This repaint, made for the FlyingIron Simulations Spitfire Mk.IXc, depicts the restored Spitfire Mk.XVIe TE184, registered in the UK as G-MXVI, as it looked from 2017 through 2019 when owned by Stephen Stead. At the time, it was finished in the color scheme of a RAF No 127 Squadron Spitfire flown by Czechoslovakian-born Squadron Leader Otto Smik, with fuselage code 9N-B. The repaint can be flown with or without clipped wings, just as the wingtips have been changed frequently on the real world aircraft as well.

The Spitfire Mk.XVI is essentially identical to that of the Spitfire Mk.IX, with the only real difference being the engine. Where as the Mk.IX was powered by a Rolls-Royce manufactured Merlin 66, the Mk.XVI was powered by the equivalent Packard-built Merlin 266. Both the Mk.XI and Mk.XVI were produced with "high back" and "low back" versions as well.

Spitfire TE184 was manufactured in May 1945 as a "low back" Mk.XVIe by the Castle Bromwich Aeroplane Factory, located near Birmingham, UK. After being delivered to No 9 Maintenance Unit (MU) at RAF Cosford, it was put into a lengthy period of storage, which included moves to No 20 MU and No 6 MU at Brize Norton. In September 1948, it was finally put into action when it was assigned to RAF No 203 Advanced Flying School at Stradishall, in Suffolk. This was then followed by a stint with No 607 Squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force at Ouston, in Northumberland, before it was placed back into storage with No 33 MU at Lyneham in June 1950. Pulled out of storage again, TE184 was issued to the Central Gunnery School at Leconfield in November 1950, but then sustained serious damage as a result of a landing gear collapse, on landing, in January 1951. This incident brought its flying career to an end.

Following the accident, TE184 was transferred to No 64 Reserve Centre at Long Benton, in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, for use as a ground instructional airframe. Then in 1952, it was moved to No 1855 Squadron Air Training Corps. at Royto, in Lancashire, and placed on static display until February 1967, when it was brought to RAF Bicester to be used as a static airframe in the film "The Battle of Britain". Following completion of film work in 1968, TE184 moved to RAF Cranwell as a gate guard before moving to RAF Finningley to join the museum collection there. In August 1970, it was on the move again and transferred to No 5 MU at Kemble, and then to No 23 MU at Aldergrove in 1971, for storage before going on display at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra, Holywood, in March 1977.

In 1986, TE184 was sold to Spitfire restorer Nick Grace. Following his death in a car accident in October 1988, TE184 was acquired by Myrick Aviation Services and placed on the UK civil register as G-MXVI in February 1989. The aircraft was sent to Trent Aero Service, at Castle Donington, for complete restoration to airworthy as a "high back" Mk.XVI. Its first post-restoration test flight was carried out on November 23, 1990. The aircraft was completed in the unique high altitude color scheme of Medium Sea Gray over PRU Blue as worn by Mk.VII Spitfires.

In 1995, TE184 was sold to Alain de Cadenet and it was brought to Hawker Restorations. It was displayed at the Duxford Spitfire Air Shows of May 1998 and May 1999, repainted in the desert camouflage markings of the USAAF 308th Fighter Squadron, representing "Fargo Express", as flown by Capt. Leland P. Holland. Then in September 2000, at the Duxford 60th Anniversary Battle of Britain Air Show, it displayed another change of markings, having been refinished in a color scheme of the Free French Air Force.

After having been placed into storage at RAF Halton in 2001, TE184 was flown to Duxford in March 2004 for maintenance at the Old Flying Machine Company. In October 2006, it was sold to Paul Andrews/"G2 Trust", and the Spitfire underwent a full refurbishment with Personal Plane Services at Booker. With the work completed, it was test flown in February 2009 and was soon repainted in the personal markings of a Spitfire Mk.IX flown by RAF Tangmere Wing Comander Jack Charles, with the fuselage code letters EJC.

In April 2011, Spitfire TE184 was sold to Stephen Stead who, while displaying the aircraft all over Europe, based the aircraft at Biggin Hill in the UK. Under Stephen Stead's ownership, TE184 has worn several different paint schemes over the past decade, paying tribute to Polish and Czechoslovakian pilots that flew for the RAF. In 2021, TE184 was sold to Peter Freedman of Australia, though the aircraft is likely to remain based in the UK. It currently resides with the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar at the Biggin Hill Airport.

(Repaint Note: The civil registration, "G-MXVI", can really only be seen under the starboard tail and not on the port side, and this was true of the real aircraft at the time that this repaint reflects. The registration had been applied, using vinyl stickers, on both sides of the tail, but the stickers on the port-side came off not long after, where as the stickers on the starboard side remained. You can however still see a ghosted image on the port side tail where the stickers had been.)