Supermarine Spitfire Mk.14 NH799 startup

Loud and Smoky

Watch as this rare Supermarine Spitfire Mk. 14 starts up its engines at Omaka, New Zealand. The WWII-era fighter’s Merlin engine filled the air with its loud sound and black smoke as it started up. 

There’s just nothing quite like a Spitfire starting up! Even pilots aboard different historic planes stopped what they were doing to check out the Mk. 14 in action.

Built and delivered in 1945, “NH799” was first assigned to the RAF before it was sent to the Indian Air Force in 1947. After almost four decades, the warbird was disassembled and shipped to the United Kingdom in 1981 in order to start its restoration process.

Today, NH799 is owned by “The Chariots of Fire Fighter Collection” based at Omaka airfield, New Zealand. The aircraft was purchased by the organization in 2010 and was restored to airworthy condition by AVspecs Limited in Auckland for years. 

It wasn’t until April 2, 2015, that this Mk. 14 had its post-restoration maiden flight. It has been a long time coming!