1/32 Art Scale Spitfire Mk.I Early Part 3 - RAF 1939 32090

The decal sheet contain markings for follow airplanes:

• No. 19 Squadron, RAF Duxford, Camridgeshire, United Kinddom, early 1939

      This aircraft is equipped with a double-bladed propeller, a flat canopy and an older type of pitoto tube. The No. 19 squadron was founded in early 1915 and during second half of the Great War it flew with Spad airplanes and Dopwith Dophins. One of unite aces from this period was the future Air Chief Marshal Sir James Donald Innes Hardman, GBE, KCB, DFC (1899-1982), who, after the World War II, became Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of the RAAF. In 1938 No. 19 Squadron became the first RAF unit to fly Spitfires. During 1939 the fuselage code of the unit changed to „QV“. In 1944 unit exchanged Spitfires  for Mustangs. The last type, the unit flew was the Bae Hawk. In November 2011 after almost a hundred years of continuous service, the Squadron was disbanded. Among the aces who flew Spitfires with No. 19 Squadron were Douglas Bader (23 victories)), F.W. Higginson (15 victories) or Gordon Sinclair (10 victories). Czechoslovak pilot František Doežal was also a member of this squadron during the second half of the Battle of Britain. During September 1940 he achieved two confirmed victories and two probable.

• K9938, No. 72 Squadron, Church Fenton, North Yorkshire, United Kingdom, April 1939

      The aircraft is equipped with a three-bladed propeller, a flat canopy and an older type of pitot tube. In April 1939, it was taken over by No. 72 Squadron and was given the designation „SD-H“, later changing to „ZP-W“. The emblem of this squadron is displayed on the tail. The aircraft was lost in combat on September 2nd, 1940. The unit intercepted formation of Dorniers, escorted by Messerschmitt Bf 110s over the Isle of Thanet. During the fight No. 72 Sqn. shot down four Bf 110s of ZG 2 and ZG 26, but also K9938 piloted by Sgt. Norman Robert Norfolk was shot down. The pilot bailed out and parachuted at Herne Bay. Norfolk served with the unit at least since October 1939 and during the Battle of Britain scored four victories, for which he received the DFC. He later served as an instructor at the No. 25 (Polish) Elementary Flying Training School at RAF Westwood and stayed serving with flight schools even after the war.

• No. 41 Squadron, RAF Catterick, North Yorkshire, Spring 1939

      The No. 41 Squadron acquired their first two Spitfires Mk.I K9831 and K9832 on December 30th, 1938 as third Fighter Command unit. This Spitfire Mk.I PN-M has a colorway from the spring of 1939, with red-blue national insignia on the upper surfaces, former white and yellow rings are over sprayed with camouflage color. Technically the aircraft displays first clean serial finish, with Merlin II engine, Weybridge two-blade wooden propeller, flat canopy, and the original old style Pitot tube. The plane doesn´t have the machine gun heating and was flown without any armor. This aircraft had an external camera gun on the upper side of the right wing. Until September 3rd, 1939, the day when UK declared war to Germany, in total 306 Spitfires Mk.I were brought into RAF, 187 of them served in eleven Fighter Command squadrons. Of these units, only seven were battle-ready two days after the war began, and four others were in the process of reinforcement and upgrades. 36 Spitfires were lost before the war during various accidents. After the war broke out, all the Spitfire equipped squadron remained based in British islands as part of Air Defense of great Britain.

      If necessary, the decal cover varnish can be removed - wash off with Zippo lighter fluid.

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