The Spitfire was without question the best known British World War II fighter. It was subject to continual further development throughout the war years, which was reflected in a range of improvements to the airframe, engine and armament. This ultimately led to a range with larger and more powerful Griffon engines. The Mk. XVIII was the last Spitfire variant to go into service before the end of the war. It has the bubble cockpit canopy and the back that sloped away from it of the later versions, in addition to a modified and enlarged wing and various structural improvements. This quickly led to the last production variants, the F. Mk. 22 and 24 that were identical apart from different electrical systems. The Spitfire Mk. 22 was used in the late forties by 73 Squadron of the Middle East Air Force in Malta and between 1946 and 1951 by 12 Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadrons in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Spitfire F.24 only served with RAF 80 Squadron. In 1949 the unit from the RAF base at Gütersloh in Germany was moved to Kai Tak in Hong Kong. The armament consisted of four 20 mm Hispano cannon and up to 454 kg of bombs or rockets could be carried beneath the wings. The Spitfire Mk. 22 and 24 were both powered by a Griffon 61 engine with a capacity of 2,050 hp and reached a maximum speed of 726 km/h.

Model

• Historical model (former Matchbox mould)
• structural details on surfaces, recessed panel lines
• detailed cockpit with fine details
• detailed instrument panel
• control column and seat
• pilot figure
• container in engine compartment
• detailed Griffon engine
• rotating five-bladed propeller
• open wing bays with MG belts and reproduction MGs
• detailed undercarriage

No. of Parts: 118
Skill Level: 5

Super decals for 3 RAF versions:

• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.22, No. 73 Sqn, Royal Air Force Ta Kali, Malta, 1948
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.22, No. 613 (City of Manchester) Sqn, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Ringway, 1949
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.24, No. 80 Sqn, Royal Air Force Kai Tak, Hong Kong, 1951