Tony Hoskins - Restoring Sandy’s Spitfire

Welcome to Top Landing Gear Full Flaps and the first part of our interview with Tony Hoskins who is restoring a rare photo reconnaissance Spitfire PR4 to full flight.

Back in 2018 Tony and his team recovered the wreckage of Spitfire AA810 from a mountainside in Norway where it had laid undisturbed for 76 years having been shot down on a mission to photograph the battleship Tirpitz. The pilot Sandy Gunn bailed out but was later captured and sent to Stalug Luft III to become one of those immortalised in The Great Escape.

Tony's aim is that 810 should become a flying memorial to the men and woman of the Photograph Reconnaissance Unit during World War Two. And as well as restoring the aircraft is campaigning to have a permanent monument to the PRU erected in London.

We visited Tony at Airframe Assemblies on the Isle of Wight where 810 is being painstakingly restored. In Part Two we'll take you around the workshop where you can hear how the restoration is taking shape. Here in part one Tony talks us through his ambitions for the project and the fascinating story of a very rare Spitfire and it's pilot. 

Please visit to https://www.spitfireaa810.co.uk to find out more and  how you can support this incredible project.

You can also purchase Tony’s wonderful book ‘Sandys Spitfire’, order signed prints of the aircraft or even have your name  engraved forever on the engine cowling HERE