Historic WW2 aircraft flying again after nearly 80 years

A Battle of Britain Hurricane is flying again after nearly 80 years after being restored and rebuilt in Suffolk.

It was shot down and buried for 40 years but a labour of love has seen a Battle of Britain Hurricane rebuilt in Suffolk and in the skies once again.

It took 30,000 hours of work and more a million parts to restore her. She'll be housed at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford and displayed at airshows.

This Hurricane survived just five days fighting at the height of the Battle of Britain before being shot down over Kent in September 1940.

The pilot survived, but the plane remained buried for four decades before being dug up in the 1980s.

The aircraft has now been rebuilt by specialists at Hawker Restorations, based in Suffolk.

The Hurricane Mark I was rebuilt by specialists at Hawker Restorations in Suffolk.

Many argue without the Hurricane, the Allies would have lost the war of the skies and ultimately the whole of the Second World War.

These planes shot down more than 60% of German aircraft.

But their lifespan was short - many were destroyed within days. Today there are just 14 flying in the world.

  • Click to watch a report on the restored Hurricane by ITV News Anglia's Tanya Mercer

The plane will now be based at Duxford Imperial War Museum in Cambridgeshire where she can be seen by the public.

She is a labour of love and a symbol of a group's passion for flying and history.

But more than that she's a tribute to the bravery of those who designed and flew these remarkable machines, the immensity of what they achieved and a legacy for the next generation.