Operational Record
Of ML407

Supermarine Type 361 Spitfire LF.IXe

OU-V

Photo from Johnnie Houlton’s book ’Spitfire Strikes’

In Johnnie Houlton's words....

Against quite formidable odds Spitfire OU-V ML407 has survived in England, and has been converted to a two-seat dual control configuration. She is being completely overhauled and reassembled for flight by Nick Grace, her dedicated owner today.

I am touched, and honoured, to learn that Nick is permanently restoring the markings, emblem and insignia of OU-V, exactly as they were when I flew the aircraft during the summer of 1944. So there is also a chance that I may yet fly again in that Spitfire, forty years on from our last flight together in Normandy.

I believe, however, that the survival of Spitfire ML407 had a historical significance which will long outlive the fighter pilots who flew her into action.

In wartime service this aircraft was flown, almost exclusively, by pilots from New Zealand, France, Belgium and Norway; during the crucial period when the Allied Forces were reversing the defeats of 1940, in the process of restoring freedom and security in the Western world.

From Johnnie Houlton's autobiography
'Spitfire Strikes' (1985)
Johnnie_ML407

Photo from Johnnie Houlton’s book ’Spitfire Strikes’

Johnnie Houlton with his aircraft Spitfire LF Mk. IX
ML407/OU-V (for Vicky, his wife).
FrontLine

Photo from Johnnie Houlton’s book ’Spitfire Strikes’

ML407 and other aircraft of 'B' Flight,
Merville Airfield, Normandy, September 1944.

Design Engineer Nick Grace acquired ML407 in late 1979 from the Strathallan Museum. He spent five years meticulously restoring the Spitfire to flying condition in its two seat configuration (it had been selected by Vickers-Armstrongs for conversion to the two seat configuration for the Irish Air Corps as an advanced trainer in 1950) and designed what is known as the ‘Grace in line Canopy Conversion’: a design which removed the pronounced rear canopy and created a more streamlined version in keeping with the Spitfire’s clean lines.

Sadly, Nick died in a car accident in October 1988. His widow, Carolyn, knew there needed to be a Grace flying ML407 and so took on the immense task of learning to fly the Spitfire. In 1990 she went solo, and ML407 became known as the Grace Spitfire in memory of Nick Grace. Carolyn attained her display authorisation in the Grace Spitfire in 1991 and carried on to add an Aerobatic and Formation qualification over the next two years. Carolyn had displayed the Grace Spitfire for 25 years - amassing over 900 hours on Spitfires - before retiring from flying in 2017.

Carolyn Grace died following a car accident at Goulburn, New South Wales, on 2 December 2022, at the age of 70.

The Grace Spitfire is now based at Sywell Aerodrome, and is meticulously maintained by a team of engineers, led by Richard Grace, at Air Leasing Ltd. Richard, with Air Leasing’s select team of pilots, fly the Grace Spitfire for various displays, airshows and passenger flights.

Source: Ultimate Warbird Flights
Grace

Source: Daily Mail

Carolyn Grace, and the Grace Spitfire
Grace

Source: Ultimate Warbird Flights

© Darryn Harbar
Grace
Grace

Source: User Guinnog on Wikipedia

Mk IX trainer ML407 No. 485 Squadron RNZAF.
Duxford, 2001

ML407's WWII Career

1 May - 31 December 1944 with 485 (NZ) Sqn
Squadron letters OU-V
Personal aircraft of Johnnie Houlton:
1 May - 1 October 1944

During its eight months of service with the New Zealand Squadron, the aircraft was flown on the following sorties:
Fighter sweeps and escort to bomber formations 69
Dive-bombing with one 500lb bomb 32
Patrols over the Normandy beach-head 30
Armed recce 6
Flown by 16 New Zealand pilots - total sorties: 137

Enemy aircraft claimed by OU-V include 2 Ju 88s (1 shared with the Section), 2 Me 109s destroyed, and 1 Me 109 destroyed.

