Airfix/Academy Spitfire 21 kitbash
The Spitfire 21 was so different from all the Spitfires that came before that it was originally thought it should be named the "Victor." In the end, the Spitfire name was retained.
Based on the experimental Spitfire Mk.IV/XX, the Spitfire 21 featured a new semi-elliptical wing that was considerably strengthened from the standard Spitfire wing, to take an armament of 4 20mm cannon. The landing gear was repositioned and fully enclosed. The aircraft had a normal loaded weight of 9.900 pounds with a maximum overload of 11,200 pounds - a far cry from the fully-loaded weight of 6,200 pounds for the Spitfire I! Though 3,000 Spitfire 21s were originally ordered, in the end only 120 were delivered due to the war ending. The first was delivered on September 6, 1944, with the last of the 120 delivered January 2, 1946.
The Spitfire 21 achieved operational status with 91 Squadron in April 1945, with a few patrols carried out over Holland. The only Spitfire 21 victory was a Heinkel He-162 from JG 1 on April 28, 1945, the only Volksjaeger lost in air combat. The Spitfire 21 served in the Auxiliary Air Force after the war, leaving service in 1949.
I did this model some 18 years ago. It's a kitbash of the Airfix Spitfire 22/24, and the Academy Spitfire XIV. the tail was cut off the Airfix kit abd the upper halfof the fuselage aft of the cockpit was removed. The Academy kit was sectioned with the upper rear fusealge and vertical fin and rudder, which was then mated to the Airfix fuselage. An indication of just how "off" the Academy kit is, is the fact I took off 1/16 inch from the bottom of the Academy rear fuselage to mate it to the correct-depth Airfix fuselage. Decals came from the Decal Dungeon and the Airfix kit to do a Spitfire 21 of 91 Squadron, circa April 1945.
Shortly after I did this, Aeroclub released a limited-run Spitfire XIV fuselage which could be mated to the Airfix kit to do a Spitfire 21 (I did mine as a Seafire 45). With the demise of Aeroclub, that is no longer available. Today, one could do this by mating the Airfix Spitfire PR XIX with the 22/24 wing. Someday, Airfix will finally realize just how much money they could make by turning the PR XIX kit into a Spitfire XIV.
Nice kit-bash, it looks great. I wonder why it took almost the entire war for the plane to be equipped with a 5 blade prop? I'm not up my my Spitfires so bear with me, the Japanese also fielded an experimental 5 blade fighter also.
Very nice indeed! If only Airfix would listen to your advice!
Nice!
Very nice model turned. Yes, the solution lay on the surface. At the time, I also did so - took wing from Airfix and everything else from the Academic.
And yet - when it Airfix make Spitfire-14?
Very nice Tom, yes, amazing no one has produced a good MkXIV, was an important model of Spitfire. Surely Eduard of maybe Airfix must have one on the way? Hopefully if they do one, the kit will come with a V1 "Doodlebug" parts tree, so the model can be posed with the pilot about to flip the flying bomb over with his wingtip, that would be cool!
Spitfire's are sharp in any variation, this is super - thanks for sharing.
Another beaut, Tom!
I always like to see the work you do on Spitfires.
Very nice. Can I buy it from you please? Thnks Daryl Jones