Hangar 11 Collection
The Hangar 11 Collection is based at North Weald Airfield in Essex. The collection consists of four World War II Aircraft, Supermarine Spitfire PL965, Hawker Hurricane BE505, P-51 Mustang Jumpin Jacques and Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk G-KITT.
It seems fitting that these aircraft are based on an airfield which was used during World War II for Spitfire and Hurricane operations.
All these aircraft are available for both British and European air shows, private functions, displays and special events.
The Aircraft
Curtiss P-40M-10CU 27490 43-5802(G-KITT), Ex RCAF Kittyhawk III 845, Ex 5 OTU
The Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk was built in 1943 and assigned to a RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) squadron. She was operated by a number of RCAF squadrons before being demobbed in 1950. She was then used by Oregon State University as an instructional airframe. For the next few years she was kept in storage at Troutdale Airport, Oregon before being discovered in a well preserved condition in the late ’70s by P-40 expert Tommy Camp. Over the next few years Tommy Camp restored her to Ex Military stock specification and she finally flew in 1982.
She moved to her new home at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford in February 1985 having been purchased by Stephen Grey for The Fighter Collection. Several years later the aircraft was acquired by The Hangar 11 Collection, just a short flight down the M11 at North Weald Airfield.
For a more comprehensive history click here
Photos by Bob Franklin
Supermarine Spitfire PR MK XI 6S/504719 G-MKXI PL965
Supermarine Spitfire PL965 was built as a Mk XI photo reconnaissance aircraft and was designed to operate at high altitudes (over 30000ft) and at high speeds of over 400mph.
PL965 was operated by 16 Squadron based at Melsbroke Airfield in Belgium. Some of the missions flown by 16 Squadron Spitfires were to monitor airfields where jet and rocket-propelled aircraft were operating from.
PL965 flew over forty operational missions over Germany, France and Holland. On some of these missions she encountered anti-aircraft fire and was often intercepted by German fighters.
For a more comprehensive history click here
Photos by Bob Franklin
Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB G-HHII BE505 Hurribomber
BE505 is part of The Hangar 11 Collection based at North Weald in Essex. This aircraft was built in 1942 and flew throughout the war with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is the only airworthy example of the Hurribomber in existence.
The restoration of the aircraft started in 2005 by Hawker Restorations Limited in Suffolk and the aircraft finally took to the skies again on 27th January 2009. The aircraft has been widely displayed throughout the country throughout 2009.
For a more comprehensive history click here
Photos by Bob Franklin and Ross Cannon
P-51D-20-NA Mustang G-SIJJ 44-72035 Jumpin Jacques
This P-51D Mustang was built at North America's Inglewood facility in California and carried out a ferry flight across mainland USA to Newark, New Jersey, where she was shipped by boat on January 24th 1945 for operation with the 15th Air Force based in Italy. She was operated by this unit for the last few months of the war and carried out escort and ground attack sweeps over Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia.
On her return to the USA she was eventually overhauled and assigned to The Air National Guard based at Tulsa in January 1948.
In October 1956 the aircraft was placed in storage and a few months later sold to Whiteman Enterprises, who she remained with for the next 24 years.
Over the years she changed hands several more times before joining The Hangar 11 Collection at North Weald in Essex.
For a more comprehensive history click here
Photos by Bob Franklin