The South African Air Force is one that is steeped in history. It's the second oldest airforce in existence (behind the RAF) and has played a crucial role in the liberation of the free world, assisting and playing key roles in both wartime and in peace.
Many South African pilots saw combat duty in World War II fighting for the allied forces in North Africa and in Europe. The South African pilots were revered for their tenacity and skill with several South African pilots awarded the honour of Ace; having shot down several enemy aircraft in battle.
It goes without saying that there were substantial losses as well and hundreds of South African's gave their lives in combat as well.
While recent combat requirements have been low, the South African Air Force remains active with airshows and displays as well as various training exercises throughout the year.
Saving the Spitfire
Many South African pilots were tasked with taking to the skies in the Supermarine Spitfire, a legendary aircraft that enjoyed much success in the Second World War. One of these aircraft was Spitfire 5518 which made its way to South Africa after the Second World War in 1947 where it did duty in Cape Town and in Pretoria before being decommissioned.
It suffered an engine failure during an airshow in 2000 that resulted in a forced landing. The Spitfire came up short of the runway, crashing through the concrete perimeter wall. Thankfully, the pilot survived this crash landing but the same cannot be said for South Africa's last remaining Spitfire.
After being stored in a container for several years, the decision was made to rebuild the Spitfire. With the assistance of the Friends of the South African Air Force Museum and the gracious help of several partners, the SAAF Museum aims to restore the Supermarine Spitfire to static display condition and, if enough funding is acquired, a full airworthy state so that she may take to the skies once more.
The RTR Spitfire Mustang
Ford Performance Center is only one of the partners that has stepped up to the plate to help this cause by creating a run of 10, unique and individual RTR Spec 5 Mustangs to be sold off with proceeds going to the Spitfire restoration fund.
Each of these vehicles will start off as a 2020 Ford Mustang GT with a 5.0-litre V8 under the hood. Performance Center will then execute a Spec 5 RTR widebody conversion on these cars, replete with Rousch TVS supercharger to produce 520 kW and 820 Nm torque. It rolls on a set of RTR 20-inch alloy wheels while using RTR Tactical Performance suspension and brake components. Only 10 licenses have been granted by RTR to recreate these Spec 5 widebody Mustangs, making these incredibly rare.
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The widebody is then hand-painted, not wrapped, using period-correct colours to replicate one of the selected WWII era warbirds as flown by our very own airforce legends. Customers who wish to order one of these Mustangs will be able to choose from several local heroes and then select which of their aircraft they would like to replicate which includes Supermarine Spitfires, P40 Tomahawks and Hawker Hurricanes. The list of pilots includes the likes of Flight Lieutenant Caesar Barrand B Hull, Squadron Leader Roger Joyce Bushell, Group Captain Petrus ‘Dutch’ Hugo, Charles James Laubscher, Rosamund Everard Steenkamp, Bailey James Richard Abe, Johannes Jacobus Le Roux, Malan Adolf Gysbert, Major Frost, Major Eric Cowley Saville, Albert Gerald Lewis and Andrew Christiaan Bosman.
Only one of each aircraft will be produced, making each of these Mustangs truly unique. Cementing this is an included plaque on the dashboard that uses an actual piece of the original aircraft.
The first Spitfire Mustang is dubbed DBH for the registration of the Spitfire flown by Ace Capt. Bob Rogers and its paint scheme is a direct replica of the European camouflage that his MKIV Spitfire wore in its later years.
For more information on these one-of-a-kind Mustangs and how to order, contact Performance Center on +27 (0)86 115 3927 or visit performancecenter.co.za. More information on the collaboration can also be found at http://warriorsofthesky.co.za
Should you wish to assist with the Spitfire restoration project, contact the Friends of the South African Air Force Museum by dropping a mail to fsaafm1@gmail.com
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