Australia’s Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX BS548, has completed its first post-restoration flight at Duxford, United Kingdom. Flown by Martin “Mo” Overall, this aircraft is Australia’s first two-seat Spitfire.
A Look Into The Supermarine Spitfire History
The Supermarine Spitfire was designed by R.J. Mitchell, chief designer at Supermarine, and was a pivotal British WWII fighter known for its elliptical wings, speed, and agility. It was also the first British fighter aircraft to be constructed almost entirely of aluminium.
Some Spitfires were used as privately owned racing planes after the war; emerging from Schneider Trophy seaplane racing in the 1930s, the prototype first flew in 1936. It later became an icon during the 1940 Battle of Britain and was the only British fighter in continuous production throughout the war, with 20,341 aircraft built.
Shot down in 1943, near Tancarville, France, the Spitfire was converted 83 years later to a two-seat (“Tr9”) configuration, and on Jan. 28, 2026, BS548 made its first post-restoration flight at Duxford, UK.
First Flight at Duxford and Next Steps
The aircraft’s first flight took place in Duxford, UK, and lasted approximately 13 minutes. This test flight covered:
- Handling checks
- Stalls
- A slow roll
- A flypast
- A break to land.
An inspection took place after the pilot landed, and after adding more oil and fuel, the aircraft was ready for another test. Two further flights confirmed that the test was a success.
The owners of this aircraft, Pays Aviation, stated:
“All went perfectly to plan and by all reports it flies beautifully!”
The aircraft will now undergo a test flight program. Once completed, it will be dismantled and shipped to Australia. The dismantlement of the aircraft is a crucial step as it needs to fit into standard shipping containers for secure, cost-effective, and safe transport over a long distance. On arrival in Scone, New South Wales, it will be reassembled by the Vintage Fighter Restorations (VFR) team. This is necessary as the VFR are the specialised maintenance arm of Pay’s Air Service – also known as Pay’s Aviation – that possesses the required expertise for final assembly. After this, it will be flown for additional hours before being cleared for passenger operations.
Warbirds Online, an Australian-based, specialised aviation news source, will continue to monitor and report on the imminent first flight of BS548 and will provide further updates as this historic project reaches its next milestone.
What will this add to Australia’s Aviation Industry?
Australia is utilising restored Supermarine Spitfires primarily for heritage, airshow displays and civilian passenger experience flights. The aircraft will act as a flying memorial and training platform, allowing public access to historic warbird flights.
Once operational, it will represent the only opportunity currently available in the Southern Hemisphere for members of the public to fly in a genuine World War II Spitfire.
Would you like to fly in a restored Spitfire? Let us know in the comments!
