First of the Few

Thanks for that, Rich. I must have missed that the last time I watched the film!

DazDaMan, I just watched the film & the serial K5054 is visible for only a couple of seconds on the take off roll. It’s placed in the standard Spitfire position. Hope this helps with your model.
Regards, Rich.

…. although I realise there are historical inaccuracies,…..

So many that it takes me by surprise when something is correct. But as it is a wartime film for propaganda purposes that is to be expected.

That is a beautifully finished model, excellent work! I have the film on DVD & although I realise there are historical inaccuracies, I enjoy watching it for the flying sequences & the way (in my opinion) it captures the atmosphere of the time from the Schneider Trophy days through to the Battle of Britain. David Niven & Leslie Howard did a fantastic job, & although seen fairly briefly, I think the actress who played the part of Lady Houston was very well chosen.
Regards, Rich.

My interpretation of the film’s prototype, based purely on the screenshots from the film:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]251673[/ATTACH]

I could never see if there was a serial number on the fuselage, but there may well have been. If there is, I’ll put it on.

The kit is the old-tool Airfix Mk.Ia, with the new-tool Airfix Mk.I’s two-blade propeller option.

Thanks for that link – hadn’t seen that before.

As for the serial, I do remember a letter being printed in Flypast (I think) showing what was meant to be the aircraft from the film, and it might even have had a serial number in the text, but no idea when that might have been.

From wiki…The film contains historically significant footage that would otherwise have been lost to posterity:

Film footage of the Supermarine S.4 in taking off from Southampton Water, and in flight, now available nowhere else.[citation needed]
Footage of many real-life Battle of Britain fighter pilots in the opening and closing scenes. RAF fighter pilots such as Tony Bartley and Brian Kingcombe (with pipe) have cameo roles in the scenes at the dispersal, and are seen discussing their flights with David Niven before take off and after landing.
Film footage of Jeffrey Quill flying a Spitfire Mk II in the final scenes of the film. Jeffrey Quill’s log book records that the aerobatic flying sequences featured in the last 20 minutes of the film were made by him from Northolt on 1–2 November 1941, in a Spitfire Mk II, flying for one hour, five minutes on 1 November and for 45 minutes on 2 November 1941.[citation needed]
The workers seen building the Spitfire, near the end of the film. These are the real workers, filmed at the Hamble Supermarine Factory, one being Wilfred Hillier (wearing spectacles), working on the only left handed lathe, imported from Germany.

Good background and stills here…http://www.south-central-media.co.uk/spitfire/spitfire.htm

A puzzle that has never been resolved in this film is the actual identity of the Spitfire that held the K5054 serial for filming purposes back in 1941. Having paused the video you-tube version given in post Nr 3 several times K5054 does emerge once.

The other Spitfires used in air and ground to air ‘close ups’ seem to be impossible to read except possibly for one. At 2min 58 secs a nearly fully visible P ?374 (possibly) with squadron marks of KL*B comes close to being legible.

Jeffrey Quill’s log books are held in a private archive and I did ask the holder if there are any entries about the filming. The answer is yes, at Northolt , K5054 is the serial entered, and a filming date I believe in November 1941. Obviously that’s about two years and two months after the prototype was wrecked at Farnborough so the question remains!

Bearing in mind the Battle of Britain film where so many participating aircraft identities have been determined during the last few years has someone somewhere ever attempted to do the same work on First of the Few and did the real i/d on the film Spitfire used by Jeffrey Quill emerge?

David Niven’s portrayal of that well-known veteran race- and test-pilot Geoffrey Crisp is spot-on in this film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u4Md_aXVJE

a flag-waving piece of morale-boosting entertainment

It is that, what it isn’t is historically correct.