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Registration or Serial: R7154
Operator: Royal Air Force (124 (Baroda) Squadron)
Operating Base:
RAF Castletown
(X6CT) (RAF No. 13 Group Fighter Operations; Base for protection of Scapa Flow.)
Base Location:
Castletown, Thurso, Scotland.
Current Airport Status:
Military Airport closed 1945.
Continued in use for civil light aircraft until 2003. Now
disused.
(Principal
airport data courtesy of John Woodside,
A Catalogue of UK Airfields)
Aircraft Type Nickname:
the Spit
Aircraft Type & Background
Designed by R J Mitchell, the
elliptical-winged Supermarine Spitfire was one of the most capable
and effective fighters of WWII. It was produced in a number of
variants, and with different power plants and armaments. The
Spitfire was considered a high performing, agile and stable fighter
platform. Ultimately, 20,000 Spitfires and Sea Spitfires (or 'Seafires';
the naval variant) were produced.
The Spitfire first entered service
with the RAF at Duxford in August, 1938, and many subsequent
variants were produced.
During the Battle of Britain, Mk I
Spitfires were outnumbered by Hawker Hurricanes.
Nevertheless, the Spitfires were usually considered as the most
deadly aircraft in the skies above Britain.
The Mark I Spitfire featured here was equipped with a
Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. (Griffon engines were fitted to later
Marks.)
Aircraft Accident
Details
Spitfire R7154 was being operated by 124 Squadron RAF. While on a
flight over the north-west of Scotland, close to Cape Wrath, the
engine failed. The pilot, Sgt Kilburn,
force landed the Spitfire on the beach at Sandwood Bay.
The aircraft was lost in the incident, but fortunately Sgt Kilburn
escaped serious injury.
This aircraft was one of the
Presentation Spitfires paid for by voluntary contributions from
people throughout many UK towns and villages.
Below: RAF Spitfires in
flight
Photo: As a
work of the
U.S. federal government, the image is in the
public domain.
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