Published
Video length: 4 min
Aviation: in the United Kingdom, the restoration of the iconic Spitfires takes off
The Spitfire, a British fighter plane from the Second World War, is still being fought over. A workshop near Cambridge, specializing in the restoration of these planes, is overwhelmed with orders. His clients: rich enthusiasts ready to invest 3.5 million euros to fulfill a childhood dream.
(France 2)
The Spitfire, a British fighter plane from the Second World War, is still being fought over. A workshop near Cambridge, specializing in the restoration of these planes, is overwhelmed with orders. His clients: rich enthusiasts ready to invest 3.5 million euros to fulfill a childhood dream.
Above the cliffs of southern England, blows like a wind of nostalgia. The Spitfires may be 80 years old on the clock, but they fly over the coasts like they did on D-Day. To get on board, enthusiasts will have to count between 3,500 and 8,800 euros depending on the duration. But for the descendants of veterans, these flights are of inestimable value.
Invented at the dawn of the Second World War, more than 20,000 Spitfires crisscrossed the skies during the conflict. On the front, many were destroyed, bombed or lost at sea. More than fifty are able to fly. Before these giants return to the sky, they must be restored. A hangar in Cambridge specializes in Spitfire renovations. For most wrecks, only 10% to 30% of the parts can be preserved. Cost of restoration: more than 4 million euros. But demand has never been so strong in 30 years. Some 200 wrecks are still said to be waiting to be unearthed.
