Spaning Spitfire - Supermarine S31 Spitfire

£24.00

militärhistoriska flygarvet tavlor - svensk spaning flygplan

 

Bought to replace obsolete J9 fighter-reconnaissance aircraft with which F11 wing had been equipped, the S31, as the Spitfire Mk.XIX was christened in Sweden had a radically improved overall performance that prepared Swedish pilots for the jet age.

 

Fifty aircraft were bought in 1948 as surplus from RAF stock and at the time of their introduction had a higher top speed than any fighter in  Flygvapnet service. While an obvious stop-gap, the aircraft allowed new tactics to be developed that would eventually be used with the new generation of jet fighters and reconnaissance aircraft. While all the original S31 were either sold or scrapped an example was sourced in the 1980s and restored to a superb condition for exhibition at the Swedish Air Force Museum near Malmen.

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