Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc

Preview

Airfix, 1/24 scale

Airfix has announced an exciting new release for 2022:

One day before range launch, Airfix is excited to reveal the first new mould kit for 2022, the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc in 24th scale. 

This new super kit includes:

• Early and late intakes and breech blisters

• Clipped wings

• Two elevator types

• Highly detailed cockpit 

Something of an aviation classic and the last major Merlin engine powered variant of the Spitfire, this mark is arguably one of the most important in the entire Spitfire production, going on to see service past D-Day and into the post war era.

The arrival of the Luftwaffe’s new Focke Wulf 190 fighter over the Western Front in August 1941 saw RAF Spitfire Mk.Vs operating over the channel, falling victim to the ‘Butcher Bird’ in ever increasing numbers and something had to be done. A major Spitfire upgrade was in progress, but the Mk.VIII was still some way off as manufacturing facilities prepared their tooling jigs for the new aircraft, but there was a temporary solution.

One of the major features of the new Spitfire upgrade was its use of a powerful new version of the Rolls Royce Merlin engine and it was proposed that fitting this new engine to a Spitfire Mk.V airframe would give the fighter a welcome performance boost. 

The first 100 Spitfire Mk.IX fighters were actually Mk.Vc airframes adapted to take the new Merlin 61 two stage, two speed supercharged engine, with this combination producing a thoroughbred fighting aeroplane, one which was more than capable of challenging the FW190 and the latest ‘F’ variant of the Messerchmitt Bf 109. In fact, the new Spitfire was considered so successful that this would become the second most heavily produced variant in the entire production run and, if including the aircraft powered by the license-built Packard Melin 266 (Spitfire Mk.XVI), even eclipsed the Mk.V in production numbers. 

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Thumbnail panels:

Scale 1:24 | Skill Level 4 | 433 pieces  

Find out more here: https://uk.airfix.com/products/supermarine-spitfire-mkixc-a17001.

Text and Images Copyright © 2021 by Airfix.
Page Created 10 January, 2022
Last updated 10 January, 2022

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