Small Scale Military Headquarters

Is this the only Spit with pin-up art?

Spitfire Mk IX, MK210:

It was loaned to the USAAF to test the long range capability of the Spitfire. It was fitted with extra fuel tanks, one of which was installed in the fuselage behind the pilot and two more which were P-51 drop tanks mounted on underwing pylons. All unnecessary weight was removed, including the 4 outboard machine guns.

This airplane was Flown by Lt. Col. Gustav Lundquist from Dayton, Ohio to a base in England arriving on the 4th of July 1944. It was one of the first Spitfires to fly the North Atlantic ferry route. It crash-landed in Greenland on the trip and upon waiting repairs, the crew chief there asked it he could adorn it with some nose art.

That would make a sweet candidate for AllGo 1:32 Spit.

Looks like an Yank pilot no?

Don't think the proper and prude Brits would allow that.

First time I've ever seen any significant (and provocative) nose art on a Brit plane other than maybe the desert P-40's.
Thanks for sharin'

Added info above.



BTW: Here's another I found, but piloted by a Canadian; Jack Sheppard

For those into repaints, that nose art is available as a decal set from Kits-world in 1/32.

set number KW132032

The same sheet also has another Spitfire Mk VIII with nose art.

P.S.
The British aren't prudish, we usually paint our nose art on the inside so the pilot had something to look at...

...yeah I'm sure regular pilots weren't, but the Brit brass and Hierarchy obviously wouldn't allow it on the outside. Just wouldn't be proper no? No shame in that.

Modeled after one of George Petty's artworks: