Spitfire Restoration Project

Available to all, Not for Everybody

Spitfire #5518 arrived in South Africa in 1947 and served in both the Cape at Langebaan at the flight training school, 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 mid 1980’s, the South African Air Force Museum motivated the restoration of this iconic Spitfire to flying condition, to serve as the star attraction at Air Force Air Shows and to promote the Air Force as well as aviation among the youth. Spitfire #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.

Performance Centre, SAAF Museum and Friends of the SAAF are collaborating in a project to advance the Restoration of Spitfire DBH #5518.

Performance Centre has acquired 10 licenses to convert standard 5.0L Mustangs into RTR Spec 5 wide bodies. These will be limited edition, 1 of a kind, hand painted, Airplane replica, V8 supercharged vehicles. The dash plaque made out of an actual piece of the crashed Spitfire plane. These vehicles are registered on the RTR Registry in the United States of America.

This project aims to 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. These vehicles will be serialised and built to resemble one of the aircraft flown by one of the South African Aces from the various Wars.

HOW TO OWN ONE OF THESE UNIQUE MUSTANG

• Visit the website at www.warriorsofthesky.co.za
• Read through and select a warrior
• Choose one of their planes
• Contact Performance Centre (012 003 7000) to transform a 5.0L Ford Mustang into a one of a kind, hand painted and registered RTR Spec 5 wide body replica.

This campaign is done in conjunction with the SA Air Force, Friends of the SAAF Museum and Spitfire Restoration Project. This will have a major spin-off for all involved. All the vehicles are exclusively built by Performance Centre in Centurion.

* DBH RTR Spitfire Mustang is the 1st Mustang RTR Spec 5 wide body in the World. This Mustang is linked to Ace Capt. Bob Rogers and a replica of the DBH Spitfire Mustang’s original look.”

The Project 

Everyone that is part of the Project

The Warrior behind the 1st Mustang

Standard Mustang
The Design 

The Body Work

Body Work Part II
Masking for Painting

Masking for Painting II

Rear Fender

Rear Spoiler – Painted to look like an Elevator

Painting the doors

The – Hood (Bonnet)

The Nose

The End Result 

You can pick one of these Warriors and Aircraft pairing for your Custom build spec 5 Mustang

Click to Enlarge photos below!