¹⁄48

Eduard has posted Part II of the marking options that will be included the forthcoming Spitfire Story: The Few a Limited Edition 1/48 scale Dual Combo on the 1st August

CHANNEL BATTLE
K9953, flown by F/Lt. Adolph Gysbert Malan, No. 74 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, Essex, June/July 1940
No. 74 Squadron reinforced their Spitfires in February 1939. A South African Adolf “Sailor” Malan, whose original job was truly a sailor, entered the war on September 6th, 1940, through infamous Battle of Barking Creek incident, where his A Flight accidentally shot down two Hurricanes of No. 56 Squadron. During operation Dynamo accumulated 5 confirmed kills and in the night from 19th to 20th of June managed to destroy two He 111. Malan was opposed of line-astern formation proposing more flexible finger-four formation. Legend says that he damaged the plane of Werner Molders and even injured him on July 28th. On August 8th, he became S/Ldr of No. 75 Squadron, which achieved 38 kills during four sorties led by Malan on August 11th, 1940. That event is known as “Malan´s 11th of August”. Malan had 16 confirmed kills in the BoB. Until the end of his career in 1941 he accumulated 27 confirmed kills and 7 shared kills. He was an amazing tactician, and famous with his Ten rules of air combat. After his retirement in 1946 he became a farmer in South Africa. He was politically active as an opponent of apartheid. He died on September 17th, 1963 at the age of 53.

THE FEW
X4425, flown by F/Sgt. George Cecil Unwin, No. 19 Squadron, RAF Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, August/September 1940
This aircraft is depicted in the final fashion of Spitfires in the Battle of Britain times, including the back mirror and full armor. The pilot, George Unwin, nicknamed Grumpy, was one of the most experienced flyers of the No. 19 Squadron. He was one of the first Spitfire pilots he took to the skies in the new K9792 already on August 16th, 1938, more than a year before the war. During the early tests in fall of 1938 he tested 15 new Spitfires. He crashed a K9797 after an engine failure and landed outside of Acton village in Suffolk to prevent potential life loses in the agglomeration. During the operation Dynamo he was credited with 3 confirmed kills, Hs 126, Bf 110 and He 111. During the Battle of Britain he added another 11 kills to his tally. At the end of the 1940 he left the operational service and served as an instructor in various training units until October 1943. He got back to fighting in April 1944, when he flew Mosquitos with No. 613 Squadron as a part of 2nd TAF and at the end of 1944 went back to the job as an instructor. Between the years 1948-52 he flew the Bristol Brigand to participate in the fights against the communist insurgents in Malaysia 1952. He retired from the RAF in rank of Wing Commander in 1961. He died on June 28th, 2006 at the age of 93.

The HARDEST DAY
N3162, flown by P/O Eric Stanley Lock, No. 41 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, Essex, United Kingdom, August/September 1940
Eric Lock entered No. 41 Squadron as a rookie in June 1940 and on August 15th got the first of his 21 kills in the Battle of Britain, which made him the most successful Allied fighter ace of the Battle. On November 17th, 1940, he was seriously injured on his right arm and both legs by the Bf 109E fire. During following three months he underwent 15 difficult surgeries and spent next three months in a rehabilitation center in Royal Masonic Hospital, in care of famous pioneer of the plastic surgery Archibald McIndoe who helped him to recover. He came back to No. 41 Squadron in June 1941 and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in July became the leader of B Flight of No. 611 Squadron. On August 3rd, 1940, after returning from a Rhubarb type action, he attacked a German column near Pas de Calais as has been MIA ever since. He was probably shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed into the sea. Neither him nor his Spitfire was ever found. At the time of his disappearance he was credited with 26 confirmed kills achieved during 25 weeks of his combat duty throughout one year and with 6 months spent in hospitals.

END OF THE BATTLE
X4382, flown by P/O Osgood Philip Villiers Hanbury, No. 602 Squadron, RAF Westhampnett, West Sussex, September 1940.
Osgood Hanbury, nicknamed Pedro, an Eton College alum, began his combat career in June 1940 as a Lysander pilot. He volunteered to fighters and was reassigned to No. 602 Squadron on September 3rd, 1940. His X4382 is a typical representative of a late fashion of Spitfire Mk.I, probably with De Havilland propeller already converted to be a constant speed propeller, fully armored cockpit and fuel tank, radio TR.1133 without a wire antenna and IFF R.3002 with wire antenna between the fuselage and horizontal stabilizer tips. Hanbury achieved 4 confirmed kills until end of the year. He received DFC for defense of Tobruk in May 1942. On June 23rd, 1942 he was appointed a squadron leader role of No. 260 Squadron. He got married to Patricia Cecil Harman on the 22nd of May 1943. He died eleven days after when he was returning to Africa as a passenger onboard a Lockheed Hudson of No. 117 Squadron, flown by S/Ldr Robert Yaxley. Their aircraft was shot down by Junkers Ju 88C flown by Hans Olbrecht over the Bay of Biscay.

11143 - Spitfire Story: The Few, Limited Edition, Dual Combo – 1/48

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here – on AEROSCALE