Spitfire 'Porky II' moves to Sywell Aerodrome
Since Saturday 25 January 2025, Sywell Aerodrome got a new stablemate, Spitfire Mk.XVIe RW382 (CBAF.11581) is now based there. The fighter registered as G-PBIX is usually referred to as 'The Suffolk Spitfire', '382', or 'Porky II'. It is one of the very few Spitfires that carries USAAF livery. It is painted in the colours of a Spitfire Mk.IX flown by the 31st FG, 309th FS USAAF. The orginal 'Porky II' with“ code 'WZ-RR' was flown by Lt. Robert Connor during the Italy campaign in 1943.
The aircraft is a former RAF gate guard which was restored to flying status in 1991 as G-XVIA. It was sold to the USA in 1995 as (not surprisingly) N382RW, but crashed in June 1998, killing its owner. The wreckage was sold to the UK and a restoration with a newly built fuselage commenced in 2001.
As G-PBIX the plane made its first flight on 18 September 2013, adorned with the code '3W-P'. The original '3W-P' was flown by No. 322 (Dutch) squadron RAF from November 1944. There is still some dispute over the true identity of RW382: while most sources mention CBAF.IX4640 as the construction number, the British registry sticks to CBAF.11581, which seems to be the c/n of the firewall of the Spit.
'The Suffolk Spitfire' left her Duxford home and has now relocated to Sywell Aerodrome. However, she will still be regularly flying in and out of Duxford during the upcoming season.
Photos: Nigel Harrison