10/05/2026
The famous Spitfire hanging inside Kelvingrove is aircraft LA198 — a rare Supermarine Spitfire Mk.21. ✈️
Built in 1944 near the end of World War II, it later served with 602 “City of Glasgow” Squadron between 1947 and 1949.
After military service it stood for years as a “gate guardian” aircraft at RAF bases before Glasgow received it in 1996 as a memorial to the squadron’s pilots.
When Kelvingrove reopened after its major restoration in 2006, the Spitfire became one of the museum’s most dramatic sights — suspended high above visitors in the Life Gallery.
