The Spitfire Company 

History:

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Supermarine Spitfire X4276 was manufactured by Vickers-Armstrongs (Supermarine) Ltd at Woolston, Southampton, in July 1940, under contract No. 19713/39. The aircraft was delivered on 28 August 1940 and subsequently assigned to No. 54 Squadron, based at RAF Hornchurch.

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On 28 December 1940, X4276 sustained Category W/FA damage following a mid-air collision with another Spitfire, Mk I X4650, during a dogfight training exercise. During the collision, X4276 struck the tail of X4650, severing it from the aircraft. Both pilots successfully bailed out and survived the incident. Remarkably, X4650 survives today and was the first Spitfire restored by us, in 2012.

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X4276 was flown by renowned New Zealand fighter ace Al Deere, who had previously flown three other Spitfires with No. 54 Squadron, all carrying the squadron codes KL-B and bearing the name Kiwi. These aircraft were Spitfire N3180, Kiwi; Spitfire P9390, Kiwi II; and Spitfire R6981, Kiwi III. Tragically, all three were lost during the war.

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X4276 became Al Deere’s fourth Spitfire associated with the KL-B codes. However, following the loss of his previous three aircraft, X4276 did not carry the name Kiwi. It retained the familiar KL-B markings until its loss in the mid-air collision on 28 December 1940.

Between 6 September and 28 December 1940, records indicate that Al Deere flew X4276 on at least 41 occasions, making the aircraft a notable part of his operational history during the Battle of Britain period.

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The remains of X4276 were recovered in 1987. The aircraft was subsequently registered as G-CDGU and joined The Spitfire Company, where it embarked on the journey towards restoration to airworthy condition.