Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXe
A British WWII legend with Czechoslovak roots
Basic parameters
1945
Year of manufacture
9,90
m
Span
3 379
kg
Mass
520
km / h
Travel speed
1
Number of persons
About the Plane
Harvard, now based in Točná, is only "one of many", but in a way it is one of some 15,000 Texans and Harvards made, whose "service history" has been long, successful and relatively well mapped.
The Harvards, as the British Commonwealth called this type (in the United States it was referred to in the Air Force as AT-6, or later T-6, in the Navy as SNJ, both named Texan), carried on their shoulders the overwhelming part of continuing training of Allied fighter pilots in western part of the world. Perhaps only the British Miles Master could compete with him for his significance, but only remotely. It can be said that it would be difficult to find a fighter in the USA, trained during the war and in the first decade after it, who had never encountered this type.
Although the material resources of the United States seemed inexhaustible, there were still fears of problems with their availability, and so the effort was to save metal where less strategic materials could come in, such as wood. Therefore, in one version of the type, marked as AT-6C, respectively. SNJ-4, or in Britain Harvar Mk.IIa, replaced in the rear of the fuselage and on the tail surfaces dural wood.
9,90 m
9,47 m
3.86 m
21,46 m2
2 309 kg
3 379 kg
650 km / h
520 km / h
12 950 m
1 580 km
Packard-Rolls-Royce Merlin 266
1 720 HP / 1 283 kW
300 l / h
796 l
1 pilot
Span
Length
Height
Bearing surface
Weight of empty machine
Take - off weight
Maximal speed
Travel speed
Access
Range
Power unit
Performance
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Tank capacity
Number of passengers
About SPITFIRE JT-10
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The Story of SL633
The story of our Spitfire begins in 1945 at the Vickers Supermarine factory in Castle Bromwich, England. The aircraft, bearing the manufacturer’s serial number SL633, was among the last Spitfires built at this factory and was completed as an LF Mk.IXe.
In June 1945, it was taken over by the Royal Air Force. Although the war in Europe had already ended, its story with Czechoslovak pilots was only just beginning. SL633 was assigned to No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF, which had been established as early as 1940 at Duxford and had seen combat over Britain, France, the Netherlands and Germany during the war.
The aircraft carried the code DU-K with No. 312 Squadron. After the end of the war, it was transferred to Czechoslovakia together with other Czechoslovak Spitfires. A total of 54 Spitfires were delivered to the Czechoslovak Air Force, and SL633 became part of the newly established post-war air force. It was assigned to the 2nd Air Division and later to the 4th Air Regiment, where it received the designation JT-10 and served, among other roles, as a training aircraft.
Karel Pošta and Spitfire JT-10
The history of SL633 is inseparably linked with the name of Karel Pošta, one of the most distinguished Czechoslovak fighter pilots of the Second World War.
Pošta escaped from occupied Czechoslovakia in May 1939 and made his way to Great Britain via Poland and France. On 19 September 1940, he became a member of No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF. During the war, he flew hundreds of operational missions over Britain, occupied France, the Netherlands and Germany. His record includes a total of 281 combat sorties and 448 hours of operational flying. Among other decorations, he was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC).
After returning to Czechoslovakia in August 1945, Pošta continued to serve in the Czechoslovak Air Force. He served with the 4th Air Regiment and later became the commander of a training and conversion flight at Planá airfield near České Budějovice.
It was here that his reputation as an exceptionally skilled and courageous pilot truly came to the fore. Pošta became one of the leading stars of post-war air shows, and his aerobatic performances in the Spitfire were widely known. One of the aircraft he flew was SL633, then serving as JT-10. He also performed with this Spitfire at major public air shows. His aerobatics could be seen, for example, at the huge International Air Show at Prague-Ruzyně on 7 September 1947, which contemporary sources say was attended by nearly half a million spectators.
SL633 was therefore more than just one of the many Spitfires operated by the post-war Czechoslovak Air Force. It was an aircraft that became part of the story of the Czechoslovak RAF pilots, while also being the machine in which one of their most prominent representatives flew before audiences at home.
From Czechoslovakia to Israel
The political events of 1948, however, marked the end of the aircraft’s Czechoslovak era.
Following the establishment of the State of Israel, Czechoslovakia provided the newly formed Israeli Air Force with a number of aircraft and other materiel. Among them were Spitfires. SL633 was transferred to Israel, where it received the new designation 20-42.
In the Israeli Air Force, the aircraft was modified for photographic reconnaissance. Its career therefore continued in a completely different role from the one for which it had originally been built.
In 1954, as the Israeli Air Force began transitioning to jet aircraft, SL633 was sold to Burma. There, it received the designation UB-425 and served with the Burmese Air Force, which used it, among other roles, for counter-insurgency operations.
Decades Away from the Sky
After being withdrawn from service, it seemed that the aircraft was destined to share the fate of many other wartime machines. Following a landing accident, it was placed on static display in 1984, mounted on a pedestal near the former royal palace in Mandalay.
The Spitfire that had once flown over Europe and later served with the Israeli and Burmese air forces had, after decades of service, become a monument.
But its story was far from over.
In the 1980s, it was discovered by private collectors, marking the beginning of its journey toward restoration. In 1999, SL633 was transported back to Great Britain, to Duxford, where it came under the care of Historic Flying Ltd. and subsequently underwent an extensive restoration aimed at returning it to flying condition.
In 2007, the aircraft was acquired by the Historic Flight Foundation in the United States, and restoration work continued. The goal was not simply to create another museum exhibit, but to return the Spitfire to its original appearance as it had been in 1945.
After several years of work, the seemingly impossible was achieved. In October 2010, SL633 took to the skies once again at Paine Field in Washington State. More than half a century after being withdrawn from service, this particular Spitfire had returned to where it belonged – the sky.
Another Chapter in Australia
SL633 subsequently continued to fly in the United States. In July 2023, it sustained minor damage in an accident during the landing rollout. The aircraft was subsequently sold and transported to Australia, where it underwent another extensive inspection, repairs and a return to flying condition.
Once the work was completed, it was entered into the Australian aircraft register with the registration VH-RAF. During the latest restoration, its distinctive appearance recalling its Czechoslovak service was also preserved – the period RAF and Czechoslovak Air Force markings representing its time as JT-10.
The Journey Home
Over more than eighty years of existence, SL633 has travelled an extraordinary path. From the factory at Castle Bromwich, it went to the Royal Air Force, then to No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron, the post-war Czechoslovak Air Force, and subsequently to Israel and Burma, before being rediscovered decades later, restored and returned to the skies first in the United States and later in Australia.
Throughout its history, it has carried a number of designations – SL633, DU-K, JT-10, 20-42, UB-425 and VH-RAF. Each one represents a different chapter in its life.
For us, however, the most important designation is JT-10.
It is a reminder of the time when, after the end of the war, Czechoslovak airmen returned home, accompanied by their Spitfires. It recalls No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF and the hundreds of men who fought for the freedom of their country. And it also recalls Karel Pošta, who demonstrated his exceptional flying skills to Czechoslovak audiences in this very aircraft.
Today, after a long journey across several continents, SL633 is returning to Europe. And just as it was more than eighty years ago, its place today will be above all in the sky.
Its new home is Točná Airport. The aircraft is currently being reassembled and re-registered under its new registration OO-SPT in Belgium. We will keep you informed about its arrival and subsequent ceremonial unveiling.