More then likely a high back XVI. It seems that the low back birds didn’t start arriving until the Spring of 45 in March and April.

Dan

I’ve always understood that the “Baby Spits” are the single stage Merlin birds including the I, II and V

Dan

My son Andrew did this one when he was 9. A chip off the old blockhead 🙂

Dan

Somewhat surprised that this classic of a B17 that made it back hasn’t shown up before now.

Dan

My son Andrew. Aged 21. Lost August 28th. While not a historic flyer, he got a love of aviation history from his Dad and shared the passion. Model builder, flight sim flyer, helped at the Minnesota Air Guard Museum when he was younger, drew great images of WW2 planes, although he was more of a Luftwaffe fan then an RAF Spit fan like his Dad. He would have carried the torch for his old man had he stuck around.

Hope you don’t mind I added him to the list. His sister Christina too, although she never had the aviation bug.

Dan
Drew after his first flight in a Cessna 152. Instructor said he was a natural. Drew in the cockpit of an F4 at the Minn ANG museum

Nah! The tropical filter looks good on the V. The XII has a nose too short for a proper Griffon and too long for a Merlin, it’s kind of halfway. The tail is too small for the nose, and the four blader looks all wrong on a Griffon. It has the pointy rudder in combination with clipped wings, and the asymetric radiator is too small for a Griffin Spit. Out of the whole Spitfire family, which I otherwise love without exception let me say, the MkXII is the one they should have locked in the atic and fed on bread and water. Back to the foxhole. :rolleyes:

To he who is without a clue 🙂

Tell me again how this is an ugly bird?

Dan
Defender of the XII everywhere!

Why does the Mk.XII have all the best period photos?! I’ve only found one Mk.V in such dynamic “poses”. Plenty of great shots, (colour ones over Mt Vesuvius etc) but few at such great angles showing off the wing. Which is sad, since the XII mostly has those nasty clipped tips…

Charles Brown for one. He took the series with DP845 and the pre squadron shots of MB882.

They also did all those shots of 41 Squadron in April 44. “Rat race and stooge for the camera” as Don Smith put it.

Don and friends in another shot from that series.