Here are some more images of Hasegawa's 1/32 scale Supermarine Spitfire MK VI . This aircraft was flown by Johnnie Johnson. From History of War "
The
Mk VI Spitfire was a high altitude fighter, designed to deal with the
threat posed by very high flying Luftwaffe aircraft, especially the
Junkers Ju86. The Mk VI used the same airframe as the Mk V,
but with a Merlin 47 engine, providing 1,415hp and a four bladed
propeller. The most distinctive feature of this version of the Spitfire
was its extended wingtips, designed to increase its performance at
high altitude. Ninety Seven Mk VIs were built between December 1941 and
October 1942. Six were sent to the Middle East, while the rest
remained in Britain.
The Mk
VI was not a great success. It had a pressurised cockpit that had to
be locked in place, making it unpopular with the pilots. Its
performance was not as impressive as had been hoped – in the Middle
East it was outperformed by modified Mk Vs. Finally, the threat of high
altitude German bombers did not materialise. The surviving Mk VIs
were removed from front line service, and used as training aircraft.
In this role the pressurised cockpit, extended wing tips and guns were
all removed. The idea of a high altitude pressurised Spitfire had not
been abandoned. Production of the Mk VI overlapped with that of the Mk VII, which began in August 1942.
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