PL983 was built in 1944, served in Europe with 4 squadron before it later passed to 2 squadron in post war occupied Germany. Famously raced by wartime ATA pilot, Lettice Curtis, it later passed to the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden and placed it on static display. A restoration to flight was started by a volunteer team, but the collection sold it unfinished in 1983. Purchased by wartime pilot Roland Frassinet, it became the first Spitfire to be restored by Trent Aero Engineering and made its first rebuild flight in July 1984 at East Midlands Airport. Sold to Doug Arnold, it featured in the TV series “Piece of Cake” and following his death in 1992, PL983 was placed in storage until being re-assembled at North Weald prior to sale to Justin Fleming in 1999.
Operated by Martin Sargeant, it was overhauled and re-flown, but sadly met with a fatal accident at Rouen in France June , 2001. A rebuild to flying condition was carried out at Duxford and eventually she flew again in summer 2018.
