Airworthy WWII Spitfire plane bought by explorer in London

An iconic World War II fighter plane which has been restored to full airworthiness sold in London for over €1.9 million, auctioneers said.

The two-seater Vickers Supermarine Spitfire, better known as just the Spitfire, was built in 1944 and owned by Britain's Royal Air Force.

Spitfires gained iconic status in Britain for the key role they played in the RAF's aerial battles with Germany's Luftwaffe during the 1939 to 1945 war.

But the plane could now face a very different mission after being bought by Steve Brooks, a British adventurer who was the first person ever to fly pole-to-pole in a helicopter in 2005.

The Spitfire - which was later owned by the South African Air Force and discovered in a scrapyard in Cape Town, South Africa, in the 1970s - is thought to be one of only seven of its kind still capable of flying. It is the first flyable Spitfire to be sold in 20 years.

The sale took place at the RAF Museum in north London. Auctioneers Bonhams said: "The sale of an aircraft so linked to the history and very survival of our nation has enormous significance for us."