Recent Purchases

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Everyone's got some nice stuff. Glenn I especially like your Privateer. I'm going to have to keep my eyes peeled for that one.

As for me I picked up these two revell kits. They are for a special project I want to do. SSHHHHHH I'm not ready to tell what that project is just yet. :-k

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Nice stuff guys.
BT, the little thingy under the windscreen of the Spit is a rank pennant, denoting the rank of the pilot, only used by a Squadron Leader and above. The codes are the initials, not those of the Squadron, but I can't make out the rank - it's either SqnLdr or W.Cdr.
 
Airframes said:
Nice stuff guys.
BT, the little thingy under the windscreen of the Spit is a rank pennant, denoting the rank of the pilot, only used by a Squadron Leader and above. The codes are the initials, not those of the Squadron, but I can't make out the rank - it's either SqnLdr or W.Cdr.
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Cheers Terry, I'll do a little more digging and see what I can come up with. I'm becoming more convinced it's 349 (Belgian) Squadron though, sometime between May 1945 and about Summer 1946.

Glenn, the Privateer is very nice, I have been tempted to get one for a while now, only the number of kits I already have is stopping me! :lol:
 
It could well be 349 Sqn (Codes GE), who got Spit XVIs in May 1945. Although it's not unusual to present the Squadron code after the roundel on the port side, it's not common either (Normally would be GE-D), which is what made me think it was initials, especially with the rank pennant showing. Strange it doesn't mention the squadron in the instructions anywhere though.
 
BombTaxi said:
I'd guessed it was late war, and possibly a CO's machine, I'm sure the little blue/red flash under the cockpit has some significance too...

I've googled the nose art 'Winston Churchill' and come up with two possibles:

1. 349 Squadron. I'm basing this on seeing a wooden model of an a/c with the same codes, but in a totally different (and incorrect) camo scheme, captioned as an a/c from 349.

2. 127 Squadron. I came across a profile of a Spit XVI with 127 in April 1945, carrying the same nose art, but no kill marks, or nose badge, different codes (9N-F) and the serial TB900. Possible the same machine before the CO's codes were applied? The same site mentions TB900 was transferred to 349 Squadron, but doesn't say when :|

I'm tending toward 349 as Matchbox apparently released a 1/72 scale kit of the same a/c and described the markings as being 349 Squadron. If this is right, and judging by the kill markings, the pilot of D-GE was very busy between April, when the machine was with 127, and VE-Day, as he appears to have scored 6 air kills and a dozen ground kills in a few weeks!
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G'day BT. Here are some shots I took of this aircraft at Fantasy of Flight in Florida, note the seial number high up on the fuselage. I can't vouch for the accuracy of the restoration paint job, but hope the pics are of some help to you.
 

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Thanks Wildcat, those will be a great help, especially the close-up of the nose art 8) The kit is a bit of an oddity, no mention of the squadron, no serial number on the decals and only one decal option included. I don't know if that's standard Heller practice, but it is slightly disappointing when compared to the offerings that Airfix make at the same price. OTOH, I am on a bit of a mission to build up a collection of Griffon Spits, and his is the only injection-moulded Spit XVI I've come across in 1/72, so it fills a gap in the list. Does anyone know if this is a re-box of the Matchbox kit? It seems unlikely, but I know it was in the old Matchbox range.
 
Hmm TE476 is in the right colours, but is not the airframe in the kit. TE476 was delivered to the RAF in 1945 but was not issued to a flying unit until 1951. She later appeared in the film Battle of Britain and served as a gate guardian at RAF Northolt until being sold out of the RAF and ending up in a museum painted as D-GE. Unusually, she has kept the fake wingtips that were fitted for the film.
 
Great pics there Andy, didn't know she was in your neck of the woods.
BT, the kit is not ex-Matchbox, but a Heller original (they are now out of business).
I might have misunderstood your last post, but the Spit MkXVI was not Griffon engined, it was basically a MkIX with a Packard Merlin. Note that it has clipped wings in the pics Andy posted, and I guess has kept it's original serial number, but been re-painted in those colours.
 
some of my birthday pressies :lol:
 

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Very nice mate! I didn't know they'd been issued - Smokin' Steve will be interested in those!
Dirk, that's the best Blenheim cutaway I've seen - in fact, only the second one I've ever seen, I have the other one if you need a copy.
 
Airframes said:
Very nice mate! I didn't know they'd been issued - Smokin' Steve will be interested in those!
Dirk, that's the best Blenheim cutaway I've seen - in fact, only the second one I've ever seen, I have the other one if you need a copy.
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I would be happy to take it if you have one. While you're at it I'm planning on doing a Blenheim Mk 1 for the BoB GB so if you know where I can find one for that one to would be great
 
I haven't seen a Blenheim Mk1 kit since the old Frog one of the 1960s. There is a 1/48th scale kit available, from Classic Airframes I think.
I'll scan the cutaway and send to you as soon as I get sorted.
 
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