[AVGWarhawk]

@Steve:

This is a pic of the actual Spitfire at the show:



SUPERMARINE
SPITFIRE MkXVIII

SM969
SM969N969SMMk.XVIIIeJim Beasley, Pennsylvania, USA.

Built Keevil in mid 1945. To 6 MU on August 30th 1945. Shipped to Royal Indian Air Force as HS877 in 1946. Crashed during aerobatics killing pilot on December 12th 1946. Wreck returned to UK on July 1978. Sold to Doug Arnold and rebuilt at Blackbushe for Warbirds of Great Britain. First flight on October 12th 1985, registered G-BRAF. Left UK shortly after Arnold's death in late 1992 and sold to USA. To Flying A services on May 1998. This aircraft was aquired by The Fighter Collection at Duxford in April 2006 and shipped to Duxford to start its restoration to flight. Re-traction tests on the undercarriage on 4-5-08 in the TFC hanger (see photo). Restoration finished in 2008 and painted in No 28 Sqn markings. Sold to Jim Beasley (American warbird pilot) in late 2008 and to be registered as N969SM. SM969 made its post-restoration flight in Pennsylvania on 21.12.08. This Spitfire had not flown since 1992.
(photo taken in the TFC Hangar at Duxford on 4th May 2008 by Gary Watson)


Steve is absolutley correct! I heard the announcer wrong. I suspect he was talking about all of the engine offerings in the Spits over the course of the war.

Click link. On the right is list of videos. #3 is this exact bird and it states Griffon engine run up.

http://wn.com/Supermarine_Spitfire_Mk_XVIII