The fuselage of a restored Supermarine Spitfire is expected to sell for up to £30,000 at auction later this month. The Spitfire F Mk 22 PK519, which was painstakingly restored by its owner in his garage, will be offered through Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, on October 8.

The aircraft was kept by Peter Arnold, a Buckinghamshire resident from Newport Pagnell, who was widely regarded among aviation enthusiasts as “Mr Spitfire.” Arnold, who passed away in 2025 at the age of 83, dedicated much of his life to the preservation and documentation of Spitfires and Seafires, the naval variant of the iconic fighter. Over the years, he identified and recorded approximately 365 surviving airframes worldwide.

Originally ordered on June 2, 1943, the PK519 was delivered on September 22, 1948, to the Royal Air Force base at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. Rather than seeing active combat, it served as a ground target on the Salisbury Plain training ranges. The restored fuselage incorporates replacement panels sourced from other original Spitfire aircraft, reflecting the composite nature of the restoration process.

Arnold’s dedication to Spitfires began in his youth. He developed a keen interest while still at school and frequently cycled up to 50 miles to reach crash sites, where he would undertake repairs and salvage work. He was known to regularly wheel the PK519 out of his garage to be viewed by visitors, expressing a fond attachment to having the aircraft on display.

The upcoming auction will include the Spitfire fuselage along with other related memorabilia, attracting collectors and aviation history enthusiasts alike. Estimates place the auction value of the fuselage between £20,000 and £30,000.