RESTORATION PROJECT

Welcome to the Spitfire Restoration Project. Spitfire 5518 arrived in South Africa in 1947 and served in the Cape and at Air Force Base Waterkloof before being decommissioned. She then served as a gate guard at Waterkloof for a number of years. In the early 1990s the South African Air Force Museum motivated the restoration of an iconic Spitfire to flying condition to serve as the star attraction at Air Force Air Shows to promote the Air Force and aviation among the youth. 5518 took to the skies in 1994 as 5553 “The Spirit of Reutech”. Unfortunately she crashed at an air show at Swartkop in 2000 and was consigned to a container.

OBJECTIVE

To preserve the honour, history and legacy of those South Africans who gave their lives in the fight against tyranny in WWII, by restoring Spitfire 5518 as a symbol and tribute to this hard fight for freedom.

• Performance Centre acquired 10 licenses to convert standard 5.0 L  Mustangs into RTR Spec 5 wide bodies. These are limited edition Spitfire replicas and supercharged vehicles.
• This project will raise R750 000.00 to rebuild the last remaining South African Air Force Spitfire #5518, in South Africa in conjunction with the roll-out of the limited vehicles.
• Each vehicle will have a custom number badge and be named after one of the Aircraft flown by a famous South African airman in World War 2.
• Each of the 10 Mustangs will be for sale. A portion of the funds will go to the rebuild of Spitfire #5518.
• This campaign is done in conjunction with the SA Air Force, Friends of the SAAF Museum and Spitfire Restoration Project and will have a major spin-off for all involved.