SPITFIRE MK VIII HISTORICAL INFORMATION

Considered by many pilots as 'The Best Merlin Spitfire', the MK VIII was essentially a completely new version. Based on the Mk V airframe with many improvements incorporated to combat the threat of the Germans latest fighter, the FW 190 which had started to appear in the skies over Europe.  The first derivitive, the Mk VII was primaraly designed as a  high altitude escort with a pressurised cockpit, whilst the Mk VIII was an un-pressurised version specifically for fighter sweep, ground attack and combat duties. It featured a supercharged 1560 Hp Merlin engine driving a 4 blade constant pitch Rotol airscrew. Changes to the carburettor allowed negative 'g' manouvers that had hindered the earlier models. In the search for higher speed ( 404 mph) it had a retractable rear wheel to reduce drag, a larger fin & rudder for better stability and a neat low profile tropical filter which increased engine performance. The MkVIII packed a formidable punch in its C model wing configuration, with its armament which consisted of two Hispano Suizza cannons and four wing mounted .303 browning machine guns.

The Mk VIII was intended as the major development to counter the Germans FW190 which was being encountered by Mk Vs and outperformed as early as September 1941.. It would have been bought into earlier had not the threat and advance of the Germans FW190 been so rapid, forcing the development of an interim model Mk IX while the development of the MkVIII progressed.  Thus a modified Mk V fitted with the Mk VIII engine and propeller evolved into the Mk IX and was hurried into service.

The Mk VIII was recognised by many as the definitive version and nicest to fly of all the Spitfire versions. However production was slow to start and most went to the Middle or Far East or Australia.
In addition to a number of MkVs that were converted to MkVIIIs, a total of 1,658 MkVIII airframes were produced out of the total of 22,759 Spitfires built.

JG 668 was manufactured at Supermarine Vickers Ltd during March 1944 as part of Contract 1877 / C.23 C and was delivered to Chattis Hill, Winchester 6th MU on 18th March 1944. From here it went to 82nd MU where it was crated and shipped to Australia aboard the SS 'Mit Park', arriving on the 19th June 1944. It was assembled and delivered to 457 Squadron during July 1944 and was flown primarily for fighter training until the wars end. During May 1946 it suffered an undisclosed accident and was stored unrepaired at RAAF Oakey in Queensland.  There was little point in repairing it as, at this time all of the Spitfire fleet was slowly being scrapped at t this time, so in November 1948 JG 668, having been partially stripped for spares retrevial, was authorised for disposal.

The remains of the airframe was saved from from the scrapmans smelting pot only due to the aircraft being somewhat immobile as a result of thr earlier parts retrevial. Consequently JG 668 was allowed to languish on the perimeter of a farm in the Australian outback near to Oakley. In the 1980s it was finally recovered and a partial restoration was begun with the intention of exhibiting in a museum near Hoopers Cross in Toowoomba. Due to a lack of funds the restoration was put on hold, and in 2003, to raise funds, a combined sale was negotiated for a P51 Mustang and the partially restored aircraft Spitfire JG 668.The Mustang went to South Africa ,while JG 668 was packed into a container and shipped to the UK, arriving at its current location in Oxfordshire in March of 2004.

In the past 4 years JG 668 has been slowly rebuilt through many hours, days, months and years of a sympathetic rebuild. Using mostly original components for restoration, or pattern parts using correct materials where new parts have been manufactured, to complete the fuselage, tail, and wings to the state it can currently be seen in.

During the last 10 years or so numerous further expeditions have yeilded a plethora of smaller parts from JG 668 and other serials and these, with new parts manufactured or sourced, now means that there exists a very viable project to airworthy condition.

As the MkVIII was used as the airfarme for the first two-seat conversions as the TR8, it would be relatively simple to reconstruct JG 668 with the additional cockpit Currently there are four MkVIII Spitfires flying in the World- one with the Indian Air Force Museum; one in Australia at Temora and one owned by Rob Lamplough in the U.K. The fourth is the prototype TR8 which has now returned to the UK from America.

 We are very keen to hear of any further information regarding the active service of this aircraft. It appears that the photo taken of the OUT squadron is from the same group that A58-441 would have flown in. It is of course possible that one of the aircraft in the photo is in fact A58-441 but the quality of the picture does not allow definitive ID of 3 of the aircraft so we can only wonder. It is possible that some one out there recalls this sequence of pictures or can shed more light on it personally or historically. Of course if you can we would be delighted to add any further information to this site.

Serial #: JG668
Construction #: Unknown
Civil Registration: None
Model: LF Mk. VIII
Name: None
Status: Restoration

History:

Delivered to RAF 82nd MU as JG668, Mar. 30, 1944.
- Transferred to RAAF, arrived Sydney, June 19, 1944.
Delivered to RAAF as A58-441.
- BOC: July 1944.
- SOC: May 22, 1946.
- Assigned to No. 1 AD, July 6, 1944.
- Transferred to No. 14 ARD-R/P. Sept. 6, 1944. Squ 457 / OTU
- Transferred to No. 9 R&SU, Oct. 23, 1944.
- Transferred to No. 14 ARD-R/P. Nov. 23, 1944.Squ 457 / OTU
- Transferred to No. 6 AD, Oct. 1, 1945.
- Stored for spares (later scrapped) RAAF Oakey, Queensland, Nov. 7, 1947-Nov. 15, 1948.
Ross Campbell, Toowoomba, Queensland, 1980s.
- Hulk recovered from farm near Oakey, Queensland.
Barry Coran, Melbourne, Victoria, 1990s.
Ian Mastin, Hoppers Crossing, Victoria, 1996-2004.
- Substantial components, restoration project.
Jon Radford, Oxford, UK, 2004-2005.
- Shipped to UK, 2004.
- Restoration continued.