I know many scale modellers tire these days of seeing yet another Spitfire but with it being the 85th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, I thought I'd press my luck with you all and build the first of the Merlin variants. This will at least be an interesting change for me, in that my most recent Spitfires have been the late VE-Day and the even later Malayan Emergency Griffins.
For my base model, I am using Airfix's 2025 re-release of the 1/48 scale Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I (A05126B). I picked this up with a Hurricane in one of the recent Battle of Britain (BoB) themed bundle offers for Airfix Club members, so you may see the Hurricane unboxed very soon as well, as I loved a themed project build. Unfortunately, the schemes provided in this kit include no BoB decals. The kit comes enabling the scale modeller to build a very early twin blade August 1938 Spitfire based at RAF Duxford, or two 3 bladed Spitfires: one in July 1940 French markings and the other in the colours of a 1942 RAF Middle East Training School aircraft. I will, therefore, be picking out my own scheme for this build, naturally taken from smack in the middle of the Battle of Britain.
I feel most fortunate to have lived my early formative years in Biggin Hill, known to many of the pilots of the Battle of Britain era as 'Biggin on the Bump' as the airfield is on located on a hill. Biggin Hill had a number of Squadrons based at the airfield during this period, including 32, 72, 74, 79, 92, 141, and 610, so I've had quite a decision to make! I've decided in the end on an aircraft from 92 Squadron which arrived at Biggin Hill to replace an exhausted 79 Squadron on 8 September 1940. In my Biggin Hill manual 'The Bump' which I've cherished since acquiring it at the time of the 40th Anniversary in 1980, its author, Nicholas Wright, recounts that " the '92nd Foot and Mouth' - had a reputation as a hard hitting, hard living and hard playing band of young men with an apparent disregard for military discipline and an unorthodox approach to their role as fighter pilots. Nevertheless, it was not the time for polite military niceties, and in the prevailing circumstances their approach proved effective - their casual nonchalance belied dedication, and a jealous spirit of high professionalism. Their stay at Biggin was to be protracted and very soon they were to become the best-known squadron in Fighter Command."
I also have an idea on a pilot which I'll share later.
So ... let's now get on with the build which kicks off with the cockpit. What I've come to enjoy so much about these larger scale kits, having only recently ventured away from 1/72 scale, is the additional detail you get to see. I know I could go of a set of aftermarket resin or PE bits, I am of the mind that I can get close to as good a look with what comes in the box and a fine paint brush, especially when most of this interior will be difficult if not impossible to view once it's all enclosed in the fuselage and beneath a canopy.
One addition I'd love Airfix to consider adding, even if just to the decals, is a set of harnesses for when the pilot is not installed. I just think this adds a little bit of quality or je ne sais quoi to the finish. Having sprayed the key interior parts with SMS Interior Green and a very glossy Silver and then hand painted the finer detailing of instruments and seat with Vallejo acrylics it was time to pull them all together.
As for the ease and quality of construction at this early stage, I would say everything was going perfectly well until it came to fix the two halves of the interior cockpit together. For me, the holes in the walls for the control column and rudder pedal bar construction were not large enough such that using far too much pressure to squeeze the two halves together, I broke off both connecting lugs and fired the control column handgrip into the jaws of the carpet monster! Fortunately, using super glue and a keen eye, I secured the now floating 'steering construction' in place, rescued the handgrip from the carpet monster and reattached it to the column - "nothing to see here" as they say! I then affixed the rather basic instrument panel decal, something I always like to do as late as possible for fear of damaging it when gluing everything in place; an approach I was particularly pleased I followed on this occasion too! N.B. at the risk of repeating myself, I would much prefer Airfix provide a harness decal in place of an instrument panel, especially when they produce such detailed mouldings of this which would look just as good as the decal provided with a bit of careful dry brushing.
I note that I am now going to have to decide on open or closed cockpit - closed will require me to remove a slither of plastic from above the side entry flap - and if open, whether I want the side entry flap open or closed - open will require the careful removal of the moulded flap. Thinking ahead to how I want to final display this model, I'm leaning towards Open / Closed and no, that's not just because it's the easy option!
While I’ve needed to use a little filler along the wing joins and cowling, the fit is generally great. I do, however, miss locating pins on the wing halves as mine did wonder a bit even when clamped but I think I’ve gotten away with it.
Primed and RAF Sky underside sprayed we’re now getting close to the aircraft and pilot reveal.
This 1940’s Spitfire, in its Temperate Land Scheme camouflage, had neither yellow leading edge markings nor a sky tail band, both of these being added during 1941, and so the masking and painting here is going to be much simplified!
