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Scale Models

Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk.IX

Hellenic Air Force, Air Force Museum, Tatoi, Greece, 2021

As I previously said, I’m not a big fan of the classic RAF grey/green camouflage. But, as soon as I read the articles and saw the photos of this Spitfire, I knew I wanted to build it.

Spitfire MJ755 was acquired by the Greek Air Force in 1947. It last flew on December 1953 before being sent for storage and then display at Tatoi Air Base, then at the Hellenic War Museum in Athens and then at the Hellenic Air Force Museum in Tatoi.

At some point it was decided that it should be restored back to flying condition. It was carefully disassembled and got sent in a container to the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar in the UK, on March 2018. There it went under restoration and finally, on Sunday 19th January 2020, MJ755 flew again for the first time after 66 years!

After I read that Eduard’s “Spitfire MK.IXc late version” was suitable for representing this plane I went and ordered it. Even I, with my pretty small experience, could see that it is an excellent kit with great detail. The “Profipack” edition that I chose contains extra photoetched parts for the cockpit and painting masks for the canopy and wheels. The only part that troubled me during construction was the fit of the engine cowling, where I had to use some putty to make the joins disappear.

For painting it, I used Mission Models acrylics:

  • MMP-094 RAF Sea Grey Medium
  • MMP-093 RAF Ocean Grey
  • MMP-077 RAF Dark Green

For the decals and numbers, I ordered and used the decal set: ADECALS 1/48 “Greek” Spitfire LF Mk IXc MJ755. The numbers and letters were fine. Unfortunately the greek roundels were not. They were thicker than I would have liked, required trimming (they are printed on white transfer paper) and worst of all, the white is a bit transparent.

After painting I only did minimal weathering, in the form of light exhaust marks, as I wanted to represent the aircraft in its present, post restoration state.

Cockpit Photos

Kit Used

KitBox artScaleCode
Eduard “Spitfire MK.IXc late version – ProfiPACK edition”1/488281
ADECALS 1/48 “Greek” Spitfire LF Mk IXc MJ7551/48