You Can Own this Flyworthy Spitfire IX, One of the Most Iconic British WWII Aircraft

Some investments are worthy just from the business point of view, such as bonds or stocks. But, at the same time, others are rewarding in many other ways, including financially. Under this category are arts, cars, and aircraft. Take this Supermarine Spitfire MK IX HF, for instance. It is the kind of investment that you can actually use. You can climb into its cockpit and feel the pleasure of flying a World War II warbird. And it's not just a mundane one. It's the most famous British aircraft from that era.

While the Americans have the Mustangs, and the Japanese have the Zero, the Brits have the Spitfire. Germans are still undecided whether their most iconic WWII aircraft was the Me-109, the FW-190, or the ME-262. But what's so special about this Spitfire, you might ask? Well, let's get into it.

The Spitfire was built in many versions, and this is one of the latest evolution of them, produced in late 1944. It is a High-Level Fighter version fitted with the Rolls-Royce Merlin 70 engine. It is also one of the last high-back Spitfires since Supermarine switched the production to low-back ones in February 1945. Yet, this example entered service in June 1945, so it doesn't have any victories against Luftwaffe under its belt.

Certainly, after WWII, RAF didn't need that many aircraft anymore. Thus, 136 Spitfire MK IXs were sold to South African Air Force in 1948, and TD134, the bird you see here, was among them. What it did there is unknown since there are no records of its activity in the SAAF. What is certain is that just six years later, it was sold for scrapping. But instead of being dismantled, it just stood in one piece until 1969, when a brave soul recovered it. It passed through several hands before it landed in 2009 in the UK via Canada.

Two years later was bought by Aero Legends and was sent for a complete restoration at Biggin Hill hangars, which is specialized in rebuilding Spitfires. The first flight of the re-born TD134 happened on December 7, 2013.

Since then, Aero Legend has used the aircraft for various events such as air shows and film works. It flew around 30-40 hours per year, and the buyer might continue operating the aircraft similarly. That will sweeten the deal a bit. After all, the TD134 is not a cheap toy. The seller asks for 3.6 million British Pounds (4.42 USD) to part with it. The airframe and the engine have 175.05 hours since overhaul, while the propeller has just 42.24 hrs since it was refreshed in 2020.

Unlike most other Spitfire produced, the HF version was designed for high-altitude flights. It is powered by a 1,710 hp Rolls-Royce Merlin 70 engine. Thanks to its modifications, it has a maximum speed of 405 mph (652 kph) at 25,400 feet (7,700 meters) fully loaded.