1:48 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc Overseas Users

The universal wing that sent Spitfires around the world

The Mk.Vc subvariant differed from the older machines above all in its C type wing. Its bays could take a pair of twenty-millimeter cannon with a considerably larger ammunition supply, four cannon or the older set of machine guns, as required. The easy change of armament and the enormous production run made this the type the British sent to their allies most often.

Where these machines flew

Over northern Australia squadrons with the roundel drove off Japanese raids in 1943, in Tunisia and over Sicily American fighter pilots flew them, further aircraft went to the Eastern Front and to units that after 1943 stood alongside the Allies in Italy and over the Adriatic. Machines destined for hot regions received a bulky dust filter under the forward fuselage; the angular fairing cost a few kilometers an hour but extended the life of the engine in sand. Overseas machines also usually left the British green and gray scheme behind and received desert or naval combinations matching their new theater.

Working with the sheet

The printing is done on a continuous carrier film, so the individual motifs have to be cut out close to the edge of the artwork. They hold best on a smooth gloss varnish: coat the part, soak the decal in warm water, place it and press it down with a soft cloth. A decal softener helps over riveted seams, as it softens the film and draws it into the engraving. The package contains the printed sheet; the airframe itself and the paints are obtained elsewhere.