Spitfire MH434 flies on her 80th birthday

80 years ago yesterday, test pilot Alex Henshaw took the controls of another new aircraft at Castle Bromwich: Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXb, serial number MH434.
MH434 flew more than 80 operational sorties during the Second World War, scoring multiple aerial kills before joining the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1947 where she then flew ground strafing and light bombing missions in Java with 322 Squadron.
'434 has been owned and operated by the Old Flying Machine Company (OFMC) since she was sold at an auction to Ray Hanna in April 1983 and she remains as one of the most famous and authentic Spitfires anywhere in the world. In fact, she is the only flying Spitfire never to have been fully restored!
The aircraft has been put through its paces in various film productions including A Bridge Too Far, the Battle of Britain, and Piece of Cake where Ray Hannah flew underneath a bridge.
Stu Goldspink took the controls for her birthday flight, and following a quick aerial photoshoot, visitors at Duxford went silent for the unmistakable sound of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 series during a series of aerobatics and flypasts.
Long may she continue to fly.
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[@bobsurgranny]

Simply divine.
This is the one that flew with the Reds at Biggin Hill 2014 if I remember rightly.
You could hear it purring over 9 jets

[@AviationHighlights]

That’s right. Nothing stops a Merlin!

[@WP2333]

My all time favorite WWII fighter plane!! Thanks for the show! 🙂

[@richardcato379]

Beautiful piece of film,thank you.

[@DavidStruveDesigns]

This was fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing it with us! Absolutely _ADORE_ the gorgeous sound of the Spitfire - and she started right up too which was so sweet to see (and hear!). I envy that pilot getting to have fun stretching her wings with that display! What an absolute beauty she is!!

[@JonathonMitchell-ig4bv]

Happy birthday, Spitfire❤🇬🇧

[@billywindsock9597]

The best Spitfire.

[@flypawels]

👍