The second Brussels Aero Show took place just a few weeks before the outbreak of WWII. Britain displayed this 'Speed Spitfire', the heavily modified 48th Spitfire I. It had demonstrated a top speed of 657 km/h (408 mph) but this was not good enough for a world speed record attempt. Its radiator was then replaced with an evaporative cooling system. Meanwhile though the He 100 V8 and the Me 209 brought the world speed record to 746 km/h and 755 km/h (469 mph) which the Type 323 could never touch. K9834 was converted to a photo recce Spitfire but it range was too short to be of use. In the background is the Reid and Sigrist RS.1 Snargasher trainer, G-AEOD.

In formation with MH434. A rare sight with two Spitfires, of the same mark, in near identical squadron markings.

Served with No 93,232,& 327 Squadrons. Delivered to the SAAF in April 1948. First flight after restoration was 23rd June 2021.

Built at Castle Bromwich, f/f there August 1943. After war service with the RAF, it went to the RNethAF as H-105 in 1947, thereafter to the Belgian AF as SM-41 until sold as OO-ARA, later to UK, where it was registered G-ASJV -3 July 1963. Registered to Sir Adrian Swire 23 February 1972, who had his initials applied as the squadron markings on MH434, as depicted here. With a new operator, G-ASJV still flies with exempt marks MH434:ZD-B as of July 2023.

To see this T9C flying was a wonderful bonus during my visit to EGBP.

Believed to be only the second occasion a Spitfire has visited Compton Abbas, Aero Legends' beautiful Mark IX is here all weekend for the first of several occasions this year when flights will be offered from the newly re-opened airfield.

Built with a Griffon 66 engine in 1944, PS890 served the RAF in Singapore till transferred to the R Thai AF as U14-26/97 in 1954. Donated to the USA in 1962, it was placed into storage until rebuilt with a Shackleton contra-rotating Griffon engine to fly again in 2002 with Planes of Fame in California. In 2005 Christophe Jacquard acquired the Spitfire, modifying the engine and propeller configuration several times and basing it in Dijon-Darois, France. A take-off accident in 2017 led to some major restoration work, and PS890 resumed flights in August 2020.