Dates

Event

1944

Constructed as a Spitfire LF.IX.

18 March 1944

First flight.

24 March 1944

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Air Force with s/n MK923.

24 March 1944

Assigned to No. 9 Maintenance Unit, RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton for storage.
Until issued to an operational squadron.

10 May 1944

Transferred to No. 126 Squadron, RAF Sawbridgenorth, Hertfordshire.
Operated with markings: 5J-Z

22 May 1944

Base of operations changed.
RAF Culmhead, Churchstanton, Somerset.

28 May 1944

First operational sortie.

6 June 1944

Flown in support of the D-Day Invasion.

3 July 1944

Base of operations changed.
RAF Harrowbeer, Yelverton, Devon.

14 August 1944

Shot down two Bf.109s.

30 August 1944

Base of operations changed.
RAF Bradwell Bay, West Mersea, Essex.

December 1944

Transferred to No. 32 Maintenance Unit, RAF Saint. Athen, South Wales.
For a major Inspection.

December 1944

Transferred to No. 1 Civil Repair Unit, Cowley, Oxforshire.
For repairs.

April 1945

Restored to airworthy, awaiting assignment.

11 May 1945

Assigned to RAF Colerne, Wiltshire for storage.

19 May 1947

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Koninklijke Luchtmacht / Royal Netherlands Air Force with s/n MK923.

19 May 1947

Ferry flight.
Flown to No.47 Maintenance Unit at RAF Sealand.D ismantled and crated for shipping.

From May 1947 to November 1947

Transported by ship.
Left Tilbury docks aboard S.S.Rotti bound for India. From there she was transported to Kalidjati, Java.

17 November 1947

New serial number assigned: H-104 KLu
Not official s/n but given by technical staff because no official s/n given.

17 November 1947

First post-reassembly Flight.

5 December 1947

Final two test flights.

December 1947

Transferred to No. 322 Squadron.

19 December 1947

Flew in combat operations in Indonesia; this operation was to destroy enemy radio transmitters by means of bombing or strafing.

1948

New serial number assigned: H-61 KLu
Stripped of RAF camouflage and painted green overall with light blue wings.

1948

Was responsible for 24 bombing missions.

March 1952

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Force Arienne Belge with s/n B-9.
Sold by Netherlands Air Force and transferred to Fokker N.V at Schipol and given a major overhaul.

26 November 1952

First post-restoration Flight.
First test flight by Fokker.

26 November 1952

New serial number assigned: SM-37 FABe

From December 1952 to January 1953

Made six test flights.

2 February 1953

Ferry flight. Delivered to Flown to Belgium for active duty.

February 1953

Used as an advanced trainer for gunnery, etc.

25 April 1958

To COGEA Co, Middlekirke Airport, Ostend, Belgium with new c/r OO-ARF.

1958

Given a towing contract in conjunction with the Belgian Army; was fitted with towing target gear under the rear fuselage and flown over many target ranges.

September 1961

Leased for use in the movie The Longest Day, marked GW-U.

1963

To Clifford P. Robertson, Oxnard, CA.

1963

Ferry flight.
Flown from Oestend to Southend U.K by the late Neil Williams, via Swanton Morley in Norfolk to Biggin Hill.

7 November 1963

Dismantled and crated for shipping by Film Aviation Services.

17 November 1963

Transported by air.
The plane was shipped to Santa Anna, CA on a Flying Tiger Airlines Canadair CL-44.

From November 1963 to 1964

Restored.
Full overhaul and painted overall dark blue.

1964

To Clifford P. Robertson, Oxnard, CA with new c/r N93081.

23 May 1969

To Clifford P. Robertson, Los Angeles, CA with new c/r N521R (SPITFIRE MARK IX, CBAF-1X-1886).

1969

Cliff Robertson met the only other Spitfire owner (MK XVI- SL721) in the USA, Willam Ross. They decided to totally rebuild MK923 at the Ross facility at DuPage County Airport, West Chicago. Cliff wanted an expert Spitfire pilot to operate the aircraft and Ross recommended ex-RCAF Spitfire pilot Jerry Billing.

16 September 1972

Test flown by Jerry Billing at Oxnard, CA. The plane then had a complete overhaul of airframe and new ZERO time Merlin Engine 76 fitted at DuPage. It was then flown to Buffalo New York for its new paint scheme before basing at Windsor, Ontario. Jerry flew Mk923 for approximately 22.5 years at air shows around North AmericaAaand Canada displaying this legendary Spitfire with the grace and skill of a true WWII fighter pilot. Jerry retired from displaying MK923 in 1994 at age 75.

1976

Markings Applied: 5J-Z
Repainted and marked as when with No.126 Squadron.

10 June 1976

Photographer: Peter Nicholson
Notes: Cliff Robertsons Spitfire MK 923 attended the 1976 Reading Airshow in Pennsylvania.

May 1982

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
Notes: At DuPage Airport, West Chicago, IL

6 April 1990

Certificate of airworthiness for NX521R (SPITFIRE MARK IX, CBAF-1X-1886) issued.

1994

Loaned to Air Zoo, Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, Kalamazoo, MI.
View the Location Dossier

19 July 1995

Photographer: Mike Henniger
Notes: Photographed at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

1996

To Craig McCaw, CA keeping c/r N521R.

1996

Ferry flight.
Ferried back to California by Bud Granley.

From 1999 to 1 January 2000

MK923 was displayed by Bud Granley at the Abbotsford Air Show in 1999 and 2000 where it lead the Canadian Forces Snowbirds into their display. (Abbotsford 2000 would be the last public display for MK923 ).

15 June 1999

To Flight Management Llc, Kirkland, WA keeping c/r N521R.

2000

Due to loose rivets a decision was made to either re-skin MK923 or place her in a museum. Due to the cost, the museum idea was decided upon.

May 2001

Loaned to Museum of Flight, Boeing Field, Seattle, WA.
View the Location Dossier

12 December 2001

To Apex Foundation, Bellevue, WA keeping c/r N521R.
Remained on display at the Boeing Museum.

1 January 2006

Certificate of airworthiness for NX521R (SPITFIRE MARK IX, CBAF-1X-1886) issued.

29 June 2012

Photographer: Terry Fletcher
Notes: 2012 photo in Museum of Flight in Seattle

July 2014

Photographer: Gustavo Bonilla
Notes: Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington.