Tag: Spitfire

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“The Spitfire with Nine Lives” Chronicles the Enthralling History of Mk IX TE566

Coming soon from Grub Street Publishing and author Air Marshal G.A. ‘Black’ Robertson is The Spitfire with Nine Lives: The Enthralling Tale of TE566, Wrecked, Rescued and Rebuilt to Fly Again

Shortly after TE566 was delivered to the RAF, it was one of several Spitfires gifted to Czechoslovakia at the end of the Second World War. Sold to Israel in 1948 and later left to rot in a kibbutz as a children’s plaything, it was rescued, recovered to England and lovingly restored. A new life on the display circuit and on film began in 1992, first in the UK and later in South Africa, where it was all but destroyed in 2002 in a fatal accident. The wreckage was bought, returned to England, then sold to an Australian aviation training institute which eventually sold it back to the previous owner. After passing through several pairs of hands, the aircraft was rebuilt once again by Colin Wills and Tom Gilbert and converted to a two-seater to fly once more. Continue reading “The Spitfire with Nine Lives” Chronicles the Enthralling History of Mk IX TE566

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Sweeping the Skies: A History of No. 452 Squadron RAAF 1941-1945

Coming soon from Avonmore Books and author Mark Lax is Sweeping the Skies: A History of No. 452 Squadron RAAF 1941-1945

Sweeping the Skies is the story of No. 452 Squadron, an RAAF fighter unit formed in the UK in April 1941. Equipped with the superb Supermarine Spitfire, the squadron soon deployed to bases south of London and was in the thick of fighting against the Luftwaffe over England, the Channel and northern France.

Remarkably, between August and November 1941, No. 452 Squadron held the Fighter Command record as the top-scoring unit in Britain. This was largely due to the exceptional skills and leadership of some outstanding ace pilots, including Irishman Wing Commander Brendan “Paddy” Finucane and well-known VFL footballer Squadron Leader Keith “Bluey” Truscott. Continue reading Sweeping the Skies: A History of No. 452 Squadron RAAF 1941-1945

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Eduard Releases Limited Edition Spitfire Mk.I Kit With 11 Liveries, Book Included

Among Eduard’s new releases for June is a limited edition “Battle of Britain” Spitfire Mk. I model kit in 1/48 scale.

The offering (11197) represents the iconic Spitfire in the early stages of its development and during the most notable stretch of its service: the Battle of Britain. It includes Eduard plastic parts, pre-painted PE parts, painting masks and Eduard decals with 11 marking options. Also included is a book about the Spitfire Mk.Is in Battle of Britain written by Pavel Beránek. The book covers the technical development of the aircraft, the evolution of camouflage and markings, pilot equipment, and a detailed guide to building the model.

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Two New Calendars Offer Nothing But Spitfires For 2027

More 2027 calendars are starting to hit the market as we move towards the second half of the year, and today we are featuring two of them focused entirely on the iconic Spitfire.

The first brings together a striking collection of historical photography from Imperial War Museum collections, offering glimpses of the heroic people who made up the Squadrons, and an example of the poster art of the time. Also featured is Duxford’s Spitfire Mk Ia N3200, which was recovered and restored before returning to the air in 2014. Each photo is accompanied by informative text and a datepad features previous and next month’s views.

The second Spitfire calendar is offered by Avonside Publishing Ltd and showcases the aviation photography of Darren Harbar. It features a large Monday start grid for entering important dates as well as a multilingual grid (English, French, German, Italian & Spanish). It measures 11.6″ x 23.2″ (295mm x 590mm) open.

Click below to check out product links and additional images.

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Eduard Releases ProfiPACK Spitfire Mk. Vb With PE Parts, 7 Liveries

New this month from Eduard is a ProfiPACK edition Spitfire Mk.Vb model kit in 1/72 scale.

The Mk.Vb was powered by the Merlin 45 engine and distinguished by its B-type wing with two 20mm Hispano cannon and four .303 Browning machine guns. It served as an important stopgap in 1941, giving Britain a highly capable interceptor before being overtaken by later Spitfire marks.

The new Eduard release (70206) represents mid-production versions with armored glass before the windshield and asymmetrical wing bulges. It includes Eduard plastic parts, pre-painted PE parts, painting masks and Eduard decals with marking options for seven aircraft.

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Spitfire at 90: Iconic Fighter’s History Traced From the Mk.I to the Mk.XIX

In commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Spitfire, Key Publishing and editor / photographer John Dibbs offer the upcoming release Spitfire at 90, a special 100-page tribute to Britain’s greatest fighter and possibly the best known combat aircraft in the world.

