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The Rolls-Royce Spitfire, PS853, is an unarmed, high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, one of a batch of 79 Mk XIXs built at Supermarine, Southampton. The Mk XIX was powered by the 2,050 hp Griffon 65 or 66 and represents the pinnacle of the Spitfire’s development in terms of speed and altitude capability with a top speed of 446mph (730 km/h) and a ceiling of 42,000ft (12,800 m).

PS853 was delivered to the Central Photographic Reconnaissance Unit at RAF Benson on 13 January 1945, before moving to Belgium and Holland. The aircraft was engaged on active service with 16 Squadron up until the end of the war and participated in “Operation Crossbow” to detect V1 and V2 launch sites.

At the end of the war it remained on duty in Germany until March 1946 when it returned to the UK and was placed in storage. In 1950, PS853 was one of several Mk XIX Spitfires assigned to conduct meteorological research, known as the Temperature and Humidity of the Upper Air Masses (THUM) Flight. PS853 performed the last ever THUM sortie on 10 June 1957. Along with sister XIXs PM631 and PS915, PS853 retired into ceremonial and display duties to form the RAF’s Historic Aircraft Flight, the forerunner of today’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF). It spent less than a year with the HAF before being transferred to other duties. In 1963 PS853 was selected for a very special mission where it was used in combat trials with an English Electric Lightning at RAF Binbrook. After completing these trials PS853 was returned to the BBMF in 1964 where it remained until 1995.

In 1996, Rolls-Royce bought PS853 to replace the original Rolls-Royce Spitfire XIV, G-ALGT. The aircraft was re-registered as G-RRGN; the RR for obvious reasons and the GN after the drawing number prefix allocated to Griffon engine parts. The aircraft is painted as 'C' of No. 16 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 2nd Tactical Air Force, being the identity PS853 wore during its wartime service.

The Rolls-Royce Spitfire, as PS853 is now popularly known, has become widely renowned as an ambassador for Rolls-Royce appearing at air displays and charity events as well as at our own corporate events. Not only does it represent the heritage of the Spitfire and the Rolls-Royce engines that powered them, it honours the pilots of all nations who flew them and the men and women who built and maintained them.

The aircraft is based in a dedicated hangar at East Midlands Airport, near Derby. It can be seen around the display circuit between April and October and during the winter months the aircraft undergoes an annual maintenance inspection programme.

In 2010, 65 years after its first delivery to RAF service, PS853 was taken out of service for its first major overhaul. The aircraft received full inspection and maintenance to all its structures and systems at the Aircraft Restoration Company and Historic Flying Limited at Duxford in Cambridgeshire. The first flight after restoration was on 9 October 2012 and PS853 was delivered back to Rolls-Royce in November 2012.

Unfortunately, the return to service was beset by an unfortunate accident on 7 January 2013, when the undercarriage was inadvertently retracted while on the runway at East Midlands. Fortunately it occurred at very low speed but left damage to the propeller, wings and fuselage. The pilot was unharmed and the aircraft was recovered with no further incident. The Spitfire was sent for repair at Duxford and returned to service some six months later. PS853’s first public display was part of a special thank you to the employees of Rolls-Royce when the Spitfire flew in formation over the Derby factories with the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the 8 August 2013.