IS it a bird or is it a PINK plane?

Sky watchers could be rubbing their eyes this coming August Bank Holiday, when a genuine pink Spitfire flies across York's airspace.

The shockingly-coloured craft will be flown by Selby businessman Tony Smith, who is joint owner of the Real Aeroplane Company.

Tony known to the flying world as "Taffy" will give his spectacularly colourful display at the Great Yorkshire Airshow at Elvington Airfield.

His prize Supermarine Spitfire will fly in tandem with a Black Hawker Hurricane.

Until a recent winter overhaul, the legendary aeroplane, worth an estimated £500,000, was painted in standard regulation blue.

This has now been replaced by a daring photo reconnaissance pink with striking D-Day invasion stripes.

Perhaps surprisingly, the aircraft's new colour is more in keeping with its wartime flying days than ever before.

"The new colour is eye-catching and looks magical in flight, but it's no fancy whim," said Taffy.

"The Spitfire had a well-documented wartime career with 16 Squadron. Its new colours are entirely appropriate, as 16 Squadron operated pink Spitfire FR.1Xs out of Bayeux near Normandy in September 1944."

The garish pink colour was thought to offer better camouflage when flying at low altitudes, especially below cloud level.

It won't be the first time Taffy has turned heads at the Elvington Airshow a keen supporter of the event, eight years ago he arrived in the Bucker Jungmeister biplane that he flew to Australia and back in.

The craft, with its "G-TAFF" registration, will be on display at this year's event.

Show director and joint commentator Ken Cothliff said: "It's characters like Taffy and their commitment to wartime aviation that make Elvington Airshow such a great family day out."

The £120,000 air show runs from August 26 to 28 and is being sponsored by the airfield's new owners, Elvington Park Ltd, and run by a subsidiary, Elvington Leisure.