| "The essence of leadership . . . was, and is, that every leader from flight commander to group commander should know and fly his airplanes." - Air Vice-Marshal J. E. 'Johnnie' Johnson, RAF The Spitfire is the most famous British aircraft of all time. Although less numerous than the Hawker Hurricane, it is remembered as the sleek, thoroughbred fighting machine that turned the tide during the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire was among the fastest and most maneuverable prop-driven fighters of World War II, serving in virtually every combat theater. Supermarine designer Reginald Mitchell created this small, graceful, elliptical-wing fighter with eight guns in the wings that were able to fire without being hindered by the propeller. The immortal Spitfire thus became not merely one of the best-performing fighters of all time, but also one of the best-looking. Although never employed as a long-range escort, the Spitfire was a champion in an air-to-air duel. Spitfires routinely dived at the speed of sound, faster than any of the German jets. A carrier-based version, called the Seafire, was a winner in its own right, serving valiantly on convoy routes during World War II. The Seafire 47 was even used in the early stages of the Korean War, before it was replaced by more modern jet aircraft. Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a RAF Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXc fighter that was piloted by Squadron Leader John "Johnnie" Houlton, who was attached to No.485 (NZ) Squadron, then deployed to Leconfield, England. New for 2024! #AA29103 Dimensions: Features: Historical Account: "Over the Channel" - Constructed as a Mk IXc variant at the famous Castle Bromwich 'Shadow Factory' in early 1944, Supermarine Spitfire ML407 stamped her name in history as the first Allied fighter to claim a Luftwaffe aircraft shot down following the Allied amphibious landings on D-Day. It also boasts an impressive post-war flying career which continues to this day. She flew operationally throughout the final months of the Second World War, serving with six different squadrons of the RAF's 2nd Tactical Air Force and amassing 176 combat sorties and 319 hours of combat flying in the process. She was delivered to No.485 (New Zealand) Squadron on 29th April 1944, where she became the aircraft assigned to Flying Officer Johnnie Houlton in preparation for operations covering the D-Day landings. No.485 Squadron moved to operate from RAF Selsey, as this was the closest UK mainland airfield to the landing beaches the squadron's aircraft would have to protect on 6th June 1944. On D-Day, Houlton caught sight of a Junkers Ju-88 attempting to find cover in the clouds, and, having adjusted his new gyroscopic gunsight for a longer distance shot, gave the Luftwaffe aircraft short burst from around 500 yards. Please note: We happily combine multiple sales into one order to reduce shipping charges. Please contact us first to determine the cost of shipping before proceeding to final checkout so we can clarify the procedure with you. |