Those make a refreshing change Darryl.
Any idea what the American pilots thought to the Spit?
Rob.
Those make a refreshing change Darryl.
Any idea what the American pilots thought to the Spit?
Rob.
"Courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death."
Most liked them very much, Rob. Possibly no one more so than Don Blakeslee, who absolutely despised the Thunderbolt when 4th FG transitioned to the P-47 ("It ought to be able to dive. It certainly can't climb."), and who pulled strings and did whatever it took to get his group into Mustangs as soon as they were available.
Hmm...
WWII Allied Fighters - American Desert Spits
Not the right colors for your planes, nor the right squadron. But...
Mike
"Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
"Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59
Close enough for government work, MikeOriginally Posted by OldGuy59
. Thanks again!
OK. This is a mess.
The markings on the planes do not match the squadrons for which the pilots are supposed to be commanders.
Both Blakeslee and Daley were Sqn Cmdrs for the 335th, but couldn't have been at the same time.
XR - 71 (Eagle) RAF sqn became 334th? QP is listed in the same reference as 334th FS 4th FG.
WD was for 335th sqn in one reference I could find.
AV was 121 (Eagle) Sqn RAF before being given to the 335th?
MD was 133 (Eagle) Sqn RAF, but another reference lists that code for the 336th.
VF was listed for 336th, 4th FG.
If these don't work, it's not my fault!
Mike
"Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
"Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59
Not a problem, Mike--even the Wings Palette source I used for the model said that the codes for the Spitfire that he (among others) flew didn't correspond with what was his squadron at the time.
WGS Channel Front 1941 - 1/200 Nexus 452 Sqn RAAF Spitfire Mk.IIas
Next on my list of WGS repaints are two extra Series 1 Le Mesurier Spitfire PR Mk.Is. Torn between European and Middle East colour schemes I went with the Channel Front as my research indicated no early Spits made it to the Mediterranean or Western Desert theatres of operations. So my former photo reconnaissance Spit Mk.Is are now 452 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Spitfire Mk.IIas UD-R and UD-C flown by Australian aces Flight Lieutenant Keith 'Bluey' Truscott (16 victories) and Sergeant Pilot Keith Chisholm (6 victories). Formed in the UK as part of Fighter Command's No. 11 Group, 452 Squadron RAAF operated the Spitfire Mk.IIa from May to August 1941 in the skies above occupied France and Belgium, where it escorted bombing raids and conducted sweeps to engage enemy aircraft. During its first year of operations 452 Squadron established itself as one of the most successful squadrons in Fighter Command, destroying 62 enemy aircraft and damaging another 17.
For these repaints I left the original grey as a base and painted dark green camouflage on the upper surfaces.....
... and sky for the undersides and spinner. Roundels, fin flashes and ID letters are Shed Decals.
'Bluey' Truscott scored his first confirmed aerial victory flying a Spitfire Mk.IIa in August 1941. In this newsreel still Truscottt taxis for take off in a later Spitfire Mk.Vb UD-R. The original footage is available on youtube here https://youtu.be/r6IB8uihV64.
In this photograph Keith Chisholm's Spitfire Mk.IIa P7786/UD-C comes in for a landing at Kirton-in-Lindsey in mid-1941.
400213 Flight Lieutenant K. W. 'Bluey' Truscott (left) and 402150 Sergeant Keith Bruce Chisholm (centre) of No. 452 (Spitfire) Squadron RAAF at RAF Kenley, with the Squadron Intelligence Officer. Both pilots joined 452 Squadron RAAF in May 1941.
When Bluey Truscott left England in 1942 he was a household name across the Commonwealth. He flew P-40's against the Japanese in New Guinea commanding 76 Squadron RAAF. In early 1943 Truscott was killed in a flying accident when he hit the water off the Western Australian coast making a practice run at a low flying Catalina. For his service Truscott was awarded the DFC and Bar and was Mentioned in Dispatches.
