Revell 1 / something or another Spitsfire Mk II
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 over the other. 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.
This is an old kit, I remember it from the early 70's. I've seen a bunch of them in boxes, but until this afternoon, 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. 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 do believe that my serious modeler phase has ended...
Mustn't make sport of the aerioplanes. Personally I think it is an outstanding representation of a classic aircraft & your grasp of this historic event is evident.
Jamie,
I LOVE IT! Great story. My hat is off to you.
nice fun model
Beautiful job, Jaime. I've been tempted plenty of times, but had never seen one built. That is one cool model !
Yeah, baby! Good stuff!
I think your serious modelling phase has just begun!
Nicely done. and as you said FUN to build.
very cool camo and weathering
that was a fantastic story Jaime you have a gift for models and history only one question was it mustard French who captured and released Heinz Mayonaise
It's said that Mayonnaise's father was a Bourbon, and his mother was a German beauty named Faste. Technically, that makes Heinz half Faste...(insert groan here)
Mayonnaise was captured by the British Home Guard, who mistook him for a Frenchman due to his name and deported him inmmediately as a security threat to Mother England.
Thanks, everyone! It was a fun build for sure, and my only regret is that no one makes resin or photoetch for this model. Darn!