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S31 Spitfire PR.Mk.XIX - Svenska Flygvapnet Spaningsplan


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Hi.

 

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In 1948 Sweden purchased 50 Supermarine Spitfire PR.Mk.XIX from the Royal Air Force. The were in service until 1955 and were scraped after retirement.

This is the nice little Airfix kit and the very nice decal sheet from Moose Republic Decals. The Spit was built oob, painted with Tamiya colors and only slightley weathered.

 

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Regards

Daniel

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Very neat S 31! The only detail missing might be the radio whip antenna behind the cockpit:

 

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The Swedish pilots loved the PR Mk XIX as "the ultimate flying machine". The last F 11 mechanic alive (unfortunately now deceased at the ripe old age of 93) told me an interesting little tidbit: the engine covers were not interchangeable between individuals – the fasteners only fit the original machine, not any others. Handmade…

 

In the well known photo above, the photo mechanic is changing the film cassette of the vertical Williamson F52 camera. The guy to the right is holding the interchangeable focal plane shutter assembly – it had to be exchanged in order to change the exposure time.

 

The F 11 reconnaissaince wing at Skavsta, about 100 kms south of Stockholm, used the S 31 quite aggressively, making frequent photo raids over the Soviet Baltic coast. In 1949, lt Ingemar Wängström made a high altitude flight from Luleå, via Finnish airspace (without informing our eastern neighbour), and over Kandalaksja on the Russian Kola peninsula. He was chased by Russian jets but evaded them and landed safely at F 21 wing in Luleå. However, his films showed no missile base, that an escaped forced labourer had alleged was being built in the area.

 

Beautiful model, Daniel!

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

 

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Thanks for the pic and the loads of info Joachim.

You´re right, I forgot the antenna and didn´t notice it yet.

The decal sheet from Moose Republic provides decals for Wängströms plane from that flight, but there are different infos about overpainted insignias and so i built another one instead of a maybe wrong modell.

 

Kind regards

Daniel

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