Experience the Classic Plane First-hand at Duxford Museum

Key Highlights :

1. You can get up close and personal with an amazing Spitfire at IWM Duxford Museum.

2. The 'In the Cockpit' event provides visitors the opportunity to learn about history and experience it for themselves - through talks and immersive explanations with an expert.

3. The N3200 is now based at Duxford, the same airfield it took off from on May 26, 1940 to take part in Operation Dynamo to help evacuate troops from Dunkirk.

4. No. 19 Squadron Leader Geoffrey Stephenson piloted Spitfire N3200 on its first and only operation as he led his squadron on a patrol to cover the evacuation of Allied forces.

5. After shooting down a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber, Stephenson was himself hit. He crash-landed on a beach at Sangatte, near Calais, and was captured. Stephenson remained a prisoner for the rest of the war while his Spitfire gradually sank under the sand.

6. But the story doesn't end there as 50 years after it was shot down, the aircraft was eventually miraculously recovered and restored before becoming a treasured item in IWM's collection.

     For aviation enthusiasts and war history fans, there is no better way to experience the classic plane first-hand than to step inside the cockpit of a historic Spitfire at Duxford Museum. Lovingly restored from the Second World War, visitors to the museum can now sit in the cockpit of a plane that was actually shot down during combat.

     The ‘In the Cockpit’ event provides visitors to the museum the opportunity to learn about history and experience it for themselves - through talks and immersive explanations with an expert. The N3200 Spitfire is now based at Duxford, the same airfield it took off from on May 26, 1940 to take part in Operation Dynamo to help evacuate troops from Dunkirk.

     No. 19 Squadron Leader Geoffrey Stephenson piloted Spitfire N3200 on its first and only operation as he led his squadron on a patrol to cover the evacuation of Allied forces. After shooting down a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber, Stephenson was himself hit. He crash-landed on a beach at Sangatte, near Calais, and was captured. Stephenson remained a prisoner for the rest of the war while his Spitfire gradually sank under the sand.

     But the story doesn't end there as 50 years after it was shot down, the aircraft was eventually miraculously recovered and restored before becoming a treasured item in IWM's collection.

     The experience will begin with a 20-minute talk outside the aircraft exploring the history of N3200, including its role at Dunkirk and subsequent restoration to flying condition. A wider look at the role of Fighter Command in the Battle of Britain and the important role played by Spitfires in the summer of 1940 will also be discussed.

     You’ll then spend 15 minutes inside the cockpit where an expert will show you the controls and you can immerse yourself in the conditions experienced by the brave men of Fighter Command. There will also be a chance for family and friends to take your photo while in the cockpit.

     This is an extraordinary unique opportunity for war history fanatics to get up close and personal. Tickets cost £45 or £60 for the special gift experience and can be purchased online. You can find out more about the history of the N3200 Spitfire here.

     So if you’re looking for a truly unique experience, then why not take the chance to experience the classic plane first-hand and step inside the cockpit of a historic Spitfire at Duxford Museum.

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