Spitfire V and IX in Italian Service

Modeling Time Production, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

Iliad Decals' 1/48 scale ANG Mustangs is available online from Squadron.com

“Spitfire V and IX in Italian Service” is the first decal release from Valerio D’Amadio, webmaster of the Italian modeling community www.modelingtime.com.  The release features four Spitfires flown by the Italian Co-Belligerent Air Force in the closing stages of World War 2, and by the postwar Aeronautica Militare into the 1950s.  These aircraft are as follows:

1. Spitfire Mk Vb, ‘20 4’, of 20° Gruppo, 51° Stormo, based at Leverano Airport (Lecce), autumn 1944.  One of the 50-plus ex-RAF Spitfire Mk Vbs supplied to the Co-Belligerent Air Force in 1944, ‘20 4’ is depicted as finished in standard RAF temperate fighter colours of Dark Green and Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey.  However, the instructions are careful to point out that for many years it was believed Italian Vbs were painted in RAF desert colours of Dark Earth and Middle Stone over Azure Blue, and recommend that modelers “draw their conclusions considering the references available”.  British markings are shown as having been overpainted with locally available colours – RLM 76 Light Blue and Verde Oliva Scuro 2 are suggested – before Italian markings were applied.  ‘20 4’ was fitted with a Vokes filter and a 45 gallon slipper tank, and the spinner was red with what appears to be a natural metal backplate.

2.  Spitfire Mk IXe, ‘MK805’, Italian Air Force Museum, Vigna di Valle, Rome.  This aircraft is a survivor of one of the nearly 150 Spitfire Mk IXs – again ex-RAF – operated postwar by the Aeronautica Militare.  According to the instructions, ‘MK805’ was rebuilt from scrap and accidentally ‘converted’ from a ‘C’ to an ‘E’ wing aircraft when the outboard weapons were faired over during the restoration process.  It is currently displayed at the Italian Air Force Museum in a fictitious but representative scheme of Dark Green and Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey (with no representation of overpainted RAF insignia “to avoid confusion for less expert visitors”), and the same scheme is presented the decal sheet.

3. Spitfire Mk IXc, MK227, of 102° Gruppo, 5° Stormo, based at Orio al Serio Airport, early 1948.  Returning to authentic colour schemes, MK227 was finished similarly to option 1 with the exception of a Sky fuselage band and blue spinner.

4. Spitfire Mk IXc, ‘66/Antares’, of 155° Gruppo, 51° Stormo, based at Treviso San Giuseppe Airport, winter 1948.  The final option is for a silver Mk IXc with a Verde Scuro anti-glare panel and the name ‘Antares’ in red or black (decals are provided in both colours) on both side engine cowlings.  The instructions don’t specify whether the silver is bare metal, aluminium lacquer, or a combination of the two; I would recommend further research if you are thinking of modeling this aircraft.

The decals have been produced by Fantasy Printshop, and look excellent on the sheet.  The red, white and green Italian roundels have been produced as single decals and are in perfect registration.  Printing is sufficiently crisp that virtually all stencils are legible.  There are enough markings to complete two models if you choose option 4 as one of your projects.

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The very thorough instructions are supplied on three double sided, C5 pieces of card.  Full-colour port profiles and upper and lower views are provided of each aircraft, with decal placement and paint colours clearly indicated.  The latter are called out in US Federal Standard, Tamiya, Gunze, Italeri, Humbrol and Xtracolour numbers – probably the widest range of colours I’ve seen listed on an instruction sheet, and most welcome.  As mentioned above, some background information on Italian Spitfires is also provided, as well as a number of useful references.

It is always good to see decals for non-RAF Spitfires, and it is even better when these come in such a comprehensive and well-presented package. 

I particularly like that the instructions point out areas of uncertainty or potential controversy in relation to the featured aircraft, because this gives modelers the opportunity to conduct additional research if they wish to do so. 

But even if you only use the information that is provided by Modeling Time, you will have more than enough at hand to complete a striking Spitfire model that will stand out from the crowd.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Valerio D’Amadio for the review sample.

Text and Images Copyright © 2013 by Brad Fallen
This Page Created on 22 April, 2013
Last updated 22 April, 2013

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