Designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor, the Spitfire became a symbol of Britain’s resistance against Germany during the Battle of Britain. Its positive impact on morale and superlative performance in combat have led some to call it “The Airplane that Saved the World.”
YAKOVLEV YAK-3
Known by her wartime serial number, MJ730, the Museum’s Spitfire flew more than 100 combat missions during WWII. Manufactured at Vickers-Armstrong’s Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory, MJ730 was test-flown by the legendary Alex Henshaw on December 10, 1943. She was soon shipped to Casablanca, Morocco aboard the S.S. Leeds City.
MJ730 saw her first combat missions with No.417 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force defending the Anzio Beachhead via a base in Marcianise, Italy. Reassigned to No.154 Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF), MJ730 flew 95 combat missions supporting the invasion of Southern France from a base at Poretta on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. In October 1944, the fighter joined No. 32 Squadron RAF in Kalamaki, Greece. During this time, MJ730 flew 12 combat missions over the Balkans before finally moving on to No. 94 Squadron, RAF in Sedes, Greece.
Following WWII, MJ730 became part of the re-established Italian Air Force, and eventually joined the fledgeling Israeli Air Force. After its retirement from Israeli service, the Spitfire ended up as a play thing on a Kibbutz Kabri near the Lebanese border, which is where the British warbird salvager, Robs Lamplough, found her in 1976. Lamplough acquired the aircraft and recovered her back to Britain for restoration in 1978; MJ730 making her first post-restoration flight a decade later.
Squadron Leader George Frederick Silvester, DFC: When MJ730 first arrived at No. 32 Squadron, Squadron Leader George Silvester made her his personal aircraft. Before an individual aircraft code could be applied to MJ730, Silvester had remarked to his ground crew that “There was a bit of a question mark” over which identifier to use, since a squadron’s Commanding Officer (CO) belongs to neither of its two flights. As a joke, the ground crew applied a question mark to MJ730’s fuselage, but the gesture amused Silvester so he chose to keep it! The airplane has since been referred to as “The CO’s Query.”
Silvester was born in Gravesend, England on November 9, 1920. He began flight training in the RAF Volunteer Reserve during April 1939, but the outbreak of war just a few months later saw him become a full-time trainee. Silvester flew Hurricanes as a Sergeant pilot with No.229 Squadron from RAF Northolt at the tail end of the Battle of Britain, receiving his commission as a Pilot Officer with No.145 Squadron at RAF Tangmere in early December, 1941. In mid-1942, Sylvester helped train American pilots of the 52nd Pursuit Group how to fly Spitfires. After a period flying combat over North Africa, and a break as an instructor, Sylvester took command of No. 32 Squadron in Foggia, Italy during July, 1944, later moving with the unit to Greece. Silvester survived the war and married Section Officer Elizabeth Maureen O’Donohughe WAAF in July 1946.
OUR YAK 3
Jeff G. had spent his youth tearing up the asphalt at Carlsbad Raceway, his veins filled with high-octane fuel and the roar of engines echoing in his soul. But when the track closed, something inside him felt like a race yet to be won. That’s when he saw her: a Yakovlev Yak-3, a Soviet fighter plane from World War II, sitting neglected in a dusty hangar in Montana.
“She was built for speed,” the seller had said, patting the fuselage. “One of the fastest prop planes of her time.”
That was all Jeff needed to hear.
After months of restoration, he finally sat in the cockpit, gripping the stick like the steering wheel of a dragster. The roar of the engine, a 1,300-horsepower Klimov V-12, sent a familiar thrill down his spine. This wasn’t a car, but it was a machine built for racing—just on a grander scale.
Word spread fast. The old legend of Carlsbad had taken to the skies. That’s when the call came from his old rival, Darren “Mad Dog” McAllister, a retired air racer with a custom-built P-51 Mustang.
“You always wanted one last race, Jeff,” Darren taunted. “What do you say? Reno Air Races. One lap, just like old times.”
Jeff grinned. “You’re on.”
Race day came, the high-desert air shimmering with heat. The crowd murmured as the two warbirds lined up. The Mustang, sleek and menacing, revved its engine, but Jeff trusted the Yak. She was lighter, more agile—built for dogfights, but today, she’d run a different kind of battle.
