Product Info
As one of the most successful fighter aircraft of the Second World War and one which was produced in huge numbers, it can be a little surprising to learn that the Supermarine Spitfire was not produced in a two seat training variant during the war, meaning that pilots converting to this awesome machine would be making their first flight in the Spitfire as their first solo. The Vickers Supermarine company did propose the development of a two seat variant of the Spitfire to Air Ministry officials as far back as 1941, but as there was no official support for the project at the time, they simply returned to further development of single engined fighters.
Something of a post war phenomenon, the two seat Spitfire did attract several military operators over the years, including the Irish Air Corps, however, it is during the warbird restoration era and more specifically over the past two decades that the popularity of ‘Spitfires made for two’ has really become established. As arguably the most famous aircraft of all time, the ability to boast that you had flown in a Spitfire used to be the preserve of talented and extremely fortunate pilots, however, as they now had the opportunity to carry a passenger, the chance to fly in a Spitfire was now open to anyone and there has been no end of people desperate to have a Spitfire flying experience.
In a development which saw this aircraft become one of the most distinctive airworthy Spitfires in the world today, TE307 was given a smart new scheme in honour of the fighters flown by the men of No.457 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force during WWII. With each of their aircraft benefitting from the application of sinister looking shark mouths under the engine cowling, the unit was known as the 'Grey Nurse' Squadron and Spitfire TE307 now carries the registration A58-606 and the codes ZP-W in honour of Squadron Leader Bruce Watson, who flew with this unit.
產品信息
作為第二次世界大戰中最成功的戰鬥機之一，並且產量巨大，得知超級海軍噴火戰鬥機在戰爭期間沒有生產雙座訓練型號可能有點令人驚訝，這意味著飛行員 轉換為這台很棒的機器將在 Spitfire 中進行首次飛行作為他們的第一次單人飛行。 早在 1941 年，Vickers Supermarine 公司就曾向空軍部官員提議開發噴火式戰鬥機的雙座改型，但由於當時該項目沒有得到官方支持，他們只是返回進一步開發單引擎戰鬥機 .
作為戰後現象，雙座噴火戰鬥機多年來確實吸引了幾家軍事運營商，包括愛爾蘭空軍，然而，正是在戰鳥恢復時代，更具體地說，在過去的二十年裡，“噴火戰鬥機”的流行使得 for two' 真的成立了。 作為可以說是有史以來最著名的飛機，吹噓自己駕駛過 Spitfire 的能力曾經是才華橫溢且極其幸運的飛行員的專利，但是，由於他們現在有機會搭載乘客，因此有機會飛行 Spitfire 的飛行體驗現在對任何人開放，並且渴望獲得 Spitfire 飛行體驗的人們層出不窮。
在見證這架飛機成為當今世界上最獨特的適航噴火之一的發展過程中，TE307 被賦予了一個聰明的新計劃，以紀念二戰期間由澳大利亞皇家空軍第 457 中隊駕駛的戰鬥機。 他們的每架飛機都受益於在發動機罩下使用看起來險惡的鯊魚嘴，該部隊被稱為“灰色護士”中隊，而 Spitfire TE307 現在註冊號為 A58-606 和代碼 ZP-W 以紀念中隊 與這支部隊一起飛行的領導人布魯斯沃森。
