Introduced by the RAF in mid-1940, the new 100-octane fuel increased the Spitfire's speed by 25 mph at sea level and by 34 mph at 10,000 feet. The black hole just above the leading edge wing root is the hand cranking point for turning the engine manually.
On the 24th May, 1940, P/O Pete Cazenove of 92 Squadron made a wheels-up landing on the beach near Calais, France. Forty years later, the Spitfire was recovered and restored to her former glory by Historic Flying Ltd. at Duxford, flying again in 2011.
S/L Geoffrey D. Stephenson, CO of 19 Squadron, belly-landed N3200 on the beach near Sangatte, France, on 26 May, 1940. The wreck was recovered in 1986 and rebuilt by Historic Flying Ltd. N3200 took to the Duxford skies again on 26 March, 2014.