Dates

Event

Constructed as a Spitfire XVI.

27 August 1945

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Air Force with s/n SL721.

From August 1945 to October 1946

Transferred to 6 AMU.
To 6 AMU for storage.

October 1946

Transferred to Fighter Command Squadron.

October 1946

Transferred to Vickers Armstrong.
Transferred for for modification including removal of weapons.

February 1948

Transferred to Metropolitan Comm Squadron.
Transferred to the Metropolitan Comm Squadron, at Northholt, as the personal aircraft of ACM Sir James Robb Commander-in-chief of the Air Forces in Western Europe.

Transported by ground.
Transported to Vickers on a Queen mary aircraft recovery trailer.

November 1948

Crashed.
Belly landing by Air Vice-Marshal John Bothman.

Repaired.
Repaird by Vickers.

December 1948

Transferred to 31 Squadron.
Remained as aircraft of Sir James Robb.

1949

Transferred to 33 MU.
Placed in storage.

July 1951

Transferred to CFS Little Rissington.
With his retirement pending, Robb flew SL721 to CFS Little Rissington for further storage.

October 1953

Transferred to 33 MU.
Placed in storage.

December 1954

Struck off Strength/Charge from the Royal Air Force.

February 1955

Recovered.
Recovered from a scrap yard by automotive engineer Michael Wilcock.

Displayed in front of an automotive business in Sandeon England. A wax based preservative was used to coat the machine which was responsible for preserving the original skins.

August 1958

Loaned to RAF Thorney Island.
Flown at the Thorney Island Battle of Britain display.

By December 1958

To Montagu Motor Museum/Lord Montagu.
At this museum SL721 became known as the Rose Garden Spitfire.

From By 1959 to By 1965

To Beaulieu Motor Museum.
Loaned to the Beaulieu Motor Museum.

To Marquis, Headfort.

May 1965

To M. D. Thackray.

March 1966

To William D. Ross.

Restored.
Restored at Atlanta, GA.

Circa 1967

Photographer: robert brown
Notes: In a very crowded Mustangs Unlimited hangar at Atlanta Municipal Airport. The wingtip of Bill Ross Grumman G-32 is visible at the right.

11 May 1967

First post-restoration Flight.

November 1967

Assigned civil registration: N8R {1}

By June 1968

Photographer: Unknown

Circa 1971

Photographer: Dick Phillips Warbird Images Collection

3 June 1972

Photographer: Peter Nicholson
Notes: Spitfire LF.XVIe SL721 with civil registration N8R on display at Transpo 72 held at Dulles International Airport,Virginia.

4 April 1973

To Fairoaks Aviation Services/Doug Arnold with new c/r G-BAUP.

Transported by ship.
Shipped to Doug Arnolds facility at Blackbushe.

Reassembled at Leavesden.

Markings Applied: DA !
The camoflauge paint schme was retained but the squadron codes were changed.

15 August 1976

Photographer: Peter Nicholson
Notes: Spitfire LF.XVIe of Doug Arnold on display at the 1976 Blackbushe Fly-In,Hampshire.

21 July 1977

Civil registration, G-BAUP, cancelled.

21 July 1977

To Woodson K. Woods with new c/r N8WK.

Transported by ship.
Shipped crated to United States.

Markings Applied: WK W
Painted in a 1944-style camouflage and coded given squadron codes WK W.

18 September 1977

First post-reassembly Flight.

7 May 1978

Photographer: Verne Gerdes
Notes: At Chino, CA

September 1978

Photographer: Buster Paine
Notes: First engine start after re-assembly in USA for Woodson K Woods

28 March 1979

Certificate of airworthiness for NX721WK (SPITFIRE MARK XVI, SL-721) issued.

September 1981

Photographer: Gary Maisack
Notes: At Reno Air Races, Nevada

February 1982

Assigned civil registration: N721WK

From 21 February 1983 to 1990

Loaned to San Diego Air and Space Museum, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA.
View the Location Dossier

From 1990 to 1992

Contracted to QG Aviation/Ray Middleton for work on the airframe.
Restored by QG.