Keith Chisholm was awarded the DFM for shooting down six Messerschmitt Bf-109 over France and Belgium. Chisholm was himself shot down off the French coast in October 1941, taking to his parachute. He was picked up by a German rescue launch and taken to a prisoner of war camp in Germany. Commissioned a Pilot Officer whilst in captivity, almost immediately Chisholm began to make plans to escape and his first actual escape took place seven months after his capture. Pilot Officer Chisholm, in company with two other prisoners of war, made their way to Brno in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Holland, Belgium and France. During the latter part of his travels he made contact with various underground movements and eventually joined the F.F.I. and fought with them against the Germans, in the streets of Paris the city was liberated by the Allies. For his ingenuity and outstanding courage and determination Keith Chisholm was awarded the Military Cross. After the war Keith arranged for a member of the Polish family who had helped hide him emigrate to Australia. He married a French woman in the 1950's and in 1957 moved to Andover, Massachusetts in the US working as a wool buyer. Keith Chisholm passed away in 1991.
Flight Lieutenant Keith 'Bluey' Truscott and Sergeant Pilot Keith Chisholm of 452 Squadron RAAF formate with Flight Lieutenant Tomáš Vybíral of 312 (Czech) Squadron RAF.
Last edited by Carl_Brisgamer; 03-06-2017 at 04:59.
Really nice work once again Carl!
I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!
Thanks Tim, pretty happy how they turned out and only took a few hours all up.
Looking forward to running then in a game, maybe a 'Ramrod' mission escorting a Lockheed Hudson like the YouTube clip.
Last edited by Carl_Brisgamer; 11-03-2018 at 05:10.
Thanks Baz, makes we want to do the rest of the squadron!
Some Scotia Grendel Mk1As...
Need to get some roundels, didnt have the exact matching green but i did my best!!
got some MkXIVs next... mmmm Griffons
1/444 direct is a good adress for decals.
Good quality & service.
Voilà le soleil d'Austerlitz!
Thanks! I got a few off their ebay store =)
Anyone know whether these spits exist? Theyre scotia grendel, listed as Mk.XIIIs, but they seem to have Griffon engines?!?
Im painting them as XIVes with clipped wings, anyway =D
Colored Canopies and added some details and trim:
Decals + Matt Coats one! Made a world of a difference!
WGS Battle of Britain - 1/200 Squadron Pack 92 Sqn RAF Spitfire Mk.Is
This week's WGS delivery included two Squadron Pack Spitfires. With two complete flights of 610 Squadron Spits already in the hangar I bought these to fly with P/O Allan Wright's 92 Sqn RAF Spitfire QJ-S from the old Deluxe Starter set. I bought the 92 Squadron decals from miscmini's shop here on the forum (thanks Kevin).
I added yellow tips to the propeller blades on the new Spits to match the Nexus miniature.
The first one I finished as Spitfire Mk.I s/n R6908 coded 'QJ-F'. This aircraft was first flown in July 1940, and later converted to a Spitfire Mk.Ib armed with 20mm cannon. Assigned to 92 Squadron RAF it was flown by the acting squadron commander Flight Lieutenant Brian Kingcome. Kingcome was the longest serving member of 92 Squadron, finishing the war as a Group Captain decorated with the DSO, DFC and Bar and MID. His victory score was 8 enemy aircraft destroyed, three shared, five probable and 13 damaged. Kingcome passed away in 1994.
The second Spit was finished as K9998 coded 'QJ-K', one of the first production batch of Spitfires originally ordered in June 1936, and built at Woolston, near Southampton between May 1938 and September 1939. it was assigned to 92 Squadron RAF on 2 July 1940 until 1 November when is was transferred to 7OTU. Whilst at 92 Squadron 'QJ-K' was flown by Pilot Officer Geoffrey Wellum who served as wingman to his acting CO F/L Kingcome. Geoffrey Wellum ended the war a Flight Lieutenant with three confirmed kills and a DFC. He retired from the RAF as a Squadron Leader in 1961 and aged 95 lives in retirement in Cornwall.
Flight Lieutenant Brian Kingcome (left) and wingman Pilot Officer Geoffrey Wellum (right) stand in front of a 92 Squadron Spitfire.
'QJ-F' after conversion to Mk.Ib standard in late 1940.
A Battle of Britain Flight Spitfire Mk.I finished as Geoffrey Wellum's 'QJ-K' in which he shot down a Heinkel He-111 on 11 September 1940.
Well done on those Spits, Carl!
I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!
[Edit: Cards corrrected for Allied back colors]
Last edited by OldGuy59; 07-29-2017 at 00:12.
