new from airfix A02108 Spitfire MkVc 1/72

  • the magnificent box artwork 
The Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V variant has been described as perhaps the most effective ‘stop-gap’ aircraft type ever introduced by the Royal Air Force and one which proved to be more than a match for any Luftwaffe fighter flying at that time. The constant search for additional speed saw the original Mk.I/II airframe (plus a number of design improvements which had already been developed for the proposed future Mk.III) married with the greater power output of the Rolls Royce Merlin 45 engine, producing a fighter which gave the RAF a combat edge at a vital stage in the war. With the new Castle Bromwich shadow production factory able to turn out new Spitfires at an astonishing rate, the Mk.V variant would become the most produced version of this famous fighter, with almost 6,500 aircraft manufactured. Going on to see service in every theatre of war the Allies contested, Spitfire Mk.Vs could be seen in the skies above the green fields of Britain, over the deserts of North Africa and over the jungles of the Far East.
This variant of Spitfire also saw the introduction of the fighter’s ‘C’ or ‘Universal Wing’, which proved to be something of an engineering triumph. Not only did this provide the fighter with a wing capable of supporting several different weapons configurations, it also cut down on labour and manufacturing time. Importantly for squadron pilots, the new wing also strengthened the relatively narrow undercarriage, angling the main gear slightly further forward and making the notoriously challenging ground handling of the Spitfire just a little more manageable. A thoroughbred fighting aeroplane, even the addition of an engine protecting Vokes Air Filter under the front cowling of the Spitfire could not alter its aesthetic appeal, even though it may have reduced its performance by around 20 mph.

Expected: Autumn 2020

Scheme A – Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc, 307th Fighter Squadron, Twelfth Air Force, USAAF, La Sénia, Algeria, November/December 1942

Scheme B – Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc, No.2 Squadron, South African Air Force, Gioia del Colle, Italy, October 1943

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