1:32 Spitfire Mk.V US masks for insignias

American stars on the Spitfire Mk.V

This set from Omask is intended for a less usual and all the more interesting form of the well-known fighter: the Spitfire Mk.V with American national insignia in 1:32 scale. The stencils mask the area over which the star is sprayed, so no applied film is left on the model. The kit is not included.

When the Spitfire flew with a star

American units were arriving in Europe before they had enough machines of their own, and so they were given British equipment. In the autumn of 1942 three volunteer squadrons of Americans in the RAF were redesignated as a fighter group in eastern England, and their Spitfires received the star. Further groups flew Spitfires from airfields in North Africa after the Allied landings, and over the Mediterranean their machines then also carried pronounced yellow surrounds around the insignia.

The star and its changes

American markings changed several times during the war: from a white star in a blue circle through the addition of side bars to a red border, which was soon dropped again. Which rendition your machine should carry is therefore determined by the date and the theater, not by the type of aircraft. Check it against a photograph of the particular example before you reach for the paint.

Who the set is interesting for

• for builders looking for a less familiar finish on a well-known type
• for collections charting American fighter units in Europe and Africa
• for modelers who combine British camouflage with American insignia
• for large scales, where the edge of a decal on a smooth surface is conspicuous