© Richard Paver
Spitfire Mk XVI TE311
Spitfire Mk XVI TE311 was built at Castle Bromwich as a lowback / bubble-canopy Spitfire with ‘ clipped ’ wing tips . She was taken on charge by the Air Ministry on 8th June 1945 and delivered to No 39 Maintenance Unit at Colerne , where she was placed in storage . From October 1945 to February 1946 , TE311 was flown by the Handling Sqn of the Empire Central Flying School at Hullavington . After a period in storage , in 1951 she was allocated to No 1689 Ferry Pilot Training Flight at Aston Down . She was subsequently allocated to the Ferry Training Unit at RAF Benson and then , in early 1954 , TE311 served briefly with No 2 Civilian Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit at Langham , Norfolk . In December 1954 , TE311 was officially grounded and transferred to non-effective stock . For the next 12 years the aircraft was a ‘ gate guardian ’ at RAF Tangmere . In 1968 , TE311 was loaned to Spitfire Productions Ltd , who temporarily modified it with a false rear fuselage to resemble a Mk 1 Spitfire and restored it to taxying condition so that it could be used during filming of ground sequences for the epic film ‘ Battle of Britain ’. When filming was completed , an RAF working party restored the Spitfire to its original configuration and it was then allocated to the RAF Exhibition Flight . For over 30 years , from 1968 to 1999 , TE311 was displayed as a static exhibit at many air shows , regularly being dismantled and reassembled for transportation by road . In January 2000 TE311 was delivered to RAF Coningsby for ‘ spares recovery ’. The BBMF decided that the aircraft merited a re-build to flying condition . In 2001 a small team of engineers started working on the aircraft in their own time , until official approval was received from the Ministry of Defence in 2007 to return TE311 to flying condition as part of the Flight . After a painstaking re-build lasting 11 years , the aircraft was returned to an immaculate and extremely authentic standard , and took to the air again , for the first time in 58 years , on 19th October 2012 . TE311 is now painted on her port side to represent Spitfire Mk XVIe TD322 ‘ 3W-M ’, of 322 ( Dutch ) Sqn . 322 ( Dutch ) Sqn is the oldest of the operational Dutch sqns within the RAF during the Second World War , and TE311 carries nose art representing the squadron ’ s mascot , a red-tailed parrot named Polly Grey . On the starboard side , TE311 wears a special tribute to Squadron Leader Mark Long , following the tragic accident on the 25th May , 2024 .