The signal flared.
Jeff pushed the throttle forward, and the Yak surged ahead. The Mustang had raw power, but the Yak was nimble, slicing through the pylons with razor precision. Darren pulled alongside, his prop wash rattling Jeff’s canopy. It was just like the old days—fighting for inches, pushing machines to their limits.
Coming into the final stretch, Darren nosed ahead. Jeff’s instincts screamed. He yanked the stick into a climbing turn, a move that would have been insane in a drag race but was second nature in the skies. He dove back down, cutting the inside of the last pylon.
The Mustang roared past—but too wide. Jeff streaked across the finish line, a breath ahead.
As he taxied back, Darren gave him a thumbs-up. Jeff climbed out of the cockpit, his heart pounding. He wasn’t just the king of the racetrack anymore.
Now, he ruled the skies.
Specifications
Number Built: 20,351 total (5,739 MK IX variants) Year Produced: 1943 Serial Number: MJ730/CBAF 7243 Crew: (1) Pilot Current Pilots: Jeff G.
Dimensions
Length:31 ft. 1 in. Wingspan: 32 ft. 7 in. Empty Weight:5,634 lbs. Loaded Weight:9,500 lbs. Engine: 1x Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 supercharged V-12 inline piston engine Engine Power: 1,720 hp
Performance
Cruising Speed: 324 mph Max Speed: 416 mph Range: 434 miles Ceiling: 42,500 ft Rate of Climb: 3,200 ft./min. initial
Armament
2x 20 mm cannon – 1x in each wing
2x 0.50 caliber machine guns – 1x in each wing
Up to 1,000 lbs of bombs: 2x 250 lb. bombs – 1x on each wing, and 1x 500 lbs. bomb mounted on a fuselage center rack
*MAM aircraft are unarmed
Did You know?
During her time in Corsica, MJ730 was captured on color movie film! Famed Hollywood director, William Wyler (Director of Memphis Belle) shot the clip for his film, ‘Thunderbolt’.
YAKOVLEV 3U
Designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor, the Spitfire became a symbol of Britain’s resistance against Germany during the Battle of Britain. Its positive impact on morale and superlative performance in combat have led some to call it “The Airplane that Saved the World.”
YAKOVLEV YAK-3
Known by her wartime serial number, MJ730, the Museum’s Spitfire flew more than 100 combat missions during WWII. Manufactured at Vickers-Armstrong’s Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory, MJ730 was test-flown by the legendary Alex Henshaw on December 10, 1943. She was soon shipped to Casablanca, Morocco aboard the S.S. Leeds City.
MJ730 saw her first combat missions with No.417 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force defending the Anzio Beachhead via a base in Marcianise, Italy. Reassigned to No.154 Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF), MJ730 flew 95 combat missions supporting the invasion of Southern France from a base at Poretta on the Mediterranean island of Corsica. In October 1944, the fighter joined No. 32 Squadron RAF in Kalamaki, Greece. During this time, MJ730 flew 12 combat missions over the Balkans before finally moving on to No. 94 Squadron, RAF in Sedes, Greece.
Following WWII, MJ730 became part of the re-established Italian Air Force, and eventually joined the fledgeling Israeli Air Force. After its retirement from Israeli service, the Spitfire ended up as a play thing on a Kibbutz Kabri near the Lebanese border, which is where the British warbird salvager, Robs Lamplough, found her in 1976. Lamplough acquired the aircraft and recovered her back to Britain for restoration in 1978; MJ730 making her first post-restoration flight a decade later.
Squadron Leader George Frederick Silvester, DFC: When MJ730 first arrived at No. 32 Squadron, Squadron Leader George Silvester made her his personal aircraft. Before an individual aircraft code could be applied to MJ730, Silvester had remarked to his ground crew that “There was a bit of a question mark” over which identifier to use, since a squadron’s Commanding Officer (CO) belongs to neither of its two flights. As a joke, the ground crew applied a question mark to MJ730’s fuselage, but the gesture amused Silvester so he chose to keep it! The airplane has since been referred to as “The CO’s Query.”
