The Spitfire is the most famous British aircraft of all time. Although less numerous than the Hawker Hurricane, it is remembered as the sleek, thoroughbred fighting machine that turned the tide during the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire was among the fastest and most maneuverable prop-driven fighters of World War II, serving in virtually every combat theater.

Supermarine designer Reginald Mitchell created this small, graceful, elliptical-wing fighter with eight guns in the wings that were able to fire without being hindered by the propeller. The immortal Spitfire thus became not merely one of the best-performing fighters of all time, but also one of the best-looking. Although never employed as a long-range escort, the Spitfire was a champion in an air-to-air duel. Spitfires routinely dived at the speed of sound, faster than any of the German jets.

A carrier-based version, called the Seafire, was a winner in its own right, serving valiantly on convoy routes during World War II. The Seafire 47 was even used in the early stages of the Korean War, before it was replaced by more modern jet aircraft.

To increase the roll rate of the Spitfire and improve its combat fighting qualities particularly against the newly introduced Focke-Wulf Fw-190, the wingspan needed to be made shorter. Fortunately, ever since the first Spitfires, the wingtips were a separate piece constructed from wood with an aluminum skin, often by Rolls-Royce coach building firms such as Freestone and Webb. They were attached with two bolts and a number of small screws to hold a covering strip where the wing and the tip joined, so naturally, it was an obvious idea to unmount them and fit a simple fairing in its place. All you needed to do was remove the two bolts, undo the screws, remove the tip, remembering to disconnect the wingtip light and replace it with a simple cover fairing, which was held in place by the same screws.

Pictured here is a 1:48 scale replica of a Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb clipped wing fighter that was piloted by Flying Officer Jack Sheppard, who was attached to No.401 Squadron, then deployed to RAF Catterick, England, during 1943. Pre-order! Ship Date: Late December 2024.

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Historical Account: "The Channel Dash" - On February 12th, 1942, following the 'Channel Dash' of the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in Operation Donnerkeil, six Swordfish of No.825 FAA Squadron were to meet with an escort from 64 and 411 Squadrons (Hornchurch) and 72, 124 and 401 Squadrons (Biggin Hill) over Manston at mid-day. The escort missed the rendezvous, however, although 401 later claimed two Bf 109s destroyed, for the loss of Sergeant Levesque, who was taken prisoner.

The Fw 190 fighter force continued to take toll of the Fighter Command squadrons, 401 being no exception. On April 28th, Pilot Officer J. A. Ferguson: (POW) and Pilot Officer G. B. Whitney (killed) were lost although Pilot Officer Don Blakeslee, an RCAF-enlisted American, claimed two 'probables'. On May 1st, the squadron lost two more Spitfires to JG 2 over Le Havre while, on June 1st, 1942, when a section of 401 intercepted and shot down two Hawker Typhoon fighters of No.56 Squadron, one pilot was killed. In June, the squadron received some of the first Mark IX Spitfires, capable of taking on the Focke Wulf Fw 190A on more or less equal terms. On August 19th, during Operation Jubilee two probables and three damaged were claimed. On November 8th, Flight Lieutenant Don Morrison was shot down and badly wounded versus units of JG 26, losing a leg and being repatriated in 1943. Morrison's tally of 5.33 aircraft destroyed, four 'probables' and four damaged was 401's highest since the Battle of Britain.

Moving to RAF Catterick in early 1943, the squadron was involved in training and coastal patrols for four months before returning to 11 Group in late May, where the squadron reverted to Spitfire Mk IX's and became part of No.126 Wing, No.83 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force (2TAF). The unit resumed operational flying from RAF Redhill in June, and RAF Staplehurst in August and Biggin Hill on October.

Operations prior to D-Day were flown from RAF Tangmere. On March 15th, four JG 26 Fw 190s were claimed (three were actually lost).