THE sole surviving Spitfire to have fought in the Battle of Britain will be making a memorial flight across the skies of Purbeck this weekend.

The fly-past is part of the South West Model Expo at Bovington Tank Museum - an annual event attracting thousands of visitors each year.

Spitfire P7350 will fly over the expo in the colours of 603 City of Edinburgh Squadron at 1pm, on Saturday, subject to weather and operational conditions.

She is believed to be the 14th aircraft of some 11,989 Spitfires built at the Castle Bromwich factory. She entered service in August 1940 and fought in the Battle of Britain with the 266 and 603 Squadrons.

In 1948 she was sold as scrap, but was discovered and rescued, going on to feature in the film, Battle of Britain.

At the controls this weekend will be Squadron leader Shiny Simmons, who has amassed some 370 hours in Spitfires. His day job is flying instructor on Tornadoes, with over 3,500 flying hours under his belt.

His visit to the Isle of Purbeck marks his ninth season on Battle of Britain memorial flights.

The model expo is the biggest model exhibition in the south and attracts visitors and collectors from all over the country.

Museum spokesman Nik Wyness said: "This is a successful annual event that attracts well over 2,000 visitors from all over the country.

"Inside the museum there will be a variety of stalls and displays from over 200 individual groups who are bringing a number of different radio controlled vehicles from tanks to planes.

"Outside, visitors can browse a number of full size classic cars and steam engines - and see radio cars race at speeds in excess of 60mph."

Visitors will have a chance to take part in radio controlled tank battles and learn to build and fly their own aircraft models.

A sinister group of Daleks will be among the sizeable force of radio-controlled models invading the museum over the weekend of September 25 and 26.

First published: September 23