Mike
"Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
"Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59
WGS Channel Front 1941 - 1/200 Ares Spitfire Mk.II 303 (Polish) Sqn RAF
The weekly ferry run saw two more Squadron Pack Spitfires land at my place. With a substantial number of Battle of Britain aircraft already added to the RAF roster, I have shifted focus to what came next - the Channel Front battles of 1941. In March 1941 No.303 "Kościuszko" Squadron RAF (having exchanged their Hurricanes for Spitfire Mk.Is in January) converted to the Spitfire Mk.II. I have completed these two Spitfires as Mk.II models assigned to No.303.
'RF-R' is Supermarine Spitfire Mk.II serial no. P8039. This aircraft was delivered to the RAF on 23 February 1941 and was one of the first Mk.IIs assigned to No.303 Squadron based at RAF Northolt on 4 March 1941. 'RF-R' was flown by F/O Mieczyslaw Waszkiewicz, who had also served in the French Air Force in 1940 before joining the RAF. On 16 April 1941 'RF-R' was shot down by Messerschmitt Bf109s off Dungeness during the 'Circus 8' operation with F/O Waszkiewicz was killed in action.
'RF-M' is Supermarine Spitfire Mk.II serial no. P8331. This aircraft was delivered to the RAF's 12 Maintenance Unit (12MU) on 14 April 1941, and assigned to No.303 Squadron on 13 May 1941. 'RF-M' was flown by Wing Commander Piotr Laguna, appointed to command the Northolt Wing on 27 May 1941. Born in 1905, W/C Laguna had served in the Polish Air Force before the war. After Poland fell, he escaped to France and in early May 1940 he was in the Groupe de Chasse Polonaise de Varsovie I/145, flying MS406 aircraft. When the blitzkrieg started on May 10th, the unit was at Lyon-Bron airfield. Laguna was in command of the unit when it was evacuated by ship to England on 19 June 1940. Assigned to No.302 Squadron in July 1940, Laguna was promoted to Squadron Leader on 31 December 1940. On 27 June 1941 W/C Laguna took up 'RF-M' when he led the Northolt Wing over France. He was shot down at low-level by ground fire near Coquelles in the Calais area and posted 'Missing, presumed killed'.
The conversion consisted of painting the spinners sky and masking and hand-painting a sky fuselage band. As well I added the yellow tips to the prop blades. I used spare Hurricane Squadron Pack decals for the No.303 Squadron unit code and 'Kościuszko' badges. The individual aircraft 'R' letter codes were also cut from spare Hurricane decal sheets and the 'M' letter codes from a Spitfire Squadron Pack sheet.
Last edited by Carl_Brisgamer; 06-11-2017 at 05:31.
Love them! , i have an obsession with the free poles in WW2 so thanks for sharing!
Glad you like them Rob, I am putting together a few Polish aircraft to play out a campaign 1939-45. My next lot of Spits will be converted to Mk.Vbs, just need to make some cannon barrels.
Great work Carl Nice to have the background on the pilots as well.
I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing
The weekly ferry run saw two more Squadron Pack Spitfires land at my place. With a substantial number of Battle of Britain aircraft already added to the RAF roster, I have shifted focus to what came next - the Channel Front battles of 1941. In March 1941 No.303 "Kościuszko" Squadron RAF (having exchanged their Hurricanes for Spitfire Mk.Is in January) converted to the Spitfire Mk.II. I have completed these two Spitfires as Mk.II models assigned to No.303.
...
PS: I didn't have a line drawing for a Mk I/II Spitfire. I had to go do the base plane type template all over again.
[Edit: Cards corrected for Allied back colors]
Last edited by OldGuy59; 07-29-2017 at 00:14.
Mike
"Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
"Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59
Damn Mike you are fast! I wish I could REP you but the forum says no. All I can do is say thanks a million for your efforts.
Maybe someone else can REP you for me!?!
Rep on its way
I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings
Coming down is the hardest thing
here is my spitfire. it is a spitfire mk.VIII of the RAF 145th Polish squadron ZX-W in north africa 1943.
(airfix 1/72 scale dinah for scale)
OK, I have this version of a Spitfire plane and markings. But, I can't find anything on the plane, nor the pilot:here is my spitfire. it is a spitfire mk.VIII of the RAF 145th Polish squadron ZX-W in north africa 1943.
(airfix 1/72 scale dinah for scale)
Last edited by flash; 04-14-2020 at 23:07.
Mike
"Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
"Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59
Just big WoW, chaps. Nice Spits there.
I will surely print your new cards, Mike!
Thanks!
"We do not stop playing when we get old, but we get old when we stop playing."
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