Jump to content

Spitfire PR IX...any information out there?


Sabre_days

Recommended Posts

I'm currently considering my options for the small stash of Airfix 1:72 Spitfire IX kits I've amassed since they came out and given my current preoccupation with the photo recce marks, the prospect of a PR IX intrigues me. Both Price's The Spitfire Story and Shacklady and Morgan's Spitfire: The History mention a small number of Mk. IXs being converted to a PR configuration as stop-gaps before the Mk. XI became available, but I can't seem to find a photo or a profile anywhere. On Target Profile 8 doesn't include anything on the PR IX, which makes me wonder if any photos have surfaced or not, however I don't have the Ventura books on the PR Spits yet.

Does anyone know of any published photographs, etc. on the PR IX? If anyone could please let me know if they've seen anything, it would be greatly appreciated.

Edited by Sabre_days
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm currently considering my options for the small stash of Airfix 1:72 Spitfire IX kits I've amassed since they came out and given my current preoccupation with the photo recce marks, the prospect of a PR IX intrigues me. Both Price's The Spitfire Story and Shacklady and Morgan's Spitfire: The History mention a small number of Mk. IXs being converted to a PR configuration as stop-gaps before the Mk. XI became available, but I can't seem to find a photo or a profile anywhere. On Target Profile 8 doesn't include anything on the PR IX, which makes me wonder if any photos have surfaced or not, however I don't have the Ventura books on the PR Spits yet.

Does anyone know of any published photographs, etc. on the PR IX? If anyone could please let me know if they've seen anything, it would be greatly appreciated.

Give me an email at,

[email protected]

Got loads I can send you.....

Colin

Photo Recce SIG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The latest Ventura book has information and a colour profile on the rear cover of a PR.IX. Apparently 15 were built, though to my eyes, they look very similar to PR.X versions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PR IX, as said only 15, and quite quickly superseded by the PR XI and relegated to training duties due to their limited range. Had guns removed, but no more tanks fitted, hence lacking in range. Externally, looked like PR XI's.

There was a few FR IX, mainly used by 16 Sqn in the 'infamous' PR Pink scheme. Looked like fighters, but had oblique camera's, and retained armament. Used by one flight of 16 Sqn for specialist Recce at dawn and dusk, hence painted 'Pink', Also used by 414 Sqn, 39 Group, also have at least one photo of these.

The PR X. There were 16 built. High Altitude pressurised PR aircraft. One distinguishing feature being that they retained the 'fighter' looking canopy, unlike the PR XI. Good opportunity for converting..? PR canopies are difficult to find that look realistic.

The aircraft entered service with 641 Sqn but was soon superseded by the PR XIX. The colour scheme is often quoted as 'Gloss Grey'. This is incorrect, they were painted in the high altitude scheme of Medium Sea Grey with PRU Blue underneath, I have this from some one who flew two of them with 641 Sqn...

Have lots of information and photos of these various types, feel free to contact me.

Colin

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

PR IX, as said only 15, and quite quickly superseded by the PR XI and relegated to training duties due to their limited range. Had guns removed, but no more tanks fitted, hence lacking in range. Externally, looked like PR XI's.

Hi Colin,

Isn't one feature that can externally distinguish the PR IX and PR XI is the larger oil tank giving the 'big chin' look to the XI?

I'd like to eventually do a PR IX or X from a kit-bash of the Airfix 1/72 PR XIX and Mk. IX.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Isn't one feature that can externally distinguish the PR IX and PR XI is the larger oil tank giving the 'big chin' look to the XI?

Didn't the IX retain the armoured windscreen whilst the XI use the rounded one?

MH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear All,

The PRIX did NOT retain the armoured windscreen, only the PRX did that.

PR IX, PR X and PR XI all had enlarged oil tanks, due to the nature of their flights, those Merlins used oil.....

The only readily distinguishing external feature of the PRIX's was the fixed tailwheel, of the fighter variant it was based upon.

Otherwise they essentially looked like early PRXI's..... Apart from panel lines on wings, but let's not quibble...

Colin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear All,

The PRIX did NOT retain the armoured windscreen, only the PRX did that.

PR IX, PR X and PR XI all had enlarged oil tanks, due to the nature of their flights, those Merlins used oil.....

The only readily distinguishing external feature of the PRIX's was the fixed tailwheel, of the fighter variant it was based upon.

Otherwise they essentially looked like early PRXI's..... Apart from panel lines on wings, but let's not quibble...

Colin

Colin

I'm confused.com!

Many years ago I bought "The Spitfire Story" by Alfred Price. On the back cover are two coloured photos, the bottom of which is a line up of pink, armed Spits with armoured windscreens (no serials though). They are described as PR.IX's of 16 Sqn at Moelsbrook in Autumn 1944. Air Britain's "Squadrons of the Royal Air Force" has 16 Sqn flying PR.XI's at this time. P156/7 of Alfred Price's book has a series of pictures of the 16 Sqn Spits FR.IX's (is there a difference?) and one of them is identified as MK716 'X' whilst another is MK915 'V'. Both have the armoured windscreen! Pics are b/w but the aircraft appear to be pink.

MH

Edited by Max Headroom
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear All,

The PRIX did NOT retain the armoured windscreen, only the PRX did that.

PR IX, PR X and PR XI all had enlarged oil tanks, due to the nature of their flights, those Merlins used oil.....

