Finescale is having a 1943 Group Build and suits my interests just fine and would like to devote the year to it. I'm marooned in St. Paul for a month. I was absolutely positive that I had a Spit IX here and even brought the canopy mask for it. I don't and every plane I've got here was in the class of 44 except the old Tamiya FW-190 A3. It looks good but is relatively simple build which is actually good now. The question is would A-3s have been in service in 1943. My guess is that they would have - they entered use in mid42 I think and the later As were not so much better and Wikipedia says A2s were produced until August 42. All of my reference stuff is in California. If there are any LW junkies out there that could confirm this I'd appreciate it. I'm thinking the Wolfpack might have run into some of these things - maybe even the Rooskies, or the allies over Sicily.