**** DONE: GB-42 1/48 Spitfire MK IX early version - MTO II

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destrozas

Senior Master Sergeant
3,162
607
Jan 12, 2010
Username: destrozas
First name: sergio
Category: intermediate
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: eduard
Model Type: supermarine spitfire mk ix early #84137

In September 1941, a hitherto unknown German radial engine fighter appeared in the west European sky. The new airplane was superior to British fighters, most distressingly to the Spitfire Mk.V. The German design was soon recognized as the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A. The losses suffered by the RAF over western Europe rose rapidly and the crisis was serious enough that the RAF ceased the majority of daytime operations in November, 1941. The next attempt to resume these types of sorties was made in March 1942. Loss rates remained unacceptably high and the RAF was forces to stop ops once again. All this was thanks to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A. The first response to the new German weapon was the Spitfire Mk.VIII, but the design changes were so complex that initiating timely production was not possible. In June, 1942, a German pilot landed by mistake on a British airfield delivering a completely intactFw 190 fighter into RAF hands. Comparative trials between the Focke-Wulf and Spitfire Mk.Vbegan almost immediatelly. These mock encounters confirmed the situation over the front – the chances of a British fighter surviving an encounter with the Fw 190 were slim. The only British fighter aircraft deemed suitable to oppose them were the Spitfire Mk. VII and VIII powered by the Merlin 61 engine. As mentioned above these were some time away of being ready for series production. But there was another way of gettinga powerful fighter quickly - by mating the Merlin 61, with its two-stage supercharger, with the fuselage of the Spitfire Mk.Vc. Two Mk.Vc airframes, AB196 and AB197, were selected for this purpose and were strengthened with modified longerons to accommodate the more powerful and heavier engine. The example was finished on February 26 and the second on March 27, 1942. Flight trials were succesful and the order for series production was issued almost immediately. Series production began in June 1942 and the first Mk.IXs found their way to No. 64 Squadron in July. Performance improved significantly in comparison to the Mk.V. Atop speed of 409 mphat 28,000 feet was higher by 40mph, and the service ceiling rose from 36,200 to 43,000 feet. The Mk.IX could climb at 4,000 feet per minute. The RAF finally had a fighter aircraft capable of opposing the Fw 190 A. Three main versions of the Mk IX were produced. The F.IX was powered by the Merlin 61 and was the only version on the assembly line in early 1943. The next version was the LF Mk.IX powered by the Merlin 66. This engine was designed to do its best at low altitudes. The third version, manufactired along with theLF, was the high-altitude HF Mk.IX with the Merlin 70. The majority of Mk.IXs manufactured were equipped with the so-called 'C' wing. Four 20mm cannon or two 20mm cannon and four .303 machine guns could be installed in the wings. From 1944, the strengthened 'E' wing was produced. Four .303 machine guns were replaced with two .50 heavy machine guns. Bomb racks for 250lb bombs were fitted under each wing typically. The Mk.IX became the second most numerous version of the Spitfire with a total of 5653 examples being built. The Mk.IX began to replace the Mk.Vfrom June, 1942. Thanks to the new fighter, the RAF was ready to fight against the Luftwaffe over occupied Europe. Spitfire Mk.IXs served with the RAF to the end of war. In the postwar era, foreign air forces flew this version as well. Czechoslovak, Norwegian, Danish, and Canadian air forces operated numbers of Mk.IXs and they were not alone. Spitfires would find themselves in combat again. Czechoslovakia sold its Spitfire Mk.IXs to Israel in 1948 and these aircraft formed the backbone of the newly born Israeli air force in the fight against their Arab neighbours.

EN354, flown by 1st Lt. Leonard V. Helton, 52nd FG, 4th FS, La Sebala Airfield, Tunisia, June, 1943
The us army air force was one of the spit mk ix operations in the mto, the 52nd fg flew spits till march /april 44 when it re-equipped with the p-51mustang. The group came to northern africa as a part of the invading allied forces during operation torch that was launched on november 8, 1942. The british camouflage is topped up with US national insignia. at least one british roundel was left on the left wing underside. The former markings were overpainted with fresh colors that seem to be darker than the rest of the camouflage. the new code letters were added then. the yellow outline of the national insignia was applied during operation torch to distinguish US aircraft frequently seen in the mediterranean during the following months.

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Spitfire-MkVbTrop-USAAF-52FG4FS-WDQ-Robert-Levine-ER570-Tunisia-1943-03.jpg

Spitfire-XIc-USAAF-52FG4FS-WDW-Leonard-Helton-EN354-TC15015-Supermarine-Spitfire-MkIX-Page-25.jpg
Spitfire-XIc-USAAF-52FG4FS-WDW-Leonard-Helton-EN354-TC15015-Supermarine-Spitfire-MkIX-Page-24.jpg

pics published entirely from the internet of the pages:

https://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Spitfir...TC15015-Supermarine-Spitfire-MkIX-Page-25.jpg
1/32 Tamiya Spitfire MkIXc WD-D EN354

the artbox
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Good stuff, I considered an American Spitty for this GB too....

Well the truth is that I was hesitating between the spit MK V trop of the SAAF and this so I let them choose the family and just ordered another of the boxes of books and the girl was left looking at the toptag of Kagero that leaves this plane They decided this ... I would have made the one of the SAAF that csi does not see this plane ...
 
thanks all fellas

1/48? That's a bit big for you isn't it Sergio? :lol:
of course!!!, if these planes were so good in 1/72 I assure you, my friend, that I would not do it in 1/48 ..., it's too big for my hands, I get the follies of the details and I end up as a penance ...

I love these DE/MS dirty schemes :thumbleft::thumbright:
This is a very nice camouflage, the effects of wear and dust on the colors give the model a great look.

Very cool Sergio. I love aircraft wearing alternate markings
Extra thanks my friend,for this event (GB), at the moment I only think about doing this plane because I want to do some techniques that I practiced a while ago when I was meeting with a friend from logroño, it will take me a while to give them to the plane

Good stuff, I considered an American Spitty for this GB too....

Well the truth is that I was hesitating between the spit MK V trop of the SAAF and this so I let them choose the family and just ordered another of the boxes of books and the girl was left looking at the toptag of Kagero that leaves this plane They decided this ... I would have made the one of the SAAF that csi does not see this plane ...

An American Spit, I like it, Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court! I like it!
I am still green in the history of the plane with the limitation of hours of work for the rehabilitation of the arm I can not put a little of the avon or the pilot, but for the thread of the finished plane insurance I will have it well purified and I will put it ...
 
the plane started this as it will be the only plane for this gb, I would like to be able to do another but I want to focus on doing it well, this plane is a request for what I have to do.
I was originally going to do the beaufighter based on the island malta but when asking me for this plane ...
the interior first paint with the hataka but the vinyl I do not like how it ends up being on top with what products are dissolved and the color is lost, you have to go each layer giving varnish to seal it.
so with gunze c364 paint it at the end.

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with micro mask cover the parts already painted before giving the background color

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After drying, I remove the micro mask and it remains, paint with vallejo wash green and ak interactive wash green and desert.
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So far it is all I suppose that today I will do more things in the afternoon to avoid the strongest hours of the sun. I start doing plastic and I spend a lot of time. Then I went to the field to take care of my plants and trees that the land was. abandoned not the following ", as we say here ...
 
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painted the interior, little by little without haste carefully taking care of things, I only make parts between models to not get crazy in finishing it

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presented dry everything to see how it would be
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Looks good. Not likely that that particular Spitfire had the flare cartridge rack on the front of the seat though.
 

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