The only readily distinguishing external feature of the PRIX's was the fixed tailwheel, of the fighter variant it was based upon.

Otherwise they essentially looked like early PRXI's..... Apart from panel lines on wings, but let's not quibble...

Colin

So, an Airfix IX with the guns removed, deepened chin and PR canopy would be about right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Give me an email at,

Thanks! Sorry about the delays replying to your email, I'll get to it tonight...

Apart from panel lines on wings, but let's not quibble...

Were any of the gun bay panel lines still visible on the PR IX?

Many years ago I bought "The Spitfire Story" by Alfred Price. On the back cover are two coloured photos, the bottom of which is a line up of pink, armed Spits with armoured windscreens (no serials though). They are described as PR.IX's of 16 Sqn at Moelsbrook in Autumn 1944. Air Britain's "Squadrons of the Royal Air Force" has 16 Sqn flying PR.XI's at this time. P156/7 of Alfred Price's book has a series of pictures of the 16 Sqn Spits FR.IX's (is there a difference?) and one of them is identified as MK716 'X' whilst another is MK915 'V'. Both have the armoured windscreen! Pics are b/w but the aircraft appear to be pink.

My best guess is it was a mixup confusing the FR IX with the PR IX. All the pictures of 16 Squadron's Spitfires I've seen (and they're fairly frequently illustrated because of the pink color scheme) show them to be FR IXs. The FR IX was essentially a standard late IXc or IXe with a single oblique camera on the port side of the fuselage. The PR IX was completely unarmed, had a deepened nose and a PR windscreen and was fitted with two vertical cameras in the fuselage just aft of the wing as per the usual installation (the one pic I've seen, courtesy of Colin, shows that EN149, at least, lacked an oblique camera and I believe Alfred Price's description of it in The Spitfire Story only mentions the two vertical cameras).

So, an Airfix IX with the guns removed, deepened chin and PR canopy would be about right?

I think that would be about the size of it: FWIW the one PR IX I've seen a photo of had the short carb intake, plain wheel hubs and I'm pretty sure early-type elevators as well as the short-chord rudder as per the Airfix kit. Personally, I'm planning to swap the wings and canopy between the Airfix IX and XIX kits, building the XIX as a XIVc and modifying the XIX canopy as necessary for the unpressurized cabin. It would probably be easier to just remove the cannon blisters from the IX wing, but it makes a good excuse to do the XIV conversion and with two MPM XI kits and a Special Hobby X in my stash, the PR IX seems a better use of the donor kit for the "C" wings...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 12 years later...
On 09/01/2010 at 19:45, Colin S-K said:

PR IX, as said only 15, and quite quickly superseded by the PR XI and relegated to training duties due to their limited range. Had guns removed, but no more tanks fitted, hence lacking in range. Externally, looked like PR XI's.

There was a few FR IX, mainly used by 16 Sqn in the 'infamous' PR Pink scheme. Looked like fighters, but had oblique camera's, and retained armament. Used by one flight of 16 Sqn for specialist Recce at dawn and dusk, hence painted 'Pink', Also used by 414 Sqn, 39 Group, also have at least one photo of these.

The PR X. There were 16 built. High Altitude pressurised PR aircraft. One distinguishing feature being that they retained the 'fighter' looking canopy, unlike the PR XI. Good opportunity for converting..? PR canopies are difficult to find that look realistic.

The aircraft entered service with 641 Sqn but was soon superseded by the PR XIX. The colour scheme is often quoted as 'Gloss Grey'. This is incorrect, they were painted in the high altitude scheme of Medium Sea Grey with PRU Blue underneath, I have this from some one who flew two of them with 641 Sqn...

Have lots of information and photos of these various types, feel free to contact me.

Colin

 

Message on its way, Colin. 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 09/01/2010 at 19:45, Colin S-K said:

PR IX, as said only 15, and quite quickly superseded by the PR XI and relegated to training duties due to their limited range. Had guns removed, but no more tanks fitted, hence lacking in range. Externally, looked like PR XI's.

There was a few FR IX, mainly used by 16 Sqn in the 'infamous' PR Pink scheme. Looked like fighters, but had oblique camera's, and retained armament. Used by one flight of 16 Sqn for specialist Recce at dawn and dusk, hence painted 'Pink', Also used by 414 Sqn, 39 Group, also have at least one photo of these.

The PR X. There were 16 built. High Altitude pressurised PR aircraft. One distinguishing feature being that they retained the 'fighter' looking canopy, unlike the PR XI. Good opportunity for converting..? PR canopies are difficult to find that look realistic.

The aircraft entered service with 641 Sqn but was soon superseded by the PR XIX. The colour scheme is often quoted as 'Gloss Grey'. This is incorrect, they were painted in the high altitude scheme of Medium Sea Grey with PRU Blue underneath, I have this from some one who flew two of them with 641 Sqn...

Have lots of information and photos of these various types, feel free to contact me.

Colin

 

Message on its way, Colin. 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, the web is an amazing place place. 

I found this photo of a F24 camera mounted in FR IX Spitfire.

 

F24-Camera-in-a-Spitfire-FR-IX.webp

 

It shouldn't be too difficult to put the clear section into the hatch and scratch build a camera body. 

The pink FR IX moves a step forward. 

I already have the aftermarket transfers. 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...