From 1990 to 1992

Restored.

1992

To Chris Woods keeping c/r N721WK.

7 October 1995

Damaged.
Damaged on landing at Albuquerque, NM, USA (ground loop).

By April 1996

Repaired.

2000

To Michael Potter keeping c/r N721WK.

Circa 11 September 2000

Photographer: Unknown
Notes: Photographed at the Reno Air Races.

6 October 2000

To MTW Aviation Inc Trustee/Michael Potter, Wilmington, DE keeping c/r N721WK.

6 October 2000

To MTW Aviation Inc Trustee, Wilmington, DE keeping c/r N721WK.

10 September 2001

Damaged.
Gear collapsed at Ottawa International Airport, Ontario, Canada.

1 March 2002

Civil registration, N721WK, cancelled.
Last CR action date noted here.

26 July 2002

To 3638651 Canada Inc/Michael Potter with new c/r C-GVZB.
The civil registration is significant as it pays homage to an Ottawa connection. VZ is the squadron code for the Ottawa Squadron and B is for George Berlin.

17 January 2003

To Michael Potter keeping c/r C-GVZB.

13 July 2003

Photographer: Mike Henniger
Notes: Displayed at the Canada Aviation Museum during the public unveiling of the new paint scheme representing a 421 Squadron (RCAF) Spitfire.

31 May 2004

To Vintage Wings of Canada/Michael Potter keeping c/r C-GVZB.

November 2005

Based at Vintage Wings of Canada, Gatineau, QC.
Relocated to the new Vintage Wings of Canada hangar at the Gatineau Executive Airport at Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, when Vintage Wings moved in.
View the Location Dossier

10 April 2006

To Vintage Wings of Canada/les Ailes Depoque Du Canada, Ottawa, ON keeping c/r C-GVZB.

4 October 2006

Photographer: Mike Henniger
Notes: Michael Potter launches from the Canada Aviation Museum during the Classic Air Rallye.

6 October 2006

Photographer: Mike Henniger
Notes: Chris Preston, a former Spitfire pilot, signals his approval of SL721.

19 February 2010

Photographer: Mike Henniger
Notes: Photographed at Vintage Wings of Canada at the Gatineau Airport in Quebec.

19 February 2010

Photographer: Mike Henniger
Notes: Photographed at Vintage Wings of Canada at the Gatineau Airport in Quebec.

19 February 2010

Photographer: Mike Henniger
Notes: Photographed at Vintage Wings of Canada at the Gatineau Airport in Quebec.

19 February 2010

Photographer: Mike Henniger
Notes: Photographed at Vintage Wings of Canada at the Gatineau Airport in Quebec.

14 June 2011

To Vintage Wings of Canada/les Ailes Depoque Du Canada, Ottawa, ON keeping c/r C-GVZB.

17 June 2011

Photographer: Mike Henniger
Notes: Photographed at the Hamilton Air Show hosted by the Canadian Warplane Heritage in Mount Hope, Ontario.

14 September 2013

Photographer: Nigel Hitchman
Notes: At the Vintage Wings of Canada AIrshow, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada

16 October 2013

To Vintage Wings of Canada/les Ailes Depoque Du Canada, Ottawa, ON keeping c/r C-GVZB.

2 January 2014

Civil registration, C-GVZB, cancelled.

25 April 2014

To 6565425 Canada Inc, Ottawa, ON with new c/r C-GVZB.

17 April 2015

To Vintage Wings of Canada/les Ailes Depoque Du Canada, Gatineau, QC keeping c/r C-GVZB.

16 December 2015

To 6565425 Canada Inc, Ottawa, ON keeping c/r C-GVZB.

By May 2018

To Kris Van Den Bergh with new c/r OO-XVI.

19 August 2018

Photographer: Pieter van t Hof/SG Woensdrecht
Notes: 19/08/2018. Zoersel-Oostmalle annual Fly Inn.

By 7 September 2019

Markings Applied: GE S

7 September 2019

Photographer: Eric Bannwarth
Notes: at Melun Villaroche.