1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB

The machines of Polish airmen over the English Channel

The Supermarine Spitfire Mk VB made up the backbone of the British day fighter force in 1942, and a whole generation of Polish pilots who carried on the fight from bases in the islands after 1940 sat in its cockpits as well. The best known of them, Jan Zumbach, went with No. 303 Squadron from an ordinary airman all the way to commander of the unit, and his name is bound up with this type to this day.

Four markings, two different periods

Three variants belong to No. 303 Squadron. The aircraft with the fuselage letters RF-D and the serial number BM144 is worked up in two forms from the spring of 1942 separated by only a few weeks, so a choice can be made between the March and the May state. There follows EN951 of the summer of the same year, and the last possibility is JH-M W3207 of No. 317 Squadron, captured in April 1943. Like the 300-series squadrons, No. 317 was put together from airmen who fought their way to Britain through Romania and France, and by 1943 it already belonged among the seasoned units of covering operations over northern France.

Before you reach for water

A decal holds best on a glossy and perfectly dried layer of clear coat. A matte base under the print creates microscopic cavities and it is precisely these that later show up as silvery blotches around the motif. Cut close to the edge of the print, so that no lip of carrier film stays apparent once dry, and settle large areas in parts. Once laid on, a softener will help, drawing the thin film into the panel lines and to the rivets. Pierce a bubble under the film with the tip of a needle and press the water out with a cotton swab, not with a finger.

The package holds exclusively the printed sheet; plastic parts and paints do not belong with it.