I didn't realize there was a 2 seater model

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I'm thinking it may have been converted recently (in the last 20-30 years) for joyflights or just privately taking up friends etc. Like that Lady in England that has the Spitfire trainer. She has a two year waiting list for joyflights that cost a fortune.
It would be a great way to make your plane pay for itself. 

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Interesting. I see from Rifleman's link that there was indeed a 2-seat trainer version of the P-40. Some P-51Ds have also been converted for civil use, mainly for executive work. I'm not sure these would have dual control. The manufacturers converted a limited number as TF-51 2-seat trainers. The Stallion 51 outfit offer flights in their dual controlled TF-51 from their base in Kissimmee, Florida, just down the road from Disney World. http://www.stallion51.com/contact.cfm They now have 3 of these rare aircraft.

Like most existing airworthy 2 - seater Spitfires, Carolyn Grace's ML407 was a standard LF.IXc acquired by the manufacturers after WWII service for conversion to Tr.9 standard. These were sold to the Irish Air Corps in 1950 & served in this role until 1960.
There were apparently some unofficial wartime conversions, mainly carried out in Russia. If any survive they would not conform to the official specifications.

Thanks Ivan. I'm very interested in all this stuff & did read something about those IL-2s a while ago. I often wonder just how reliable some of this information is. It's great to have confirmation from your part of the world. 

Hi Hagar, I've been looking into the Soviet Spitfires for a little while now, and it appears tragically that no more survive. I do have a few poor quality B&W shots, and some artists impressions, but v.little is known about how the conversions were done (beyond the basic chop), and even less is known about the pilots!

Alas

Ozzy

Point of information - the IL-2 initially started out as a single seater, and while some (number unknown?) were converted to two-seaters in the field, the IL-2M was the standard production two seater - with gunner.

Anecdotal sidebar:  ... most gunners supposedly were drawn from convicts, promised their freedom if they survived x number of missions.... but if they were close to completing the number, they woud be transferred. ... apparently IL-2M gunner mortality was high, and IL-2 losses happened when the enemy fighters realized the gunner was dead/incapacitated, because the gun would flop down... a spring mechanism was devised to hold the gun up...

Dedicated dual-control versions of the "Sturmovik" were designated U-Il-2 or Il-2U ...


Of course, totally anecedotal, and I can't even remember where I read the stuff, but...

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I'd be interested to know if it is a "pillion" seat or an "operational" training type seat.

P.S. The lady in England who has the Two-seater Spit, Carolyn Grace. Is hers' merely a "passenger seat" or does it have full controls?