Awesome build thread Tom. I like these 'special' Spitfires. The SAAF No 41 Squadron used Spitfire Mk IX in a similar ploy to intercept high flying Luftwaffe aircraft. Unpainted and armed with only 2 x 7.62 or 12.7 machine guns. 41 Squadron SAAF operated four of these natural metal Spitfires. (MH931 + MH993) (MA504 + MA792) They were stripped of all excess weight, the engine was modified & they then operated in pairs. This to intercept high flying Luftwaffe Ju-86P's at +40,000ft. The idea being that one aircraft (armed only with machine guns) would climb to the altitude of the Ju-86, and force it down to the level of the second aircraft, which was armed with cannons.

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Thank you Tom. Which kit would you recommend to make a MK VII?

Here is the HF VI painted

Looking at photos and with the information this was one of four Mk. VIs specially sent out to Egypt, I think this was painted at the factory in the "A" scheme.

7 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Very nice resukts on the paintwork, Tom @tcinla

Here is the Mk. Vc with decals. Being an "Aboukir" scheme, they did not repaint stencils, so it just needed national markings from a leftover Eduard sheet, with the B coming from another sheet - I had to slice the upper part and pose it like the photo of the actual plane.

5 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Nice work on the decals, Tom @tcinla

And here is the modified Spitfie Vc.

I decided the sealing putty was most likely grey.

I kept looking at the photos of the airplane and remarking to myself on the heavy wear on the walkway to the cockpit on the wing. Then it hit me, that since they were lightening this airplane to the maximum possible, they likely stripped it down to bare metal and then gave it a thin (i.e. lightweight) coat of paint, which would have been very prone to wear, thus the wingwalk area. That's just a guess, but it fits the facts of the airplane.

2 attached images. Click to enlarge.