Harry heads Down Under after taking to the skies in veteran Spitfire

Howling with delight as he briefly flew upside down, Harry clearly enjoyed his maiden trip in the aircraft.

Prince Harry has flown a Spitfire - and put it through a dramatic roll - as he caught up with an injured serviceman and veterans hoping to pilot the aircraft in a Battle of Britain flypast.

Howling with delight as he briefly flew upside down, Harry clearly enjoyed his maiden trip in the aircraft - the symbol of Britain's fight against Hitler's Nazis during World War II.

The Prince starts a month-long attachment with the Australian Army today.

For his thrilling flight, he met two men who have won a place on a Spitfire scholarship training programme for wounded servicemen and women, and veterans, with the pair aiming to join a historic aircraft flypast, later this year, to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

The scholarship donates money and offers practical help to sporting and adventure challenges for service personnel.

It was launched by Harry in February last year and is backed by the Royal Foundation's Endeavour Fund, was inspired by the example of Douglas Bader, who flew throughout World War II. He notched up 20 individual aerial victories, despite losing both legs in 1931, when he crashed while attempting aerobatic manoeuvres.

Footage and pictures released of the flight made last August show Harry sat in the back of the two-seater Spitfire and the pilot, instructor Phil O'Dell, giving instructions for the engine to be started, then the plane is seen taking off in formation with an identical aircraft.

After the roll O'Dell takes over the controls and before he performs a loop the Prince asks the instructor, "what's the G [force] like on that?" and winces when he hears the reply "about two and a half, three".

But again the manoeuvre leaves him howling in appreciation with his mouth open for most of the time.

The 30-year old royal will leave the British Army in June after a 10-year career in uniform but not before undergoing a month of activities in Australia, including training with special forces and patrolling with Aboriginal soldiers.

The veteran of two deployments to Afghanistan starts his assignment as a VIP dignitary - laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the national war memorial in Canberra.

He will also meet Governor-General Peter Cosgrove, tour the Afghanistan and World War I galleries of the memorial and then greet the public.

He will report for duty at Defence headquarters at 10.30am, the official start of his attachment to units in Darwin, Perth and Sydney.

The Prince will also travel to Gallipoli to represent the royal family at the Anzac Day dawn service with his father, Prince Charles.

Harry has previously worked with Australian soldiers in Afghanistan, in the Invictus Games and on his trek to the South Pole.

Australian attachment

• In Perth, Prince Harry will undertake training activities with the Special Air Service Regiment.

• In Darwin he will head out with members of Norforce, the mostly indigenous unit which patrols across northern Australia.

• In Sydney, the qualified Apache helicopter pilot will be attached to the Holsworthy-based 6th Aviation Regiment, training on helicopter simulators and possibly participating in flying operations.

- AAP