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Here are a couple of fots of my 16 Squadron FR IX. I have only seen images of "X" and "V" consequently the choice of aircraft was limited! The kit is AZ model from the joy pack IX/XVI , three kits in one box, no decals, I had bought a set of vallejo paints earlier in the year and the PRU pink looked interesting, desperate to use it, I did a bit of research and thought a MK IX kit would be a good starting point, so one saturday on a diversion to the LMS I found the joy pack languishing on the shelf for less than the price of a weekend edition Eduard IX, I have an AZ model P 51 B/C in the stash which is IMHO a delightful and delicate little kit so I parted with my doubloons and trotted off home with three Spitfires! I was not disappointed! I think the AZ kit is a cracker, lovely detail, tiny and delicate and captures the look of the Spitfire. The only thing I added was seatbelts from the spares box, which you can hardly see but they are in there none the less! So this is the first of the trio, a FR IX, C wing, five spoke wheels, the camera window was drilled out and a circle 2.8mm diameter was punched from some clear plastic and fitted using acrylic crystal paint on the inside to seal it since my Gators grip had not arrived in time. There was minimal filler required although I did have to use a couple of shims to close a couple of gaps in the starboard wing root and port leading edge. the cockpit is adequately detailed if a trifle tricky to fit, the second of the trio, a high back XVI has had a different approach in this area with the seat bulkhead being fixed into the fuselage prior to painting as opposed to after! Primer was Stynylrez white with preshade done in grey, then Vallejo PRU pink, invasion stripes for late 44 when the squadron was operating from France so only on the fuselage, masked and sprayed with Vallejo from the same set, decals are Blackbird model, the same aircraft as AZ have in their FR IX kit (I subsequently found out!), Flory dark dirt wash and some Tamiya pastels for exhaust and gunstaining and a bit of filth on the port wing root, hopefully I have not overdone the weathering, I read that some of the recce aircraft were pretty minging in service late 44! So thats my fourth RFI since my conversion from the dark side in the summer! Forgot to unmask the camera window in this shot! That's better! Ta for lookin` no "G" Granto