Hi there. i have a question about Tamiya's 1:48 Spitfire. the markings for D-WO, are they supposed to be for aircraft with serial number L1043, or aircraft with serial number X4011? the former was made in late 1939, the latter in mid 1940. what external features should this aircraft have, eg IFF wires, starter motor lumps on nose etc? also the famous photo of D-WO with the fin flash reversed, which serial no. aircraft was that?

there were actually at least 4 (probably more) spitfires with the DW-O markings:

L1043 DW-O Mk.Ia served with 610 starting 7-7-39 till December when it was transferred to an OTU.

from December 1939 till mid 1940, presumably some other aircraft (one or multiple) carried DW-O, but I can find no record of their serials. there is a rumor of a DW-O with N3010 serial, but Spitfire production records show no spitfires in this serial range (N3023 being the lowest in the N range). The N range does make sense with the early 1940 time period though.

R6595 DW-O Mk.Ia starting with 610 squadron in mid 1940 (manufactured in early May), flown by Plt Off FK Webster of No 610 Sqn, 26 August 1940, when it was damaged by Bf109 over Folkestone and crashed on approach. This is likely the one in the photo dated June 1940 that shows the reversed fin flash (though it could have been it's immediate predecessor, but not L1043, which did not serve with 610 in 1940).

X4011 DW-O Mk.Ia serving with 610 squadron starting on August 27, crash landed after combat with Bf 109 on August 29, 1940 (airframe repaired, pilot ok), and was written off on Nov 5 1940 in a crash during night time take off, killing the pilot.

there was likely still another airframe serving as DW-O from Nov 1940 till late Feb 1941, serial unknown.

P7501 DW-O Mk. IIa starting with 610 squadron on Feb 26, 1941. crashed Wilmington after combat, Sgt Hamer killed March 5, 1941 (airframe apparently recovered and sent to OTU)

starter bumps came only from the Mk.II airframe onwards if I recall correctly.

The I.F.F. systems are somthing of a mystery, early on, and I've never been able to find a photo, showing any aerials in place. It's quite possible that they saw little use, since they were designed to augment a radar signal, but the early radar, set on the coast, was filtered, so that it only operated outwards, leaving control entirely dependent on the Observer Corps, when battles were inland (as with the main Battle of Britain.)
Weight was always a consideration, too; when (eventually) seat armour was fitted to the Spitfire, one of the early flare chutes had to be deleted, as was the sole chute on the Hurricane. The aerials, for the early IFF, were carried inside the fuselage on the Hurricane and Gladiator, and the same might be true of the Spitfire, but its installation hasn't surfaced yet.
Incidentally, again because of weight, the Hurricane was never able to carry the Mk.II IFF, which is why you never see any aerials.
Edgar