Special Hobby SH48107 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XII 1/48

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XII 1/48 Scale Model Kit

Special Hobby kit featuring the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XII, a less widespread variant of the renowned British fighter. The Mk.XII was the first production version powered by the Griffon engine, marking a significant milestone in Spitfire development.

Production began in October 1942 when Mk.IX and Mk.VIII fuselages already on assembly lines were converted to Mk.XII standard. Fuselages from Mk.IX aircraft featured non-retractable tail wheels, while those from Mk.VIII had retractable tail wheels and wing fuel tanks.

Assigned to No. 41 and 91 Squadrons, Spitfire Mk.XIIs defended the airspace over southern England, the English Channel, and the French and Belgian coastlines. They successfully intercepted Luftwaffe bombers, escorted Typhoon fighter-bombers, and participated in protecting American bombers heading to France.

The combat record of the Mk.XII includes one Junkers Ju-88 as the first victory, followed by 42 Fw-190s, 19 Bf-109s, 46 V-1 flying bombs, and one balloon.

• Three plastic sprues
• Photo-etched parts included
• Decals for 4 aircraft variants
• Markings: EB-Z with invasion stripes, EB-B flown by Australian ace D.H. Smith, DL-S piloted by French ace J. Maridor with Nigeria stencil, EB-J featuring canopy artwork