Using extensive archive images, the best of aviation writers and researchers salute the Spitfire’s incredible heritage. This edition has been updated with fresh imagery of present-day Spitfires in their element from renowned air-to-air photographer John Dibbs. It presents a stunning portfolio from the day fighter Mk.I to the high-flying Mk.XIX and the wing-folding Seafires. All of this adds up to a superb souvenir of a world famous fighter.

The publication, which is offered in Mook formation (combination of magazine and book) is currently available for pre-order with release set for May 31.

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Eduard Announces Limited Edition Spitfire Mk. I Kit With 11 Liveries, Book

Eduard is preparing to release a special, limited edition Battle of Britain Spitfire Mk. 1 model kit in 1/48 scale.

The offering represents the iconic Spitfire in the early stages of its development and during the most notable stretch of its service: the Battle of Britain. It will include Eduard plastic parts, pre-painted photo-etched parts, die cut painting masks and a whopping 11 marking options. The kit will also include an English language book about about the Spitfire Mk.I in the Battle of Britain.

As of this writing additonal details are scare, but itas the image shows, it is slated for release in June.

(via Eduard)

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Vulcan to Spitfire and Back: Flying in an RAF Squadron During the Cold War

Coming soon from Fonthill Media and author Bill Perrins is From Vulcan to Spitfire and Back: A Life in Aviation, described as “a humorous, unguarded, and often self-deprecating account of what it was like to be part of an RAF squadron during the Cold War.”

Growing up in Belfast during the Troubles, Bill Perrins was a young man hell-bent on a career as a pilot. He made it through RAF pilot training—thanks more, perhaps, to sheer determination than aptitude—and finally graduated to the role of Vulcan pilot in time to take part in the 1982 Falklands War. After the RAF, Bill entered the world of commercial aviation, flying Boeing 747s and Dreamliners on long-haul, though he still found time to pilot the world’s only privately owned nuclear bomber, the mighty Vulcan XH558, at air shows, along with P51 Mustangs, Yaks and the legendary Spitfire. Way back in his boyhood, the fantasy of one day flying the Spitfire was where it had all begun—and it did not disappoint.

From Vulcan to Spitfire and Back: A Life in Aviation is… about the simple joys of flying, whether in the cockpit of the enormous delta-winged Vulcan or behind the sprightly controls of the inimitable Spitfire, and the camaraderie that comes with it, both in military and civil aviation.

The 224 page hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for June 30.

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Kotare Offers Limited Edition Spitfire Mk.I PR Type B That Will Never Be Re-Released

Kotare Models has announced the upcoming release of a Spitfire Mk.I PR Type B model kit in 1/32 scale.

The Mk.I PR Type B was a mid-production Mk.I airframe converted in late 1939–early 1940 into a specialized unarmed photo‑reconnaissance aircraft, optimized for speed, range, and altitude by stripping out all armament and radio equipment, fairing over gun bays, and adding extra fuel and oxygen behind the pilot for longer missions. Externally it carried two downward‑facing F24 cameras with 8‑inch lenses in blister fairings under the wings and used a lighter, unarmored windscreen plus a blown canopy with teardrop side blisters to improve downward visibility. These aerodynamic and weight‑saving changes, combined with the high‑gloss pale blue finish typical of early PR Spitfires, allowed the PR Type B to conduct medium‑range, high‑speed photographic sorties over enemy territory with minimal chance of interception during the early stages of the Second World War. Continue reading Kotare Offers Limited Edition Spitfire Mk.I PR Type B That Will Never Be Re-Released

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New IBG Kit Recreates Spitfire Prototype’s Full History For Type’s 90th Anniversary

To celebrate the Spitfire’s 90th anniversary, IBG Models has collaborated with MRM Studio to create a new limited edition model.

The body of the model is based on the IBG plastic kit, but in practice this means a completely new design. Each element has been re-designed to faithfully reflect all the differences between the early prototype and the later production machines. In order to show the evolution of this design as accurately as possible, we have prepared four variants of the aircraft’s nose, two types of fuselage, and two variants of wings – both in the original unarmed configuration and the later armed configuration used during testing. This allows modelers to reproduce the different stages of the machine’s development.

The 1/72 kit employs high-quality 3D printing technology and a vacu-type cockpit canopy with an innovative snap-vac system that uses printed frames that are applied to the transparent part without the need for traditional masking during painting. Additional features include a 3D-printed test pilot figure, Techmod decals and mask designs for painted markings.

The entire edition includes two different sets, which together allow you to recreate the full history of this unique aircraft – from its first flight to its crash on the second day of the war.

The first set (A72001), which depicts the aircraft in its configuration in the first test flight, will be limited to 400 pieces and is slated for release in April. Click below to check out additional images.

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