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Spitfire EN783 |
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Type : Spitfire Mark : Vb Last Flew : 30th May 1945 Built at : Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory Powered by : Merlin 45 Known Codes : XR-K GW-W |
| Known information | |
| 21st May 1942 | Joined No.610 Sqn. |
| 15th July 1942 | Joined No.308 Sqn |
| 24th July 1942 | Joined No.309 Sqn |
| 12th August 1942 | Joined No.71 Sqn with code XR-K. |
| 01st October 1942 | Joined 334 Fighter Squadron (USAF) with code XR-K. |
| 03rd November 1943 | Joined No.66 Sqn. |
| 15th November 1943 | Joined No.340 Sqn with code GW-W. |
| 07th December 1943 | Damaged on operations. |
| 02nd May 1945 | Damaged in belly landing near Felton, Northumberland after engine failure on take off. |
| 30th May 1945 | Struck off. |
| Pilots and Aircrew who flew : Spitfire Vb EN783 | ||
| A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||
| Name | Info | |
| Pisanos, Spiros Steve Click the name above to see a profile of Pisanos, Spiros Steve
| Pisanos, Spiros Steve Born Nov. 10, 1919, in the Athens suburb of Kolonos, Spiros Nicholas 'Steve' Pisanos, the son of a subway motorman, arrived in America in April 1938 as a crew member on a Greek merchant tramp steamer. Arriving in Baltimore speaking no English, he worked in a bakery and hotels to earn money for flying lessons at Floyd Bennett Field. In August 1940, he settled in Plainfield, New Jersey, and continued flying lessons at Westfield Airport. He earned a private pilot's license and, though still a Greek national, in October 1941 he joined the British Royal Air Force sponsored by the Clayton Knight Committee in New York City. Pisanos began his military flight training at Polaris Flight Academy in Glendale. Upon graduation, Pilot Officer Pisanos was transferred to England where he completed RAF Officers Training School at Cosford, England, and OTU (Operational Training Unit) at Old Sarum Aerodrome in Salisbury. Pisanos was posted to the 268 Fighter Squadron at Snailwell Aerodrome in Newmarket flying P-51A's. He later transferred to the 71 Eagle Squadron, one of three Eagle squadrons in the RAF, comprised of just 244 American volunteers flying Spitfires at Debden RAF Aerodrome. When the USAAF 4th Fighter Group absorbed the American members of the Eagle Squadrons in September and October 1942, Pisanos was commissioned a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Forces. Flying his first mission in his P-47 'Miss Plainfield' out of Debden Aerodrome with the 334th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, Lt. Pisanos, 'The Flying Greek,' scored his first shootdown on May 21, 1943, when he targeted a German FW-190 over Ghent, Belgium. By Jan. 1, 1944, he had become an ace with five confirmed downings. On March 5, 1944, he obtained his 10th shootdown and while returning from that B-17 escort mission to Limoges and Bordeaux, France, Pisanos experienced engine failure in his P-51B and crash-landed south of Le Havre. For six months he evaded the Germans and fought with the French Resistance and the American OSS, sabotaging the German war machine in occupied France. Lt. Pisanos returned to England on Sept. 2, 1944, following the liberation of Paris. Because of his exposure and knowledge of the French Resistance operations, Pisanos was prohibited from flying additional combat missions because the Air Force could not risk him being captured. Upon returning to the United States, Capt. Pisanos was assigned to the Flight Test Division at Wright Field, Ohio. He attended the USAF Test Pilot School and served as a test pilot at Wright Field and Muroc Lake, California, testing the YP-80 jet aircraft, America's first operational jet. During his Air Force career, Pisanos graduated from the University of Maryland, attended the Air Command and Staff College and the Air War College. Pisanos also served tours of duty in Vietnam (1967-68) and with NORAD before retiring from the USAF with the rank of colonel in in December 1973. Colonel Steve Pisanos died on 6th June 2016. | |
Died : 6 / 6 / 2016| Squadrons for : Spitfire Vb EN783 | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have flown Spitfire Vb EN783. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
334th Fighter Squadron Country : US Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of 334th Fighter Squadron | 334th Fighter Squadron Full profile not yet available. | |
