Small Scale Military Headquarters

sorry if this is out of place, but i just wanted to get the knowledge opinions of you spitfire owners out there. Which one do you think was the best? And am i just imagining it or did someone try to release a hurricane?
Thanks in advance.

No Hurricane that I know of in 1:18 scale... but yes, there's been to my knowledge 4x Spitfires. 'KKK', 'ZPA' (with the odd half white/black underside), 'DWK', and the D-Day Spitfire. I think most people would prefer the D-Day Spitfire because of the markings.

I like the D-Day Spitfire. While it's stripes are incorrect (they are reversed), it looks really slick. A very close second is DWK, as it is very accurately painted up as a Battle of Britain airplane.

-Ski

Just out of curiosity, what is the one with the black and white underside? Like what theater/battles would it have been prevelant in. I got one, as it was the only Spit I saw ever in stores, and I wanted one, but I've got no clue on its history.

Bah! Don't listen to those fly-boys....
Jesse, imo you got the best one. ZPA representing the plane flown by South African Ace Sailor Malan, with distinctive underside. This plane was also in the battle of Britain and if you were to own one 109, it should be the Galland, and if you have Mickey Mouse you need the Sailor

Also, isn't the model Spit incorrect for D-day? For some reason I thought 4Q should have been a later model.

Jesse James wrote:Just out of curiosity, what is the one with the black and white underside? Like what theater/battles would it have been prevelant in. I got one, as it was the only Spit I saw ever in stores, and I wanted one, but I've got no clue on its history.

The White/black undersides were used as identifiers for Anti-aircraft gunners.. This type of marking was used around the time frame of the Battle of Britain but phased out in late 1940 (or thereabouts)..



The D-day Spit should be a later version MkIX or X and not the early version as produced..

Yep the black and white underside was so the AA gunners knew who NOT to shoot at, this scheme was also used in the med/malta theatre on various aircraft. Personally I think the 610sq DW-K is the best one only because Im biased. The D-Day Spit I have no interest in as youd be HARD pressed to find a MkIIa Spit combat operational that late in the war. 21st could probably do a Mk IX in that scheme and that be awesome.

DWK is the most Battle of Britain representative model of the four.....as far as looking like a 'generic' BoB spitfire goes, anyway. The black and white underside markings worn on ZPA were most prevelent before the war and in the early days of WWII but were being phased out by the BoB and few aircraft actally still carried the b&w underside....so while it is correct, it is not a typical looking BoB spitfire.

NKK is the most accurate of the four models (in that it sports Mk II markings on a Mk II frame...the differences between the Mk I and II being very minor, however). The markings are post BoB....the tail band coming into use in late 1940.

While the DDay '4Q' spitfire looks swish it should be a Mk V (the real 4Q was a Mk Vb). Not a huge amount of difference between the mkI/II and the Mk V.....mostly small details the most noticeable of which are the underwing air intakes, the spinner and the Vb had wing cannon as well. Like Ski said the DDay marking stripes are reversed. 4Q was an old Spit Vb, no longer being used in front line operations by the RAF, that was loned to the US Navy to do artillery spotting for US naval ships on DDay.

While the DDay '4Q' spitfire looks swish it should be a Mk V (the real 4Q was a Mk Vb). Not a huge amount of difference between the mkI/II and the Mk V.....mostly small details the most noticeable of which are the underwing air intakes, the spinner and the Vb had wing cannon as well.

...we're going to highlight the differences between an Indian Elephant & African Elephant but cannons, air intake and different prop are small details?

The black and white underside markings worn on ZPA were most prevelent before the war and in the early days of WWII but were being phased out by the BoB and few aircraft actally still carried the b&w underside....

This link noted the 74 squadron flew with this underside during the winter of 40-41, long after the "official" end to the BoB. So not only does your ZPA Spit carry you through the BoB, it's good for the following winter as well.

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/1 ... 74sqn1.htm

the b&w paint scheme was pre-war/1939. With the war on, there wasn't time to repaint them all. Those that weren't destroyed in action or retired from service would still sport the b&w scheme until one of those things did happen. My comments were directed at what a 'generic' BoB spitfire looked like. The vast majority of spits in the BoB did NOT have b&w undersides. Those with it were atypical. That was the point i was making, clearly.

As far as elephant differences and detail differences on the spits.....well their siginicance is in the eye of the beholder. I just pointed them out; each individual can determine what matters to him/her.

My favorite is the NKK version. I know its not a Battle of Brittain or D-Day scheme, but it just looks good - and the nose art was a nice touch!

What really bothers me about the D-day Spit, is the invasion stripes are wrong - should be white on the outside ends, then alternating with black. Com'on, really, 21st, if you go to the trouble to make an "authentic" aircraft, at least get the paint right.

flayrah wrote:What really bothers me about the D-day Spit, is the invasion stripes are wrong - should be white on the outside ends, then alternating with black. Com'on, really, 21st, if you go to the trouble to make an "authentic" aircraft, at least get the paint right.

While it's completely wrong, it looks better that way for some reason......

-Ski