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The Hinckley Spitfire


Adam Poultney

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So having only just gotten around to really looking into local WW2 history, I came across this. Spitfire Mk.iia P7916, 'The Hinckley Spitfire'. During her flying career, she flew with a number of squadrons all across the country; 145, 485, 130, 133, 134, 57, 52 and 58 squadrons, then finally the Fighter Leaders School at Milfield. I believe the aircraft was scrapped some time after 1945 when she was declared to have 'deteriorated beyond repair'.

So, this got me thinking about building a model of this aircraft. I found some 1/32 decals available from Hannants which depict this exact Spitfire. I guess I finally have an excuse to build one in that scale. I believe the aircraft wore numerous schemes with many different aircraft codes, the decals depict the aircraft in the scheme below. I'm thinking of going with the Revell kit, but I've heard of a number of inaccuracies with the model. Are there any better Mk.iia models out there in the scale? If anyone knows of decals in another scale, please link them here. I have linked sources for all the images.

101e4a2802171e42bd7edc089b0d8ccd8e95c43e

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/79/a6474279.shtml

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/DKD32002

 

Here's a link with some good information on this aircraft.

http://www.hinckleypastpresent.org/ww2hinckleyspitfire.html

hinckley-spitfire-le-print-leicester_360

ww2hinckleyspitfire01.jpg

 

 

Edited by Adam Poultney
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I also found these images of the Barwell, Earl Shilton and Burbage spitfires, all neighbouring villages.

barwellspitfire.jpg

The Barwell Spitfire, W3173, a Mk.Vb

http://www.hinckleypastpresent.org/barwellspitfire.html

 

earlshiltonspitfire.jpg

The Earl Shilton Spitfire, a Mk.Va

http://www.hinckleypastpresent.org/earlshiltonspitfire.html

 

burbagespitfire.jpg

The Burbage Spitfire, a Mk.Vb

http://www.hinckleypastpresent.org/burbagespitfire.html

 

The Burbage Spitfire and the Earl Shilton Spitfire were both shot down during the war, the pilot of Burbage did not survive the crash, but the pilot of Earl Shilton bailed out and survived the war in a POW camp in Germany. The Earl Shilton Spitfire was actually in the 1941 30 minute film 'Ferry Pilot'. (http://www.hinckleypastpresent.org/earlshiltonspitfire.html viewable at this link)

 

burbagespitfire01.jpg

The Burbage Spitfire following its fatal crash

http://www.hinckleypastpresent.org/burbagespitfire.html

Edited by Adam Poultney
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Very interesting stuff. If I remember rightly a Spitfire was about two thousand pounds in the early days?

Aside from Hinckley, the other two would have been fairly small farming villages back then so it was a good effort to collect that much.

I see the codes were repainted on the 'Hinckley'. Light grey on the later version?

See you at the White Bear Monday lunchtime? :laugh:

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8 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

One point Adam

while the 2nd image is P7916, I am unsure about the first image, as the style of the code letters is different.

Now the first is later.  post introduction of Day Fighter Scheme,  and I think I can see the same badge on the fuel tank, so then it's unusual that they have also repainted the "SO".... interesting detail

You could always wait and see if Aldi do an Airfix starter kit special with starter kit Spitfires and do both... or more if you can get the info.

 

Getting the right RAF codes is a sod though, as they vary so much in so many small ways....

cheers

T

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5 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

One point Adam

while the 2nd image is P7916, I am unsure about the first image, as the style of the code letters is different.

Now the first is later.  post introduction of Day Fighter Scheme,  and I think I can see the same badge on the fuel tank, so then it's unusual that they have also repainted the "SO".... interesting detail

You could always wait and see if Aldi do an Airfix starter kit special with starter kit Spitfires and do both... or more if you can get the info.

 

Getting the right RAF codes is a sod though, as they vary so much in so many small ways....

cheers

T

The aircraft did change squadron many times, and I believe suffered a crash and subsequent repair, so that would explain the repaint.

It's a mkiia so Aldi wouldn't be much use since the Airfix starter set is a Mkia. 

