The Spitfire was designed by R. J. Mitchell, the chief designer at Supermarine Aviation Works, as a short-range, high-performance fighter aircraft. The Supermarine Spitfire, a metal-designed single-seat fighter aircraft used by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and other allied countries during and after World War II, made its first flight on March 5, 1936, and entered service in RAF squadrons in 1938. 

The Spitfire etched its name into the history of aviation with its successes against German warplanes during the Battle of Britain. Reaching legendary status through this battle, 22,777 units of the aircraft were produced. The most notable feature of the Spitfire, which remained in production for 12 years, was its ability to adapt to upgraded engines and weaponry and remain competitive as the war progressed. Initially produced as the Mk.1, the aircraft underwent continuous developments to adapt to the changing conditions of the war, leading to the production of the Spitfire Mk.9 with the use of Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 series engines. Today, about 30 Spitfires are still in flying condition and are also displayed statically in many aviation museums around the world.

TÜRKİYE and THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK.9

Spitfires served in various types in the Turkish Air Force between 1938 and 1954. After World War II, the Turkish Air Force decided to make the Spitfire its standard fighter aircraft, and between January 1947 and February 1948, a total of 196 Mk.9 Spitfire aircraft were added to the Air Force's inventory. Their serial numbers ranged from 6201 to 6395. Unfortunately, none of these aircraft have survived to the present day; after their service period, they were used by the Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation for various purposes to provide materials.

Many of our heroic pilots, including our esteemed elder Necati Artan, one of the first jet pilots of our country and the founder of the Flying Swans Aerobatic Team, who honored us by agreeing to give their names to the Sivrihisar Aviation Center facilities, flew Spitfire aircraft and carried out the duty of defending our homeland.

The Spitfire Mk.9 aircraft with serial number TE517 in our museum's inventory was manufactured in 1945 at the Castle Bromwich factory in England. Equipped with a 1700-horsepower Rolls Royce Merlin 66 engine, the aircraft was first assigned to the Royal Air Force's 33rd Maintenance Unit and later transferred to the 313th Squadron, which included the Czechoslovak Air Force, in Kent on July 21, 1945.

As World War II was nearing its end, in August 1945, 15 Spitfire aircraft from the 313th Squadron, including TE517, were sent to Prague, Czechoslovakia. TE517 remained with the Czechoslovak Air Force until 1949 and was then abandoned in the Middle East until it was brought back to England in the 1980s. It was first purchased by British aviator Robert Lamplough and later by Charles Church. In 1992, the aircraft was sold to renowned American aviator Kermit Weeks. In 2021, it was brought back to England by its new owner to be restored at Biggin Hill. After a two-year restoration, it made its first flight since 1949 on April 7, 2023.

In 2024, the Spitfire Mk.9 aircraft with serial number TE517 was acquired by Ali İsmet Öztürk for the M.S.Ö. Air and Space Museum. The aircraft took off from Sywell Airport in England and landed at the Sivrihisar Aviation Center on May 27, 2024. After obtaining permissions from the Ministry of National Defense and the Air Force Command, it was painted in the colors used by our Air Force in the 1950s, with the square insignia applied.

On a ceremony held on July 20, 2024, after a speech by the late Necati Artan's daughter, Mrs. Necef Artan Yüksel, the Spitfire took its place in our museum with a display flight.