Spitfire XVIII SM845 | Spitfire Ltd

Spitfire SM845 is an early production Mk XVIII Spitfire built at Chattis Hill in 1945. She was delivered to 39 MU (Maintenance Unit) on May 30th before being shipped to Karachi, India where she served with the RAF South East Asia Air Command during 1946. Spitfire SM845 was then transferred to the Indian Air Force in late 1947 and served until the late 1950’s. The aircraft was one of eight Spitfires recovered from India by Duxford-based Ormond and Wensley Haydon-Baillie in 1977 and was shipped unrestored to California in 1978. Spitfire SM845 passed through several owners and underwent a partial restoration before returning to the UK in 1998 to have her restoration completed by Historic Flying Ltd in Audley End, making her first post restoration flight in 2000.

In 2009 the aircraft was sold to new owners in Sweden but was damaged in an accident at Tynset in Norway when the aircraft veered off the runway during landing. Spitfire SM845 was subsequently returned to the UK having being purchased by Spitfire Ltd where it has undergone extensive restoration to flying condition by Airframe Assemblies and Historic Flying Limited. She made her first post restoration flight in December 2013 piloted by John Romain in the post-war silver markings of Hong Kong-based No 28 Squadron.

Spitfire SM845 was part of Richard Lake’s Spitfire Ltd fleet based at Humberside Airport but was sold in 2020 to Fliegerhorst GmbH & Co.KG in Germany. Her ferry flight from the UK to MeierMotors of Bremgarten, Germany was piloted by John Romain.

UPDATE: Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk XVIIIe crashed when landing at Hildesheim Airport (EDVM ) on the 26th May 2023. According to news sources the pilot was slightly injured and the aircraft received substantial damage.

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