It was built by Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. at  South Marston Works,  Swindon and delivered to 9 Maintenance Unit at Cosford, Shropshire on September 27, 1947 and taken on charge the same day, it was  the 11th from last  Spitfire delivered to the  RAF.  It is the last surviving example of its type to be allocated an RAF serial number.  IN June 1949 VN485 was one of a number of aircraft despatched to RNAS Renfrew, Scotland, for shipment to Seletar, Singapore, and stored. In September 1950, it was shipped to Hong Kong, arriving the following month and readied for service. In September 1951 it was issued to No.80  Sqn. based at  Kai Tak, before being transferred to the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (RHKAAF) in May 1952. In April 1955, VN485 flew its last official sortie, as part of a four-ship Spitfire formation for the Queen’s Birthday Flypast, the pilot was Flt.Lt.Adrian Rowe-Evans.

At the end of July 1955 it was placed into storage at Kai Tak with a total flying time of just 242 hours. In September it was officially struck off charge and a year later was issued to RAF Kai Tak as a ‘museum peice’ and placed on display. VN485 was generously gifted to the Imperial War Museum by the RHKAAF in 1989. As  7326M,  M7326   RAF  Ground Instructional frame,  VN485 has been on static display at  Duxford since its arrival in  July  1989 and is currently painted in the silver scheme of the   RHKAAF it wore circa 1954/1955.

It formed part of the line-up at the Duxford Spitfire Airshow on 3rd  May  1998.

On Fathers Day 15th June 2003 at Duxford, VN485 was one of Ten Spitfires which took part in ‘The Spitfire Day’  this was an event to promote the Spitfire and The Spitfire Society in partnership with the I.W.M and give people the opportunity to be up close and find out more about the Spitfire, it was  very successful being attended by 10,000 people. It was not planned as a flying display,  but the highlight of the day was  a Spitfire scramble re-enactment with Stephen Grey in the Mk.XIV SM832 , Gordon McClymont in the Shuttleworth Mk.V AR501 and Charlie Brown in the Mk.V BM597 and they followed this  with excellent individual aerobatic displays.

20th April 2004, VN485 is in Hangar 5 at Duxford undergoing a complete strip down and repair where needed. It is expected that it will be repainted in it’s Hong Kong Defence Force all over silver livery with the red and white spinner of its last operational user, the Hong Kong Defence Force. When finished it will be part of the display in the new ‘AirSpace’ hangar.
October, 2004, VN485 is almost finished with its restoration and is currently in the paintshop of Duxford’s Hangar 5.

November 10, 2004 the refurbishment is completed apart from gun shrouds which will then have dummy barrels fabricated, also required are wingtip and tail lights and a correct pilot’s headrest, the cockpit also requires some attention. VN485 will then be ready to take its place in Duxford’s ‘AirSpace’ hangar.

Seen in Hangar 4, Duxford on  May 14, 2005  VN485 is ready and waiting to go into the ‘AirSpace’ hangar.

Duxford was chosen to be first to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Battle Britain Memorial Flight on the 5th of May 2007, the B.B.M.F arrived with its full compliment of Aircraft including the Lancaster in its new colours, Two Hurricanes and all Five Spitfires, also seen in The Airspace Hangar was Mk.24 VN485 on static display.

The 17th  May 2009 at Duxford,  saw the ‘ Best of British Airshow’. VN485 was in the Aerospace Hangar behind the port wing of the Lancaster with the Mosquito suspended in flight above it.(see Photo Gallery)

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