No.308 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 5th September 1940 Fate : Disbanded 18th December 1946 Polish - City of Krakow Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.308 Sqn RAF | No.308 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
No.309 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 7th October 1940 Fate : Disbanded 6th January 1947 Polish - Land of Czerwien Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.309 Sqn RAF | No.309 Sqn RAF Flew Mustangs from October 1944. | |
No.340 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 7th November 1941 Fate : Disbanded 25th November 1945 French Ile-de-France Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.340 Sqn RAF | No.340 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
No.610 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 10th February 1936 Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957 County of Chester (Auxiliary) Alifero tollitur axe ceres - Ceres rising in a winged car | No.610 Sqn RAF 610 squadron was formed AT Hooton Park, Wirral in Cheshire on 10 February 1936 as one of the Auxiliary Air Force squadrons equipped with the light bomber the Hawker Hart. In May 1938 610 Squadron aircraft were upgraded to the new Hawker Hind. On 1 January 1939 the squadron role was changed into that of a fighter squadron, and on the outbreak of war in September 1939, he Squadron began receiving the new Hawker Hurricane. By the end of that same month it was flying the Supermarine Spitfire. During the Battle of Britain 610 Squadron was attached to No. 3 Group and was initially based at RAF Gravesend but moved to Biggin Hill before the German offensive began and was one of the units bearing the brunt of German attacks. It moved to RAF Acklington for the rest and recuperation at the end of August, having sustained severe casualties. During the Battle of Britain the squadron included Pilot Officer, later Squadron Leader, Constantine Pegge. In 1941, the squadron moved south to RAF Tangmere where it became part of the Tangmere wing, a three squadron wing under the command of Douglas Bader. 610 Squadron remained based in the UK until 1945, when it moved to the continent to provide fighter cover as the allies entered Germany. 610 Squadron was disbanded before the end of the war at RAF Warmwell in March 1945. | |
No.66 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 24th June 1916 Fate : Disbanded 20th March 1969 Cavete praemonui - Beware, I have given warning | No.66 Sqn RAF Stations during the Battle of Britain : Coltishall from29th May 1940, Kenley 3rd September 1940, Gravesend 11th September 1940, West Malling 30th October 1940. | |
No.71 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 27th March 1917 Fate : Disbanded 31st May 1957 Eagle First from the eyries | No.71 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
| Aircraft type : Spitfire | ||
| A profile page including a list of all art prints for the Spitfire is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
Spitfire 
Manufacturer : Supermarine Production Began : 1936 Retired : 1948 Number Built : 20351 | Spitfire Royal Air Force fighter aircraft, maximum speed for mark I Supermarine Spitfire, 362mph up to The Seafire 47 with a top speed of 452mph. maximum ceiling for Mk I 34,000feet up to 44,500 for the mark XIV. Maximum range for MK I 575 miles . up to 1475 miles for the Seafire 47. Armament for the various Marks of Spitfire. for MK I, and II . eight fixed .303 browning Machine guns, for MKs V-IX and XVI two 20mm Hispano cannons and four .303 browning machine guns. and on later Marks, six to eight Rockets under the wings or a maximum bomb load of 1,000 lbs. Designed by R J Mitchell, The proto type Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936. and entered service with the Royal Air Force in August 1938, with 19 squadron based and RAF Duxford. by the outbreak of World war two, there were twelve squadrons with a total of 187 spitfires, with another 83 in store. Between 1939 and 1945, a large variety of modifications and developments produced a variety of MK,s from I to XVI. The mark II came into service in late 1940, and in March 1941, the Mk,V came into service. To counter the Improvements in fighters of the Luftwaffe especially the FW190, the MK,XII was introduced with its Griffin engine. The Fleet Air Arm used the Mk,I and II and were named Seafires. By the end of production in 1948 a total of 20,351 spitfires had been made and 2408 Seafires. The most produced variant was the Spitfire Mark V, with a total of 6479 spitfires produced. The Royal Air Force kept Spitfires in front line use until April 1954. | |
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