Supermarine Spitfire Vb - RAF Museum, Hendon, London, UK
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member Master Mariner
N 51° 35.845 W 000° 14.263
30U E 691311 N 5719878
This Supermarine Spitfire Vb is located in the "Historic Hangars" at the RAF Museum in Hendon, London. The aircraft dates from 1940.
Waymark Code: WMNJEW
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 03/23/2015
Published By:Groundspeak Regular Member Team Sieni
Views: 5

The RAF Museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm with admission being free. Car parking is available but there is a charge. The nearest underground station is Colindale about a 10-15 minute walk away or a number 303 bus passes both the tube station and museum. The co-ordinates posted are for the entrance to the "Milestones of Flight" hall/exhibition entrance.

The RAF Museum's website tells us about the Supermarine Spitfire Vb:

The Spitfire MkV was one of the most successful 'stop-gaps' ever introduced into Royal Air Force Service. Over one hundred and forty RAF squadrons operated the type. It served on all battlefronts and was supplied to nine other countries including the Soviet Union and the United States.

During 1940 the Spitfire MkI and MkII barely maintained superiority over the Messerschmitt Bf109E so the Air Staff turned their attention to the question of a replacement. Their preferred successor was the MkIII, fitted with a Merlin XX engine and incorporating a new wing design.

Realising it would take time to tool up for a new production aircraft and because of problems with the Merlin XX, the Air Ministry asked Rolls-Royce, as an interim measure, to install the Merlin 45 engine in the Spitfire MkI airframe. Between 1941 and 1943 over 6500 of this MkV version were produced. The spitfire MkIII never did go into production but some of the new design features intended for it were incorporated into the MkV

By 1944 only five squadrons remained in service. Even so, two Spitfire MkV squadrons provided gunfire direction on 6 June 1944 for naval units off the D-Day beached of Normandy.

A history of this aircraft can be seen here.

Type of Aircraft: (make/model): Supermarine Spitfire Vb

Tail Number: (S/N): BL614

Construction:: original aircraft

Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): RAF Musuem, Hendon, London

inside / outside: inside

Access restrictions:
Please see the detailed description.


Other Information:: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)

Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.
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Ulven7470 visited Supermarine Spitfire Vb - RAF Museum, Hendon, London, UK 04/25/2023 Ulven7470 visited it