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6 hours ago, Adam Poultney said:

 

It's a mkiia so Aldi wouldn't be much use since the Airfix starter set is a Mkia. 

Only visible difference is a little tiny Coffman starter bulge that you can easily make out of a piece of carved sprue or epoxy putty, plus (in most cases) the Rotol prop. Suitable Rotol props are available in the after-market and from the spares box.

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The Burbage Spitfire,of 74 Sqdn, was lost 27th June 1941 nr Adinkerke,Belgium.The pilot was Sqdn Leader John Colin Mungo Park DFC + Bar,12 confirmed victories to his credit.

Believed to have been shot down by pilots Major Rolf Pingel and Major Walter Balthasar flying Bf-109's of 1/JG26 and JG2.

I believe there was a total of 13 Spitfires raised in the county of Leicestershire.

 

Dave.

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1 hour ago, Work In Progress said:

Only visible difference is a little tiny Coffman starter bulge that you can easily make out of a piece of carved sprue or epoxy putty, plus (in most cases) the Rotol prop. Suitable Rotol props are available in the after-market and from the spares box.

This aircraft had a different spinner

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The aftermarket would certainly be a possibility, but I'd go for the MkVa/iia or Mki/ia version of the Airfix kit which includes everything I need in terms of the plastic. It's then just decals in the right scale. The only set I've found are 1/32, so the big Revell kit is currently the best option

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To answer a different question, the older Revell/Hasegawa Mk.I/II kit is another option in 32nd.  In many ways I prefer it to the newer "Revell Germany" Spit, but it is a bit simpler in detail and mandatory (excessive) skin treatment.

 

I haven't got time right now, but later I might do a bit of probing of your aircraft's history.

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All the ground pictures of these Spitfires are factory photos so the squadron codes have been Photoshopped onto the aircraft in recent times.  The air to air shot is the only one I know that shows actual codes carried by 'Hinckley' so use that as a guide!  I painted all these aircraft many years ago and the chap to go to was Roy Nixon who had all there was to know on the Leicestershire Spitfires.  He had contacted many of the pilots over the years, so was able to tie down individual code letters for most of them.

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On 10/19/2019 at 3:25 PM, Adam Poultney said:

So having only just gotten around to really looking into local WW2 history, I came across this. Spitfire Mk.iia P7916, 'The Hinckley Spitfire'. During her flying career, she flew with a number of squadrons all across the country; 145, 485, 130, 133, 134, 57, 52 and 58 squadrons, then finally the Fighter Leaders School at Milfield. I believe the aircraft was scrapped some time after 1945 when she was declared to have 'deteriorated beyond repair'.

So, this got me thinking about building a model of this aircraft. I found some 1/32 decals available from Hannants which depict this exact Spitfire. I guess I finally have an excuse to build one in that scale. I believe the aircraft wore numerous schemes with many different aircraft codes, the decals depict the aircraft in the scheme below. I'm thinking of going with the Revell kit, but I've heard of a number of inaccuracies with the model. Are there any better Mk.iia models out there in the scale? If anyone knows of decals in another scale, please link them here. I have linked sources for all the images.

101e4a2802171e42bd7edc089b0d8ccd8e95c43e

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/79/a6474279.shtml

 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/DKD32002

 

Here's a link with some good information on this aircraft.

http://www.hinckleypastpresent.org/ww2hinckleyspitfire.html

hinckley-spitfire-le-print-leicester_360

ww2hinckleyspitfire01.jpg

 

 

Are the codes (SO * B) in the second photograph real? They just don't look right or like anything I've ever seen before (which probably says a lot about MY ignorance!). But that picture just feels a bit 'off'...

 

...I'll get my coat!

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40 minutes ago, Newbie(kinda) said:

Are the codes (SO * B) in the second photograph real? They just don't look right or like anything I've ever seen before (which probably says a lot about MY ignorance!). But that picture just feels a bit 'off'...

 

...I'll get my coat!

I think they're (badly) photoshopped on. The B really gives it away, it just doesn't conform to the fuselage

Edited by Adam Poultney
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