Aircraft
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.1
Pilot & Markings
Flying Officer Brian Carbury — No. 603 Squadron, Hornchurch, August 1940
Scale & Kit
1/48 Scale Tamiya Model
History
The second phase of the Battle of Britain began on August 24, 1940, when the Luftwaffe attempted to destroy the seven key fighter stations surrounding London. Fierce dog fighting took placer over the skies of England as Spitfires and Hurricanes were ordered to defend against German aircraft.
Many experienced fighter pilots were credited with British victories during this period. Among the experienced Spitfire pilots was Flying Officer Brian Carbury, a New Zealander flying with No. 603 Squadron, based at Hornchurch.
Possibly the most successful pilot/aircraft combination during the Battle of Britain, Carbury used this very Spitfire, R6835, to shoot down eight Bf109E’s between August 29 and September 2. Over a one day period, Carbury became an ace by downing five Me109E’s during three patrols on August 31st. In the early evening of that day, Carbury claimed two 109’s in a dogfight over the Thames Estuary, east of London, before being shot up by cannon shells which caused the oxygen bottle to explode and damage his aircraft.
I used Model Master Enamel paints such as RAF Dark Green and Dark Earth for the fuselage, upper wings and stabilizers. Tamiya XF-21 Sky with a touch of White was used to paint the under surfaces. The spinner and prop blades were painted Flat Black with Flat Yellow prop tips. The cockpit was pre-shaded with Flat Black then painted with RAF Interior Green to give it a dirty, ‘used’ look. With a bit of care and a lot of patience, Minimeca tubes were used to apply the machine guns inside the wings. This makes it look very realistic. The tires were sanded down to create a weighted look and with the addition of aftermarket exhaust pipes, the completed model is perfect. The decals are custom made and I used Osprey Aircraft of The Aces (Spitfire Mk I/II Aces 1939-1941) as reference to build Carbury’s Spitfire.
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