For the upper surface camouflage I've tested out my new stock of AK lacquer paints and yes, they are lovely and I think a better colour match than my first experience with SMS’s lacquer RAF colours.
This Masking Putty is great stuff but I do find it tricky sometimes to control! this 92 Squadron Spitfire has the type B camo format and not a style much used in model kits from my experience as I really had to think as I applied the shapes.
Finally, I’m sure you want to hear who will be flying this Spitfire.
Well, my Spitfire’s pilot will be 24 year old Sergeant Peter Raoul Eyles (565889) of Hook, Basingstoke who in September 1932, at the age of 16, joined the RAF as an Aircraft Apprentice. He passed out in August 1935 and later applied and was accepted for pilot training. Completing his training at RAF Shawbury 11 Flying Training School, he joined 92 Squadron at Tangmere on 23rd October 1939.
October 1939 is a significant month as it was on 10th October that No. 92 Fighter Squadron was reformed as a night fighter Squadron at RAF Station Tangemere, equipped with Blenheim aircraft and with an establishment of 21 Officer and Airmen Pilots, 2 non flying officers and 209 other ranks.
I love the comment in the Squadron’s new Operations Record Book of the day which on 21st October reads “Information received that ten Pilot Officers and three Sgt Pilots are being posted to the Squadron direct from 11 and 13 FTS. Children though they may be it is hoped by some Devine providence they will have flown twins”. Devine providence did intervene as all had flown twins!
Decals and ancillary bits and bobs are the order of the day today.
First up the wheels and having previously struggled with the insanly weak fitting Airfix provide for their 1:48 scale Spitfires - or at least for the majority I've built - I now reach for the drill, superglue and fuse wire to provide some much needed bracing. I dare say that if one was to glue these in place, clean plastic to clean plastic and let them properly cure, they may have enough strength, but I like to leave undercarriage until the end of the build when access to the joining edges is restricted and overpainting is hard to avoid such that getting a clean accessible surface to bond to is neigh on impossible. Wiring the wheels in place seems to work every time for me in such cases.
Sergeant Eyles's Spitfire has now been given its squadron markings. While not exclusively, the aircraft he seems to have flown most is N3248 QJ-P and with Xtradecal providing just the decals I need, I thought I'd make use of Hannants services, also ensuring that I have the correct size roundels and fin markings. On opening the decals, I noticed that Xtradecal had provided with their QJ-P markings the aircraft number N3239 and not N3238, i.e. one digit higher than I was expecting. This in itself is interesting as N3239 was also one of the aircraft flown by 92 Squadron during the early days of 1940 when Eyles was flying N3238 before moving to 602 Squadron in August, but it is N3248 and QJ-P that I've found most frequently reported together. Either way, as it's just you and me who are now aware of this I've not bothered raiding my spares box for a figure "8", life's too short for that!
And what of Sergent Eyles?
It appears that Sergeant Peter Eyles was, as one would expect, a capable pilot. He had just one spill that I've found to his name, which was when on 9th March 1940 his Bristol Blenheim tipped up on its nose while being taxied over a bad patch of ground after landing from formation flying practice at RAF Croydon, Surrey. The aircraft was apparently damaged but repairable and Sgt Eyles uninjured. His first operational 'success' occurred over Dunkirk on 2nd June 1940, when having been operational on Spitfires for less than a month, he was recognised for causing damaged to an He111. This was one of the squadron’s busiest days over the French coast in which the squadron accounted for fourteen enemy bombers and four fighters without loss, bringing its tally to over 50 machines. This just goes to show how active the RAF really were over Dunkirk contrary to the observations of the troops on the ground.
I'm reasonably pleased with how this Spitfire is coming together. There's just one area of painting I wish, had I spotted it earlier, I'd gone back over and this is at the join with the starboard wing, but I'm thinking that if and when I add those typical Merlin exhaust stains it will be less visible. Meanwhile, it is sitting trying out in its just delivered state. Therefore, after studying a few more reference photos of the time, I'm just left with having to decide on how much weathering to apply, pull a base together and a couple of figures to add ... oh yes, and then there is the rest of Peter's story to tell.
First up the wheels and having previously struggled with the insanly weak fitting Airfix provide for their 1:48 scale Spitfires - or at least for the majority I've built - I now reach for the drill, superglue and fuse wire to provide some much needed bracing. I dare say that if one was to glue these in place, clean plastic to clean plastic and let them properly cure, they may have enough strength, but I like to leave undercarriage until the end of the build when access to the joining edges is restricted and overpainting is hard to avoid such that getting a clean accessible surface to bond to is neigh on impossible. Wiring the wheels in place seems to work every time for me in such cases.
