'Mystery' Spitfire identified

摘要

Following research undertaken by Israeli aviation historian and FlyPast contributor Shlomo Aloni, the original British identity of former Burmese Air Force (BAF) Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX UB421 has been revealed. The Spitfire was originally built as TE513, as shown in documents obtained by Shlomo via the Israeli Air Force Archive. Its true history was hard to establish because it was not built at the main Castle Bromwich site, but at a less well known shadow factory. And adding to the mystery was the clandestine circumstances under which the fighter was despatched from Czechoslovakia to Israel, and then from Israel to Burma.