36feet10inches
Staff Sergeant
Supermarine Spitfire Mk I
K9797, No 19 Squadron, RAF Duxford, Autumn 1938
K9797, No 19 Squadron, RAF Duxford, Autumn 1938
This is my first completed 1/48 Spitfire.
K9797 was the 11th production Spitfire, It was delivered to 19 Squadron (the first RAF unit to be assigned Spitfires) on 7th October 1938. On 9th March of the following year, it was being flown as a target for cine gun practice by Sergeant Pilot George Irwin (later known throughout his service by the nickname "Grumpy") when the engine failed. Unwin deliberately crash landed the plane to avoid a children's playground. The airframe was damaged beyond repair, so was turned over to RAF Stradishall for ground instructional practice on 11th May. Less than a month later, on 8th June, it was struck off charge, having logged a little less than 89 hours in the air. And that was that!
In fact this is my first 1/48 anything after making the jump from 1/72 (eyesight isn't what it was!). Built from the excellent Eduard "Spitfire Mk I early" Profipack boxing, OOB apart from the Uschi thread for the antenna wire (and the little antenna on top of the tailfin that I scratch built, having snapped the original off). Brush painted with Humbrol and Revell enamels, and the odd bit of Vallejo acrylic here and there, underside aluminium Humbrol rattlecanned on. I've only applied very light weathering in the form of an enamel wash to pick out the panel lines and some light exhaust staining using weathering powder, partly because this was new aircraft when it served with 19 Sqn. and partly because I'm still learning weathering. I may add some oil stains to the underside at a later date.
Thanks for looking in, feedback welcome!
Tony