1 - 5 January 1945 with 341 (French) Sqn
Squadron letters NL-D
Fighter support operations 3
Scramble 1
Flown by 2 French pilots - total sorties: 4
22 - 24 January 1945 with 308 (Polish) Sqn
letters ZF
Weather recce 1
Dive-bombing 1
Flown by 2 Polish pilots - total sorties: 2
8 - 13 February 1945 with 349 (Belgian) Sqn
Squadron letters GE-P
Armed recce 10
Flown by 4 Belgian and 2 English pilots - total sorties: 10
22 - 24 January 1945 with 308 (Polish) Sqn
Squadron letters letters ZF
Weather recce 1
Dive-bombing 1
Flown by 2 Polish pilots - total sorties: 2
8 - 13 February 1945 with 349 (Belgian) Sqn
Squadron letters GE-P
Armed recce 10
Flown by 4 Belgian and 2 English pilots - total sorties: 10
28 February - 13 April 1945 with 345 (Fighting French) Sqn
Armed recce 14
Flown by 7 French pilots - total sorties: 14
8 - 13 February 1945 with 349 (Belgian) Sqn
Squadron letters GE-P
Armed recce 10
Flown by 4 Belgian and 2 English pilots - total sorties: 10
16 - 22 April 1945 with 332 (Norwegian) Sqn
Squadron letters AH-B
Patrols 3
Armed recce 2
Flown by 3 Norwegian pilots - total sorties: 5

In her 12 months of operational service with 84 Group of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force, Spitfire ML407 thus flew a grand total of 172 sorties. The homelands of all but two of her wartime pilots were outside the UK.

From Johnnie Houlton's book 'Spitfire Strikes'

ML407's Specifications /
Technical Data / Description

ML407 Specific Information:

  • Built at
    Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory, England
  • Year built
    1944
  • Construction number
    CBAF.8463
  • Variant
    LF (low flying engine) Mk IXe (denotes 'e' wing configuration - one outboard cannon and one .5" machine gun in each wing)
  • Civil registration
    G-LFIX
  • Current Owner and Operator
    Ultimate Warbird Flights

Standard Mk IXe Specs:

  • Manufacturer
    Supermarine Aviation Works
  • Role
    Fighter / Interceptor
  • Crew
    1
  • Engine
    1 x 1,720 hp Rolls Royce Merlin 66 liquid-cooled V-12 piston engine - fitted with supercharger rated for low altitude; Bendix-Stromberg anti-g carburettor
  • Engine Power
    Takeoff power: 981 kW (1,315 hp) at 3,000 revs
  • Length
    9.57 m (31ft 4 in.)
  • Height
    3.48 m (11ft 5 in.)
  • Wing span
    11.22 m (36ft 10 in.)
  • Wing area
    21.46 m² (231 ft²)
  • Empty weight
    2,631 kg (5,800 lbs)
  • Max. weight
    3,309 kg (7,296 lbs)
  • Max level speed
    657 km/h (408 mph) at 7,620 m (25,000ft)
  • Cruising speed
    521 km/h (324 mph) at 6,096 m (20,000 ft)
  • Climb rate
    • Initial:
      16.24 m/s
      (3,197 ft/min)
    • At sea level:
      21.5 m/s
      (4232 ft/min)
    • At 3,000 m
      (9,843 ft):
      18.6 m/s
      (3661 ft/min)
    • At 6,000 m (19,685 ft):
      15.5 m/s (3,051 ft/min)
  • Time to altitude
    9,144 m (30,000 ft) in 8.4 mins
  • Service ceiling
    12,954 m (43,000 ft)
  • Range
    900 km (434 mi) on internal 322 L (85 gal) tank
  • Armament
    • 1 × 20 mm Hispano II cannon per wing, firing 120 rounds per gun with a velocity of 840–880 m/s (2,800–2,900 ft/s)
    • 1 × 0.50 in Browning M2 machine gun per wing, firing 250 rounds per gun with a velocity of 810 m/s (2,660 ft/sec)
    • 1 x 250 lb bomb under each wing external load (total 1,000 lb)
    • centreline rack for 500 lb bomb OR drop tank
RAF roundel