Restoration Classics

Produced in association with the Imperial War Museum, this documentary series highlights the history and developments of two great WWII fighters, the Messerschmitt Bf109 and the Sea Hurricane. We meet the pilots who flew them and the restoration teams who bought them back to flight. The series includes rare WWII archive footage, air to air sequences and interviews with pilots, historians and conservationists.

1. Messerschmitt Bf109: Black 6

‘Black 6′ was just one of the 30,000 Messerschmitt Bf109’s to enter Luftwaffe service. Today it remains the only flying example in the world, and is probably the most authentic restoration of its type. Over 19 years, led by Russ Snadden, a volunteer team brought this rare aircraft back to flight. This film explores and records the painstaking stages of their task, revealing the aircrafts history through WWII archive, set against a background of secret pilot training in gliders and civil aircraft.

2.  Sea Hurricane: The Storm at Sea

Between 1936 and 1944, 14,231 Hawker Hurricanes were built of which about 20 remain. This is the story of the restoration of the oldest and rarest, the only surviving Sea Hurricane out of 700 converted during WWII. The film follows the painstaking 9 years, 9 months and 9 days restoration by a volunteer team at the Imperial War Museum to bring the plane back to flight. The story reveals rare WWII archive and interviews with the pilots who flew the RAF’s most prolific fighter in the Battle of Britain.