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Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XVIII, NH850/Z, RAF 60 Squadron, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, Dec. 31, 1950
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1/48 scale pre-finished
Die-cast metal with a minimum of
plastic.
Professionally painted.
All markings pad applied for superb
results.
Cockpit slides open.
Cockpit side door opens.
Comes with a pilot that can be
removed.
Comes with display stand.
Landing gear is fully retractable and
can be displayed up or down.
Removable wing ammo bay covers.
Propeller is metal.
Extremely sought after by collectors
- Pre-production image, actual model may differ
Externally the Spitfire Mk. XVIII the so called "Super Spitfire" was almost identical to the Mk. XIV except
for the strengthened “E” wing with full span tips and stronger undercarriage. They were powered by
either a Griffon 65 or the later models by a 67 that developed 2,375 hp. The FR XVIII had provisions for
three cameras that required the removal of the rear fuel tank. The Mk XVIII was quite versatile and could
carry up to 1,000 pounds of bombs on the center line and wing racks. Another option was as many as
four Mk 8 or 9 rockets under the wings. This was the last Griffon-powered version of the original Spitfire
frame with 300 being built of which 200 were the FR variant.
June 1948 in Malaya, a British Colony at that time, three British estate managers were murdered by
guerrillas and this forced the government to declare what would become the “Malayan Emergency”. The
RAF was called upon to fly reconnaissance and bombing attacks on the guerilla camps. One of the
squadrons assigned to this task was 60 Squadron that carried out the first attack of the campaign.
Using rockets and fragmentation bombs the Spitfires flew sortie after sortie mostly in support missions
for ground troops. One of these aircraft was the Mk. FR XVIII of CO, Sqn. Ldr. W G Duncan Smith DSO,
DFC. In November 1950 Sqn. Ldr. W G Duncan Smith arrived with 60 Squadron’s first jet, the Meteor.
This aircraft would replace the Spitfire and on January 1, 1951 the last ever RAF Spitfire offensive
sortie was carried out by FR XVIIIs from 60 Squadron.
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