The Spitfire Pen MK356

To mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy D-Day landings, Onoto and TMB Art Metal are proud to bring you the Spitfire MK356 pen. A limited-edition tribute to the Royal Air Force’s iconic Spitfire, crafted from Duralumin originating from D-Day veteran MK356. This pen captures not only the Spitfire’s iconic aerial form but its celestial spirit.

MK356 was delivered to the Royal Air Force on 4th February 1944 during the latter stages of World War Two, being allocated to 443 ‘Hornet’ Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force, part of 144 Wing at RAF Digby led by Wing Commander ‘Johnnie’ Johnson, the RAF’s highest scoring fighter ace. MK356 flew sixty missions with 443 Sqn between 14th April and 14th June 1944, taking part in D-Day operations, during which Flying Officer Gordon Ockenden RCAF shot down a German Messerschmitt 109 on 7th June, D-Day+1.

On 14th June 1944 following her sixtieth operational sortie MK356 undertook a ‘belly landing’ with undercarriage retracted. The Spitfire spent the next 53 years grounded before being returned to airworthy condition and joining the RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight at RAF Coningsby in 1997, in whose care she remains today.

As with all old machines, to maintain them in operational condition and preserve them it’s necessary to perform a degree of mechanical replacement, and a few years ago MK356 had her four original Duralumin wing main spars removed.

The main spars form the load bearing structure of the aircraft, two per wing, running along the wings and connecting them to the fuselage. The spars consist of concentric tubes providing strength with flexibility, essential to absorb and tolerate high g-forces whilst avoiding fracture during aerial combat. At the root there’s five tubes (with central plug) which diminish to just half a tube at the wing tip, as it’s required strength reduces.

TMB acquired one of the redundant spars directly from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and it is of this original, genuine, ex-D-Day Spitfire provenance metal that our collaborative Onoto – TMB MK356 pens are crafted.

The Spitfire MK356 Pen is available in a limited edition of 100 pens.

To witness the rebirth of the Spitfire MK356 into this stunning fountain pen, you can see images of the process involved here.

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Items with standard specifications, i.e. no options are chosen, will normally be dispatched within 2-3 working days. Delivery lead time can be delayed in some circumstances. For example if you have requested personalisation of your order such as engraving or change of fittings.

If for any reason we are unable to meet our delivery commitments, we will contact you with a revised estimated delivery date or offer you the option to cancel or select other goods.

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