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Airfix Supermarine Spitfire MK.VIII 1:24 Aust. Decals (A17002)

Name: Supermarine Spitfire MK.VIII 1:24 Aust. Decals (A17002)
SKU: A17002
Availability: InStock

Airfix Supermarine Spitfire MK.VIII 1:24 Aust. Decals (A17002) scale model with The Grey Nurse – Australian Decal. One of the most impressive features associated with the enduring legacy of the Spitfire is how its basic design was able to be adapted and upgraded so effectively throughout the Second World War and how the final variants of this magnificent aircraft were far more capable that the ones which first arrived at RAF Duxford during the summer of 1938.

With the Spitfire undergoing almost constant development to enable it to stay at the forefront of fighter technology during WWII, this vital work was interrupted by the introduction of the Luftwaffe’s fearsome new Focke Wulf Fw190 in 1941, an aircraft which was superior to the Spitfire Mk.V which was in widespread service at the time.

A new Spitfire variant, the Mk.VIII, was at an advanced stage of development at the time, however, actual production was still some way off, as manufacturing jigs had not been installed in factories at that time. A stop-gap solution proved to be the introduction of the hybrid Mk.IX, an aircraft which fortunately proved to be something of a revelation and more than a match for the Focke Wulf.

The Grey Nurse – Australian Decal

No. 457 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force became known as Grey Nurse Squadron after repainting their newly arrived Spitfire Mk.VIIIs with distinctive shark mouths. Originally tasked with the air defence of Darwin, the squadron was soon moved northwards to Morotai and eventually Labuan to primarily conduct ground attack missions against the Japanese forces. The aircraft portrayed is that of 457s commanding officer, Sqn. Ldr. Bruce Watson DFC.