Airfix: 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc – Model Kit
For many people, the Supermarine Spitfire is regarded the most famous fighting
aeroplane ever to take to the skies, even though some may question how something
so beautiful could be conceived as a weapon of war. A much more complicated
aeroplane than the Hawker Hurricane which preceded it into RAF service, the
Spitfire represented the pinnacle of aviation design when the first examples
were delivered to No.19 Squadron at Duxford in the summer of 1938 and as the
clouds of war were already gathering, the RAF were going to need as many of
these magnificent aeroplanes as they could get. The Spitfires Finest Hour came
during the savage dogfights of the Battle of Britain, where the enduring
reputation of this iconic fighter was secured in a four month struggle for
aerial supremacy in the skies above Southern England. Fighting alongside the
more numerous Hawker Hurricanes, Fighter Command thwarted the Luftwaffe in their
attempt to clear the skies of British fighters and with it, effectively removed
the immediate threat of German invasion. Following the end of the Battle of
Britain and a period of rest and replenishment, the RAF were ready to go on the
offensive, with raids across the Channel selecting targets of opportunity and
attempting to lure the Luftwaffe into combat. The Spitfire has the distinction
of being the only Allied fighter to be in continuous production throughout the
Second World War and was constantly upgraded to keep it at the forefront or
wartime fighter technology. Unfortunately for the RAF, the Spitfires main
adversary, the Messerschmitt Bf109, was also continually upgraded and improved
and it was not long before British fighter sweeps into Northern France brought
them into contact with the latest variant of this capable fighter, the Bf 109F.
Sleek and extremely powerful, the Bf 109 Friedrich was more than a match for
the Spitfires currently in service and whilst a major development upgrade was
already planned, an immediate solution was required. Described as arguably the
most effective stop-gap aircraft the RAF ever introduced, the Spitfire
Mk.V combined the additional power of the Rolls Royce Merlin 45 engine with
the original Mk.I/II airframe (plus a number of design improvements already
developed for the proposed future Mk.III) and proved to be more than a match for
the latest Luftwaffe fighter. With the increased production capacity offered by
the new Castle Bromwich shadow factory, Spitfire Mk.V fighters were produced at
a spectacular rate, with this interim variant going on to be the most produced
version of the Spitfire, with almost 6,500 aircraft manufactured. Seeing
service in every theatre the Allies contested the war, Spitfire Mk.Vs fought in
the home defence role, above the deserts of North Africa and the jungles of the
Far East. The introduction of the Spitfires C or Universal Wing was something of
an engineering triumph and not only provided the fighter with a wing capable of
supporting several different weapons configurations, but also cut down on labour
and manufacturing time. The new wing strengthened the undercarriage, angling the
main gear slightly further forward, making the notoriously challenging ground
handling of the Spitfire a little more manageable for pilots. In order to
preserve engine life whilst operating the Spitfire in hot and dusty airfield
environments, the fitting of a Vokes Air Filter under the front cowling of the
aircraft may have done little for the aesthetic appeal of the Spitfire and even
inducing unwanted drag which reduced the top speed of the aircraft by around
20 mph. It did, however, clearly illustrate that from an eventual production
run of more than 20,000 Spitfires, many would go on to operate in environments
from which the aircraft was never originally intended, further enhancing the
enduring legacy of this magnificent aeroplane.
Specifications
- Scale: 1:72
- Skill: 1
- Flying Hours: 1
- Number of Parts: 73
- Wingspan (mm): 157
Supplied unassembled and unpainted. Hobby tools, glue & paints are needed to complete (Sold Separately)
