Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII

One of the most impressive features of the Spitfire's lasting legacy is how its basic design could be adapted and improved so effectively during World War II, and how the final variants of this magnificent aircraft were far more capable than those that first arrived at RAF Duxford in the summer of 1938.
While the Spitfire was almost constantly developed to remain at the forefront of fighter technology throughout World War II, this important work was interrupted by the introduction of the Luftwaffe's fearsome new Focke Wulf Fw190 in 1941, an aircraft superior to the Spitfire Mk.V which was in widespread service at the time.
A new Spitfire variant, the Mk.VIII, was in an advanced stage of development at this time, but actual production was still a long way off as new tooling was not yet available in the factories at the time.
A stopgap measure was the introduction of the hybrid Mk.IX model, an aircraft which fortunately proved to be something of a revelation and was more than a match for the Focke Wulf.

Production of the planned Spitfire Mk.VIII was to continue and was essentially a fighter, deliberately designed and engineered from the outset as the next version of the fighter and the main production variant.

Powered by the latest variants of the Merlin engine, the Mk.VIII featured a strengthened fuselage, retractable tailwheel and the introduction of a new wide-wing rudder with versions optimised for high, medium and low altitude operations.

This variant of the Spitfire was mainly used by units overseas, with the RAF in the Mediterranean, the Middle and Far East and with the RAAF in the South West Pacific. Many pilots who flew several models of this famous fighter considered the Mk.VIII to be the best flying Spitfire of all.

Royal Australian Air Force, No. 457 Squadron became known as the 'Grey Nurse Squadron' after repainting its newly arrived Spitfire Mk.VIIIs with the distinctive shark mouths.
Originally tasked with air defence of Darwin, the squadron was soon moved north to Morotai and eventually to Labuan to carry out mainly ground attack missions against the Japanese forces.
The aircraft pictured is that of 457's Commanding Officer, Sqn. Ldr. Bruce Watson DFC.

Plastic model kit
 

• Upper and lower wing surfaces including leading edge fuel tanks and gun camera position
• Short span ailerons
• Retractable tailwheel section
• Revised instrument panel
• Repositioned fuselage light

• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII, Sqn Ldr Bruce Watson, No. 457 Gray Nurse Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Morotai, 1945
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII, No. 152 (Hyderabad) Squadron, Sinthe, Burma, 1945
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VIII, 307th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, USAAF, Italy 1944

Scale 1:24

unbuilt / unpainted

Paint and glue not included