Revell 1/Something Spitsfire Mk II

Gallery Article by Jaime Carreon on Jan 9 2014

Silly Week 2014

 

 

Flight Leftenant Rif Raf, KBE, DSO, DFC, EIEIO, ETC was assigned to 13 Squadron, Royal Air Farce, in early September 1940, just in time for the start of the Battle of Briton. A few weeks after his assignment, he was involved in the now famous dogfight against Luftwaffel ace Heinz Joachim Mayonnaise (who was later to receive the Cast Iron Cross First Class, with Fig Leaves and Cubic Zirconia). It was said that the two pilots went after each other in a most ferocious manner, neither being able to get an advantage. Mayonnaise later wrote that he was unable to hit the wily Tommy due to his erratic and unpredictable aerial maneuvers. The fight came to an end when Lft. Raf, suddenly realizing that shouting “TACKA-TACKA-TACKA!” into the wireless was not getting him anywhere, squeezed the gun button on his spade grip just as Mayonnaise’s Messaschnitzel Me-109 passed in front of him. The German fighter went down in flames. Mayonnaise bailed out, managing to avoid capture by claiming he was French, thus ensuring his speedy deportation.

Raf’s Spitsfire Mk. II was built in the Castle Sandwich factory bearing the RAF serial number OU812. It is easily distinguishable from the Mk. I by the flattened exhaust stubs of the Rolls Royce Marlin engine, and by the addition of the American made Dolt 19 21/32 mm cannons in place of the Bickers .303 machine guns. This aircraft is depicted just after his fight with Heinz Mayonnaise, and is shown with four kill markings – three Messaschnitzel 109′s and a Hawker Hoopoe that was being flown at the time by Air Chief Vice Marshall I.M. Better. His later Spitsfire, a Mk. XIII with a Rolls Royce Spiffon engine, was coded Y-ME and was lost on a Rhubarb mission over unoccupied England.

Both Raf and Mayonnaise survived the war, and can be found today signing autographs at comic conventions.

 

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This is an old kit, I remember it from the early 70′s. I’ve seen a bunch of them in boxes, but until now, I had never seen one finished. There’s not much to it. Parts fit is so-so, but it does match the three view drawings in Koku-Fan perfectly. Finish is basic BOB camo of dark green / dark earth uppers with the black and white undersides. Non standard squadron code placement was probably an in the field modification, the squadron letters completely obscuring the serial number. Decals are from the kit. The wooden base is a craft store item painted with paint I had left over from a Cub Scout go-cart project.

It was a simple build, but above all, it was loads of fun. Now I think I have to do the Messaschnitzel 109 to go with it.

I believe my serious modeling phase has come to an end....

Jaime Carreon

      

Photos and text © by Jaime Carreon