The Mk. IX replaced the Mk. V in June 1942 and on September 12, 1942 a Mk. IX brought down a Ju-86R flying at 43,000 feet. Another major achievement of the Mk. IX took place on October 5, 1944 when 401 Squadron became the first allied aircraft to shoot down an Me-262 jet. Even with the arrival of the Griffon powered Mk. XIV the Mk. IX continued in service until the end of WWII. There were 5,665 Mk. IX Spitfires and its variants produced.
The RAF 312 Squadron was formed in August 1940 comprised of Czechoslovaks who had managed to escape Nazi occupied Europe. One such person was Otto Smik who by the age of 21 had become an Ace. During the Normandy invasion Smik shot down three FW-190s before being shot down. With the help of the Dutch Resistance he managed to return to his unit. On November 28, 1944 at the age of 22 Otto Smik was killed by AAA. His final score, 12 victories plus 3 V1s.
- 1/48 scale pre-finished.
- Die-cast metal with a minimum of plastic.
- Professionally painted.
- All markings pad applied for superb results.
- Canopy slides open.
- Comes with a pilot that can be removed.
- Comes with display stand.
- Landing gear is fully retractable and can be displayed up or down.
- Propeller is metal.
- Extremely sought after by collectors.
