Spitfire XVI TE392 was built and delivered to the RAF in 1945. However, its service history is not fully known and following WWII the aircraft served as a gate guard with different RAF bases including Wellesbourne Mountford, RAF Waterbeach, RAF Kemble and RAF Credenhill. Douglas Arnold of Warbirds of Great Britain Ltd, acquired the Spitfire in 1984 and it was stored in UK sites until 1992 when it was sold to Mike Araldi of Bartow, FL and restoration was completed including conversion to a high back configuration. B.D.“Buddy” Hunter of Houston Texas acquired the aircraft in 1996 and it was donated to Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston Texas and flew again on 24 December 1999 registered N97RW. She was painted in what is believed to be its WWII colours (ZX-Z) in commemoration of Texan, Lance C. Wade.
It flew until in 2008, when the aircraft was submerged in the floodwaters with Hurricane Ike. TE392 has since been sold to Australia and after repairs, will be operated from Archerfield, Brisbane.
