Kagero Topcolors No.15
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX

by Tomasz Szlagor
with colour profiles by Janusz Swiation

Reviewed by Rodger Kelly

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The Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX is the subject of the latest addition to the Kagero Topcolours series.

As with the previous titles in the Topcolours range, I am not sure if what you hold in your hands is a book that provides stunning colour profiles with a potted history of the subject as well as a decal sheet or a decal sheet backed up with excellent research and colour placement guide profiles.

Following the format of the Topcolours series the opening text is minimal with just three pages that provide a very brief summation of the characteristics of Supermarine’s superb Mk. IX and its operational use.

Following this, you are straight into the profiles which cover 20 different machines. The artwork is by Janusz Swiation and each subject has been beautifully done indeed exhibiting shadowing, weathering and tonal contrasts.  Each profile is accompanied by text (in both the English and Polish languages) that identifies the squadron and pilot (when known) of each aircraft depicted.

The individual machines illustrated are as follows:

• Mk IXc. BS403 UZ-K of 306 (Polish) Squadron flown by Squadron Leader Kazimierz Rutowski in 1943.  In dark green and ocean grey over medium sea grey camouflage scheme (as are all of the machines unless otherwise noted) You get both left and right hand side profiles of this machine as well as a full upper surface plan view and scrap views of the undersides of both wings, the nose and of the artwork worn by the machine over two pages.

• Mk IXc. BS556 RF-G of 303 (Polish) Squadron from 1943.  Flown by a number of pilots.  Left and right hand side profiles as well as a scrap view of the nose.

• LF Mk IXc. SM147 with a single letter Z of 73 Squadron and flown in the Balkans from April to July 1945.  Left and right hand side profiles.

• LF Mk. IXe. PV181 flown by Wing Commander Rolf Arne Berg, Commanding Officer of 132 (Norwegian) Fighter Wing from 1944.  It wears Norwegian red, white and blue markings on the wings and rudder as well as around the spinner as well as the remnants of D Day identification markings on the lower half of its fuselage.  Left and right hand side profiles as well as full upper surface plan view with scrap views of the undersides of the wings.

• LF Mk IXc. MH712 WX-D of 302 (Polish) Squadron flown by Warrant Officer Henryk Dygaia in late 1944.  Left and right hand side profiles and a scrap view of the nose and of the nose art it wore.

• LF Mk IXc. MJ586 LO-D of 602 Squadron flown by Pierre Clostermann in June 1944.  An interesting option, it is wearing what appears to be brush painted D-Day identification markings.  Left and right hand side profiles and scrap views of the ‘kill’ markings and nose art.

• Mk. IXc. ‘Eleonor’ (Serial number unknown) WZ-GZ of the 309th Fighter Squadron 31st Fighter Group USAAC flown by the 309th Fighter Squadron’s Commanding Officer Major Garth Jared, January 1944.  In a dark earth and middle stone over azure blue camouflage scheme.  Left and right hand side profiles as well as a full upper surface plan view with scrap views of the undersides of the wings and nose art.  I’m may be wrong but I think the name should be Eleanor and not Eleonor.

• Mk IXc. MJ966 GW-B flown by S/Chef Denys Boudard of 340 (Free French Squadron) in the June of 1944.  Wearing what look to be brush-painted D Day identification markings around the fuselage and wings.  Left and right hand side profiles as well as full upper and full lower surfaces.

• Mk IXc. BS394 GW-Y of 340 Free French Squadron.  Left and right hand side profiles and a scrap view of the nose art.

• LF Mk IXe. MH727 JH-T of 317 (Polish Squadron) from September 1943.  Left and right hand side profiles and scrap views of the two individual markings it carried.

• LF Mk IXe. MJ628 RV flown by Wing Commander Daniel Le Roy du Vivier the Commanding Officer of 324 Fighter Wing, Italy 1944.  Left and right hand side profiles only.

• Mk IXc. BS430 AE-N flown by Squadron Leader Norman Bretz the Commanding Officer of 402 Squadron RCAF.  Left and right hand side profiles and a scrap view of the maple leaf insignia carried under the cockpit.

• LF Mk IXc. (serial not stated) WR-F of 40 Squadron SAAF, Italy 1944.  The machine is in dark earth and dark green camouflage over azure blue.  Left and right hand side profiles as well as a full upper surface plan view with scrap views of the undersides of the wings and nose art.

• LF Mk IXe. ‘26’ of the Israeli Air Force in mid 1949.  In an unusual scheme of dark green and ‘brown’ over medium sea grey.  Left and right hand side profiles and full upper surface plan view with scrap views of the undersides of the wings and the nose art.

• LF Mk IXe. ‘14’ of the Israeli Air Force in January 1949.  Left and right hand side profiles and full upper surface plan view with scrap views of the undersides of the wings and the nose art.

• MK IXc. EN354 WD-W ‘Doris June’ flown by Lieutenant Leonard Helton of the 4th Fighter Squadron 52nd Fighter Group in Tunisia, June 1944.  Left and right hand side profiles and full upper surface plan view with scrap views of the undersides of the wings and the nose art.

• HF Mk IXc. ML148 RY-A of 313 (Czech) Squadron in 1944.  Left and right hand side profiles and full upper surface plan view with scrap views of the undersides of the wings and the nose art.

• Mk IXc. EN520 FL-A flown by Squadron Leader Colin Grey, the Commanding Officer of 81 Squadron Tunisia in the spring of 1943.  In dark earth and middle stone over azure blue camouflage scheme.  Left and right hand side profiles and full upper surface plan view with scrap views of the undersides of the wings.

• LF Mk IXc. MK629 HT-V of 154 Squadron in Corsica in the summer of 1944.  Left and right hand side profiles only.

• LF Mk IXe.  NH571 5A-L flown by S/Lt Raphael Lombaert of 329 Free French Squadron in 1944.  Left and right hand side profiles with a scrap view of the squadron insignia.

As with all books in the Topcolour series, you are also provided with decals to model some of the aircraft within the book.  This book however provides you with decals to model all of the machines within the book.  You get two very large sheets with the markings in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scale.  

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Thumbnail panels:

The decals are confined to the individual identifying markings worn by each option so you are on your own for the national insignia.    There is no advice as to who the decals have been produced by.  However, they are thin, in perfect register and have an absolute minimum of film surrounding each subject.

The book itself is in landscape format, measures 27.5cm x 20.5cm (10?" x 8") and consists of 34 pages of glossy paper between thin cardboard covers.

It is my bet that this book was produced with the Tamiya Mk IX Spitfire in mind and I am sure that it will be welcomed by all aircraft modellers with a soft spot for the Spitfire.

Thanks to Kagero for the samples.