English countryside. Andrea Featherby Editor’s note: The author of this article, Sqn Ldr Clive Rowley MBE RAF Ret’d, has leaned heavily on Geoffrey Wellum’s own account of this, his first combat during the Battle of Britain, contained in Geoffrey’s autobiographical book ‘First Light’. Geoffrey has seen Clive’s version and has confirmed its accuracy and given it his blessing. Clive has two significant advantages over most writers
in penning this story. Firstly, as an RAF fighter pilot flying Hawker Hunters, English Electric Lightnings and Panavia Tornado F3s for some 30 years, he has a fighter pilot’s understanding of air combat. Secondly, he accumulated over 500 hours of flying Spitfires and Hurricanes with the BBMF between 1996 and 2006, including two years as Officer Commanding.