USAAF Supermarine Spitfire

Snautzer01 · Dec 14, 2014

PO Reade Tilley: Gathering of Eagles Foundation :: Tilley, Reade

nuuumannn · Dec 14, 2014

A lot going on with the second Spitfire in the first post which begs for a lot of questions. 1) standard desert camo with red spinner? B) white 18" QP✪?X 3rd) 6 stars and bars with red surround? Ω) whats going on with the star and bar on the fuselage? Is there a panel removed? ½) newer rudder? and finally, Mk IXe? Thanks in advance for any or all answers.

Yep, it's interesting alright; It's a Spit LF.Vc; you can see the clipped wingtips. Taking a look in my trusty copy of Morgan and Shacklady's Spitfire the History and looking at the serial that's visible, its either JK530 or JK537 which Steve mentioned as being the most likely, both of which served with the USAAF. Unfortunately I can't add anything more to the odd markings, but to say it looks like it has had rear fuselage skin repair work done, which might explain the patches. Just forward of the Star 'n Bar looks like a portion of roundel. If the squadron codes are to be believed its an aircraft of the 2nd FS, 52nd FG in the Med, possibly Corsica, Sicily or Tunisia.

fubar57 · Dec 14, 2014

Thanks very much Grant. It'll make an interesting model.

Geo

Wurger · Dec 14, 2014

The repair done to the fuselage skin can be noticed in the enlarged part of the shot.

fubar57 · Dec 14, 2014

Thanks Wojtek. In the book "Spitfire Camouflage and Markings Pt. 2" it confirms the serial is JK537. It also put the kibosh on modeling this as the aircraft more than likely carried the 2nd F.S. Beagle Squadron insignia, which I had never heard of before.

Geo

johnbr · Nov 8, 2016

Wurger · Nov 8, 2016

Old Wizard · Nov 8, 2016

HBPencil · Nov 8, 2016

Here's a link with lots of Spitfires in US service: Forums / USAAF / USN Library / American Spitfires - Axis and Allies Paintworks

There's something really odd about the second pic of the 1st post. The serial seems to be JK53? which would make it a Vc yet it is a Vb*. Weird!

* At first I thought the lack of a stub for the outer cannon bay may have made it one of those rare C winged Spits built in the brief period when they were deleted and the leading edge smoothed over, but then I noticed the B wing 60rnd drum on top of the wing and the under-wing bulge made necessary by the drum.

Wurger · Nov 9, 2016

I think the answer can be found here....

While another reference says...

HBPencil · Nov 9, 2016

Cheers for that. Seeing as it's a B wing in that pic I guess at least some of that order were built as Vb as ordered, or presumably the entire 506 - 534 (or 506 - 551) block? Interesting.

Wurger · Nov 9, 2016

Perhaps the " ordered as Vb but built as Vc" means that the Mk.Vb mainframes were used but the engines and the Vokes filters for Mk.Vc could have been attached to them. At least for a couple of them. So you might be right.