Silvester was born in Gravesend, England on November 9, 1920. He began flight training in the RAF Volunteer Reserve during April 1939, but the outbreak of war just a few months later saw him become a full-time trainee. Silvester flew Hurricanes as a Sergeant pilot with No.229 Squadron from RAF Northolt at the tail end of the Battle of Britain, receiving his commission as a Pilot Officer with No.145 Squadron at RAF Tangmere in early December, 1941. In mid-1942, Sylvester helped train American pilots of the 52nd Pursuit Group how to fly Spitfires. After a period flying combat over North Africa, and a break as an instructor, Sylvester took command of No. 32 Squadron in Foggia, Italy during July, 1944, later moving with the unit to Greece. Silvester survived the war and married Section Officer Elizabeth Maureen O’Donohughe WAAF in July 1946.
OUR YAK 3
Jeff G. had spent his youth tearing up the asphalt at Carlsbad Raceway, his veins filled with high-octane fuel and the roar of engines echoing in his soul. But when the track closed, something inside him felt like a race yet to be won. That’s when he saw her: a Yakovlev Yak-3, a Soviet fighter plane from World War II, sitting neglected in a dusty hangar in Montana.
“She was built for speed,” the seller had said, patting the fuselage. “One of the fastest prop planes of her time.”
That was all Jeff needed to hear.
After months of restoration, he finally sat in the cockpit, gripping the stick like the steering wheel of a dragster. The roar of the engine, a 1,300-horsepower Klimov V-12, sent a familiar thrill down his spine. This wasn’t a car, but it was a machine built for racing—just on a grander scale.
Word spread fast. The old legend of Carlsbad had taken to the skies. That’s when the call came from his old rival, Darren “Mad Dog” McAllister, a retired air racer with a custom-built P-51 Mustang.
“You always wanted one last race, Jeff,” Darren taunted. “What do you say? Reno Air Races. One lap, just like old times.”
Jeff grinned. “You’re on.”
Race day came, the high-desert air shimmering with heat. The crowd murmured as the two warbirds lined up. The Mustang, sleek and menacing, revved its engine, but Jeff trusted the Yak. She was lighter, more agile—built for dogfights, but today, she’d run a different kind of battle.
The signal flared.
Jeff pushed the throttle forward, and the Yak surged ahead. The Mustang had raw power, but the Yak was nimble, slicing through the pylons with razor precision. Darren pulled alongside, his prop wash rattling Jeff’s canopy. It was just like the old days—fighting for inches, pushing machines to their limits.
Coming into the final stretch, Darren nosed ahead. Jeff’s instincts screamed. He yanked the stick into a climbing turn, a move that would have been insane in a drag race but was second nature in the skies. He dove back down, cutting the inside of the last pylon.
The Mustang roared past—but too wide. Jeff streaked across the finish line, a breath ahead.
As he taxied back, Darren gave him a thumbs-up. Jeff climbed out of the cockpit, his heart pounding. He wasn’t just the king of the racetrack anymore.
Now, he ruled the skies.
Specifications
Number Built: 20,351 total (5,739 MK IX variants) Year Produced: 1943 Serial Number: MJ730/CBAF 7243 Crew: (1) Pilot Current Pilots: Jeff G.
Dimensions
Length:31 ft. 1 in. Wingspan: 32 ft. 7 in. Empty Weight:5,634 lbs. Loaded Weight:9,500 lbs. Engine: 1x Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 supercharged V-12 inline piston engine Engine Power: 1,720 hp
Performance
Cruising Speed: 324 mph Max Speed: 416 mph Range: 434 miles Ceiling: 42,500 ft Rate of Climb: 3,200 ft./min. initial
Armament
2x 20 mm cannon – 1x in each wing
2x 0.50 caliber machine guns – 1x in each wing
Up to 1,000 lbs of bombs: 2x 250 lb. bombs – 1x on each wing, and 1x 500 lbs. bomb mounted on a fuselage center rack
*MAM aircraft are unarmed
Did You know?
During her time in Corsica, MJ730 was captured on color movie film! Famed Hollywood director, William Wyler (Director of Memphis Belle) shot the clip for his film, ‘Thunderbolt’.
