Daz's D-Day Veteran Spit! **FINISHED**

[DazDaMan]

I decided to add another Spit to my collection of D-Day builds - but with a bit of a difference!

The subject of this build will be Spitfire IX ML407/OU-V, a veteran of the invasion credited with the first air-to-air kill on that day, over a Ju88. In the same action, ML407 was credited with a share of a second Junkers with the pilot of Spitfire MK732/OU-U, which is also a survivor!

ML407 was converted into a Tr.9 postwar by Vickers, used by the Irish Air Corps for a number of years before retirement, and then subsequently rebuilt to fly by Nick Grace in the 1980s. The aircraft still flies and has, several times over the years, been painted with her appropriate invasion stripes.


Now, as we all know, ML407 is a two-seat Spit, and I thought this might not have been appropriate for the group build (it would have been fun to do, though!). However, I remember the fledgling ML407 Supporters' Club having a limited number of ML407 kits for sale, which utilised the old Airfix Mk.IX kit:


So, this is what I will be doing - using the Airfix kit and some spare decals to recreate ML407 as she appeared on June 6th 1944.....

[lancfan]

What a good idea, a real D-day fighter and a preserved aircraft rolled into one.


David.

[DazDaMan]

I had originally wanted to do MK732. This made more sense as the aircraft still flies in single-seat form (and I figured most would associate ML407 with being a trainer variant), but the lack of decals for the nose-art for '732 ruled the aircraft out. Then I recalled the ML407 model I built many moons back, and here we are!

Anyway, I'm sure most folks are familiar with the old-school Mk.IX kit. If not, it's very basic, with no instrument panel in the cockpit, and very few parts with which to build a Spit!


Painting some bits:

[iggie]

Saw her flying a couple of weeks ago at Duxford, and remember fondly the superb displays given by Caroline Grace for many seasons
A nice choice for the GB

[DazDaMan]

Some Spitfire progress from the weekend....

One thing I like about the old-tool Mk.IX is that it goes together really quickly.


The only real mods I had to make to the kit were to swap the cannon arrangement around. The instructions in the original ML407 kit said to remove the outboard cannon stub completely, then to cut the cannon barrel itself down to about 3mm, before reattaching it in the outboard position.


Some paint applied.

[DazDaMan]

More photos to follow, as I have now finished the camouflage and applied the base coat of white for the stripy bits!

[DazDaMan]

First coat of white.


Second coat. It was still a little patchy, which made me think to leave it as-is, because I don't imagine the ground crews gave much thought to how many coats they needed!


Undersides. I decided to mount the model on a stand, so the doughnut wheels were left off and the doors glued into the recesses.


With pilot Johnny Houlton at the controls.


As you can see, the stripes are a little wonky, but then so were the real ones!

[DazDaMan]

And.... FINISHED!




Detailing this model was a piece of cake, as the real ML407's fuselage band and serial number were over-painted with the invasion stripes. A roughly-applied code letter was applied beneath the canopy by the ground crew, as seen here. Aside from that, ML407 had no identifying marks at all.

I remember building a lot of these kits back in the day, and they were fun at the time, but I reckon these old Airfix Mk.IX kits are way past their best. Like I said, the reason for using the old kit is because the original ML407 model used it as a basis. Still, it was fun to reminisce!

[Clashcityrocker]

Nice work with the stripes Daren.They look suitably field applied

Nigel

[TobyC]

Like it and as said above the stripes look suitably rough. None of this OCD stuff

[MarkyM607]

Hey us OCD sufferers think it's great!. Not!. Very nice Spit too!.

[Molly-new]

I was told that I had OCD, but I know I cannot have it as the letters are in the wrong order.

Nice work with the stripes Daren. They look suitably field applied

Nigel

Agreed, I heard from an old guy once that he used to apply them with an old mop!! so yes, very realistic.

[Chuck E]

That's a very old kit. Good luck. It was the second Spitfire that I ever built, probably in 1960. I remember buying it in a little shop in Seaton, Devon when I was on holiday there. My case was usually stuffed with models among the holiday clothes.