What If? 1/72 RNZAF Spitfire Mk.Ia

[k5054nz]

Hi all,
I received this Airfix kit (the A01071B boxing) as a gift pre-COVID but it sat for a loooong time due to me not having any ideas for it at all.

 

Then, a couple of days ago, inspiration struck. The included serial just needed a Z to become one of those used by the RNZAF's P-40s, so what if we got Spitfire Ias in early 1941 instead of the P-40? Academy decals for Pierre Clostermann's Tempest became the squadron codes for an aircraft of Number 2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit, based at RNZAF Ohakea (just down the road from me) and voila!: Spitfire in P-40's clothing!

 

Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Ia “What If?” RNZAF by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Ia “What If?” RNZAF by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Ia “What If?” RNZAF by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Ia “What If?” RNZAF by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Ia “What If?” RNZAF by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Ia “What If?” RNZAF by Zac Yates, on Flickr
Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Ia “What If?” RNZAF by Zac Yates, on Flickr

 

And I turned around the backdrop for fun:
Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Ia “What If?” RNZAF by Zac Yates, on Flickr

[stevehnz]

Nice one Zac, that really looks the part.

Steve.

[Abandoned Project]

Superb whiffery! Very convincing.

[LDSModeller]

Hi Zac,

 

very nice - great concept.😀

 

It would have been interesting to have received some of these Mk I's

during 1940/41 to patrol against German Commerce raiders in the South Pacific.

Even more so from Jan 1942 to see off the odd Japanese Recon planes that over flew

Auckland especially

 

Thanks for sharing with us

 

Regards

 

Alan

[k5054nz]

17 hours ago, LDSModeller said:

It would have been interesting to have received some of these Mk I's

during 1940/41 to patrol against German Commerce raiders in the South Pacific.

Even more so from Jan 1942 to see off the odd Japanese Recon planes that over flew

Auckland especially

Smart thinking! Although I realised if our trainees had such trouble with taxiing and landing the Kittyhawks, they probably wouldn't have fared better with Spits!!