Wingleader Publications Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX In RAF Service, NW Europe & the Med - Photo Archive #20

[Mike]

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX Wingleader Photo Archive #20

In RAF Service, NW Europe & the Med

Wingleader Publications

 

 

The Supermarine Spitfire was the mainstay of British Fighter Command for the majority of WWII, in conjunction with the Hurricane during the Battle of Britain, with the Mk.IX being the most popular (with many) throughout the war, seeing extended periods of production with only minor alterations for the role for which it was intended that differentiated between the sub-variants.  Originally requested to counter the superiority of the then-new Fw.190, a two-stage supercharged Merlin designated type 61 provided performance in spades, and the fitting of twin wing-mounted cannons with accommodating blisters gave it enough punch to take down its diminutive Butcher-Bird prey.  The suffix following the mark number relates to the wings fitted to the aircraft, as they could vary.  The C wing was also known as the Universal Wing, and saw extensive use because it mounted two 20mm cannon in each wing, the outer barrel usually covered by a rubber plug.  The main gear was adjusted in an effort to give it more stable landing characteristics, and bowed gear bays removed the need for blisters on the upper wing surface, helping aerodynamics.  The gun mounts were redesigned to need smaller blisters in the wing tops to accommodate the feeder motors, and there was even more room for fuel than earlier wings.  Lastly, the wings were able to have longer elliptical or shorter clipped tips fitted, the resulting shorter wingspan giving the aircraft a faster roll-rate that would be especially useful in low-altitude combat. 

 

 

The Book

This twentieth volume in the series covers the Mk.IX and only the Mk.IX in RAF, European and Mediterranean service, as a Spitfire photobook covering the entirety of its illustrious career would be too heavy to lift by a mere mortal.  It begins with the prototype IX, one of which was a Mk.Vc that was adapted to accommodate the more powerful Mk.61 Merlin engine, showing how it developed into in-service airframes and how they were used in the British war effort.  On its way through the war it provided its crews with a powerful and popular weapon, adding long-range fuel tanks then bombs to its repertoire in due course that improved its destructive capabilities against ground targets.  Interleaved between the pages of photos are sheets devoted to particular examples of the type, pointing out parts and colours specific to that individual airframe that will assist the modeller, as well as points of conjecture where appropriate.  The photo pages are filled with large crisp pictures within the constraints of the quality of the original medium, and as usual there are interesting captions that are sometimes accompanied by arrows or letters to help the reader identify the subject in question, whether it is a particular blister on the cowling, or the length of the intake under the chin.

 

 

 

Some of the photos are staged of course, but there are also a large number of candid shots, a very few of which are in colour, and some are of battle-damaged and weather-beaten aircraft, one bereft of wings and having its engine either replaced or repaired, complete with sand bags on the tail to balance it out, and another flat on the deck with broken prop blades after a belly landing.  The photos of the pilots who flew these aircraft and were subsequently lost in later sorties poignant as always, and the D-Day stripes that were officially known as “distinctive markings” are interesting, showing how messy they could be due to the haste in which they were applied, and on the odd occasion, even wrongly applied due to someone misinterpreting the drawings.  You can still paint them neatly though, as they were often tidied up later when time wasn’t such a factor.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Another visually impressive book with plenty of reading material into the bargain that will have you coming back to it again and again, especially if you have more than one kit of the Mk.IX in your stash, which is highly likely as it’s a popular mark.  I look forward to each new volume of this series, and as promised, I’ve become a firm adherent to them, waiting patiently as they are published.  Who am I kidding?  I’m not patient at all.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of