Sergeant Eyles's Spitfire has now been given its squadron markings. While not exclusively, the aircraft he seems to have flown most is N3248 QJ-P and with Xtradecal providing just the decals I need, I thought I'd make use of Hannants services, also ensuring that I have the correct size roundels and fin markings. On opening the decals, I noticed that Xtradecal had provided with their QJ-P markings the aircraft number N3239 and not N3238, i.e. one digit higher than I was expecting. This in itself is interesting as N3239 was also one of the aircraft flown by 92 Squadron during the early days of 1940 when Eyles was flying N3238 before moving to 602 Squadron in August, but it is N3248 and QJ-P that I've found most frequently reported together. Either way, as it's just you and me who are now aware of this I've not bothered raiding my spares box for a figure "8", life's too short for that!
And what of Sergent Eyles?
It appears that Sergeant Peter Eyles was, as one would expect, a capable pilot. He had just one spill that I've found to his name, which was when on 9th March 1940 his Bristol Blenheim tipped up on its nose while being taxied over a bad patch of ground after landing from formation flying practice at RAF Croydon, Surrey. The aircraft was apparently damaged but repairable and Sgt Eyles uninjured. His first operational 'success' occurred over Dunkirk on 2nd June 1940, when having been operational on Spitfires for less than a month, he was recognised for causing damaged to an He111. This was one of the squadron’s busiest days over the French coast in which the squadron accounted for fourteen enemy bombers and four fighters without loss, bringing its tally to over 50 machines. This just goes to show how active the RAF really were over Dunkirk contrary to the observations of the troops on the ground.
I'm reasonably pleased with how this Spitfire is coming together. There's just one area of painting I wish, had I spotted it earlier, I'd gone back over and this is at the join with the starboard wing, but I'm thinking that if and when I add those typical Merlin exhaust stains it will be less visible. Meanwhile, it is sitting trying out in its just delivered state. Therefore, after studying a few more reference photos of the time, I'm just left with having to decide on how much weathering to apply, pull a base together and a couple of figures to add ... oh yes, and then there is the rest of Peter's story to tell.
I'm thinking that as I'm looking to have this displayed in a small scene/vignette, I'll will do some weathering, else I'd probably be tempted to leave it in museum fresh condition.
I've looked out a few archive pictures (see below) and as the Mk.I had no protective walkways on the wings it would appear that the paint wore quite badly.
I also added exhaust and gun smoke stains, a few oil spill marks and grime to a few panel lines.
I'm still waiting on the base I want to use so this is just a taster. I have however painted a set of ModelU figures. This is their 1:48 scale "WWII RAF Photographer scene" figures which I selected for my little vignette inspired by all those photos I've come across, while researching this build, of pilots photographed with their mates in front of their aircraft. I feel this makes a change to the more usual scenes of pilots scrambling to their machines or views of their aircraft being rearmed.
Here’s my Airfix 1:48 scale Spitfire Mk.I tribute to the few.
Completed in the colours of Spitfire Mk.Ia N3248 QJ-P of 92 Squadron stationed at RAF Biggin Hill and flown by 24 year old pilot, Sergeant Peter Eyles during the Battle of Britain.
Finished with AK acrylic and lacquer paints, Xtradecal aftermarket decals, ModelU RAF Photographer and Pilots and a Coastal Kits diorama airfield hardstanding base. The scene is intended to depict Sergeant Eyles on the right and fellow pilot, P/O Hill (who coincidentally flew N3248 in the weeks prior to Eyles) having their picture taken in front of Eyles's Spitfire N3248 QJ-P. I was inspired to create this scene having seen many similar photos in the WWII archives.
On the 20th September 1940, 92 Sqn were ordered to patrol at 5000' over Gravesend. The Squadron Operations Record Book records the events as follows: "Weather was fine, but layers of cloud from 4-9000ft. Ten aircraft took off in the am and intercepted formation of ME 109s who surprised Blue Section from behind and above. P/O HILL crashed and burnt out in DOVER AREA and SGT EYLES crashed in the sea. S/LDR SANDERS destroyed a ME 109 and another was damaged by P/O WADE"
Both Hill and Eyles were reportedly shot down by Luftwaffe fighter ace Major Mölders of JG51 increasing his tally of aerial victories to 40, the first fighter pilot to reach this number during the war and was awarded the 2nd Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Before his own demise on 22 November 1941 he became the first pilot in aviation history to down 100 enemy aircraft!
I never thought my hobby of making models would ever be as moving and thought provoking as this one has been.
