Any Info on 2 Seat Spitfires in Soviet Air Force?

[paulmcmillan]

A contact of mine is putting the finishing touches to detailed book on 2 Seat Spitfires while this mostly deals with post war use there will be a few pages on the ad hoc conversions made during WW2

The one made by the SAAF is well known but the ones in Soviet Air Force use are less documented

He believes one Spitfire UTI conversion per regiment but he has no other info on serials, numbers Converted, units and fates Etc

I was wondering if anything else is known about these aircraft ?


Kind Regards and many thanks

Paul McMillan

[Alex Smart]

Hello Paul,
I have zero on the Russian two seat Spitfires. But here is what I had some years ago. Others may have been converted since to either single or two seaters by now.
ES127 - "KJ-I" 4 Sqn SAAF, ex 261 Sqn RAF.
MT818 - G-AIDN
Unknown - G-AKBD.
MA848 - G-15-2 - India - HS534.
MH415 - Dutch - "H-65" later "H-108" - Belgium -SM-40 - to Cogea as OO-ARD, to UK as G-AVDJ, to USA as N415MH.
BS147 - Dutch - "H-99" - to PH-NFN - construction No. 3275, "3W-22".
MH432 - G-15-3 - India - HS535
MH434 - Dutch -"H-68" later "H-105" to Belgium SM-41 then Cogea as OO-ARA. Became G-ASJV.
MJ177 - G-15-4 - India - HS536
MJ276 - G-15-5 - India - HS537
MJ451 - G-15-6 - India - HS538
MJ518 - G-15-7 - India - HS539
MJ627 - G-15-171 - Ireland - "158".
MJ772 - G-15-172 - Ireland -"159" to G-AVAV to USA as N8R.
MK172 - G-15-8 - India - HS540.
MK196 - G-15-9 - India - HS541.
MK298 - G-15-10 - India - HS542.
MK715 - Dutch - "H-97".
MK721 - Ireland - "160".
ML113 - G-ALJM, to Egypt as "684".
ML345 - RDAF as 6460M instructional a/c but was she a two seat a/c ?
ML407 - Ireland - "162" , became G-LFIX.
ML417 - G-15-11 - India as HS543. To UK as G-BJSG, converted to single seat.
PV202 - Ireland - "161" later to UK as G-BHGH then G-TRIX.
TE308 - Ireland - "163" to UK as G-AWGB then CF-RAF and then USA as N92477.
BS274 - Dutch -"H-98" to USA as N308WK.
Six were ordered by Iraq but not delivered. Were these the ones delivered to Ireland ?

All the best
Alex

[kirche]

Hello,
Unfortunately, I only saw five photos of this aircraft, but without exact attribution. Perhaps they were all made after the War.
Best regards,
Kirill

[paulmcmillan]

Alex

Thanks for that list - Will pss on

Kirill I don't suppose you have a copy of those 5 photos or a link for them - You imply only 1 conversion ?? Thanks Paul

[Carl-Fredrik Geust]

I enclose a page from Red Stars Vol.4 - Lend-Lease aircraft in Russia by Gennadiy Petrov and myself (Apali 2002)

[kirche]

I saw the images that Carl-Fredrik Geust showed. And there is also a photo from the archive of Vladimir Mikhailovich Mukhmediarov, pilot of the 14th GvIAP
Interview: https://lend-lease.net/articles-en/i...of-14th-gviap/
Foto: https://lend-lease.net/wp-content/up...2019/06/m7.jpg

[paulmcmillan]

Carl-Fredrik i have been asked to pass on thanks for the page from your book on the 2 seat Spitfires - Also Kirche tahnsk for the picture of the Spitfire - it does appear a 2 seat one

Kind Regards Paul

[Alex Smart]

Paul, have sent you a pm.

[kirche]

Boris V. Davydov found the following information in his extracts from the TsAMO:
Order 67 IAP of may 6, 1945, No. 021
"...The Spitfire-9 aircraft No. 800 with the Merlin 66 engine No. 159305 departed to the workshops of the MVO scientific and experimental base for conversion into a two-seater... The basis - the acceptance and transfer act of 04.05.1945..."

Apparently we are talking about the Spitfire LFIX No. MJ800
СBAF (39MU 19-12-43 82MU 18-1-44 Eurybates 2-3-44 Hapmat 23-4-44 Basrah 6-5-44 USSR)
Best regards,
Kirill

[Zoran Petek]

from wingspalette

A two-seat conversion of the Spitfire Mk.IX made in the Soviet Union by the No.1 Aircraft Depot, Leningrad, in 1945.

Artist: © John Weal
Source: Air International Magazine, January 1983 (Vol.24, No.1)



Later also this one.

I know that some 2 Seat Spitfires IXUTI were flown by 26 and 27 GvIAPs PVO, both Leningrad AA units.

I'll try to find a photo.

Zoran