{"product_id":"supermarine-spitfire-ixc-pilot-sqd-leader-johnny-plagis","title":"Supermarine Spitfire IXc Pilot Sqd. Leader Johnny Plagis","description":"\u003cp\u003eKovozavody 1\/72\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cb\u003eSupermarine Spitfire\u003c\/b\u003e is a British single-seat \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Fighter_aircraft\" title=\"Fighter aircraft\"\u003efighter aircraft\u003c\/a\u003e that was used by the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Royal_Air_Force\" title=\"Royal Air Force\"\u003eRoyal Air Force\u003c\/a\u003e and other \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Allies_of_World_War_II\" title=\"Allies of World War II\"\u003eAllied\u003c\/a\u003e countries before, during, and after \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/World_War_II\" title=\"World War II\"\u003eWorld War II\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the \u003cbr\u003ewar. The Spitfire remains popular among enthusiasts. Around \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_surviving_Supermarine_Spitfires\" title=\"List of surviving Supermarine Spitfires\"\u003e70 remain airworthy\u003c\/a\u003e, and many more are static exhibits in aviation museums throughout the world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Spitfire was a short-range, high-performance \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Interceptor_aircraft\" title=\"Interceptor aircraft\"\u003einterceptor aircraft\u003c\/a\u003e designed by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/R._J._Mitchell\" title=\"R. J. Mitchell\"\u003eR. J. Mitchell\u003c\/a\u003e, chief designer at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supermarine\" title=\"Supermarine\"\u003eSupermarine\u003c\/a\u003e Aviation Works, which operated as a subsidiary of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vickers-Armstrong\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Vickers-Armstrong\"\u003eVickers-Armstrong\u003c\/a\u003e from 1928. Mitchell modified the Spitfire's distinctive \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Elliptical_wing\" title=\"Elliptical wing\"\u003eelliptical wing\u003c\/a\u003e (designed by \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Beverley_Shenstone\" title=\"Beverley Shenstone\"\u003eBeverley Shenstone\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e with innovative sunken rivets to have the thinnest possible \u003cbr\u003ecross-section, achieving a potential top speed greater than that of \u003cbr\u003eseveral contemporary fighter aircraft, including the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hawker_Hurricane\" title=\"Hawker Hurricane\"\u003eHawker Hurricane\u003c\/a\u003e. Mitchell continued to refine the design until his death in 1937, whereupon his colleague \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Joseph_Smith_(aircraft_designer)\" title=\"Joseph Smith (aircraft designer)\"\u003eJoseph Smith\u003c\/a\u003e took over as chief designer. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"A_type\"\u003eIX\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003eAlthough the Mk IX's airframe did not have the aerodynamic and strength \u003cbr\u003eimprovements, or the modified control surfaces of the Mk VII and VIII, \u003cbr\u003ethe Mk IX still proved to be an effective counter to the Focke-Wulf Fw \u003cbr\u003e190.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003eIn September 1942, the \"High Altitude Flight\" was set up at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/RAF_Northolt\" title=\"RAF Northolt\"\u003eRAF Northolt\u003c\/a\u003e to counter the threat of the high altitude \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Junkers_Ju_86\" title=\"Junkers Ju 86\"\u003eJunkers Ju 86 R\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e bombers. Two Spitfire Mk IXs converted from Vcs were stripped of \u003cbr\u003earmour, the .303 Brownings and other equipment and repainted in a \u003cbr\u003elightweight PRU blue finish. One of them \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supermarine_Spitfire_operational_history#The_high-altitude_bombers\" title=\"Supermarine Spitfire operational history\"\u003eintercepted a Ju 86R at over 40,000 feet (12,000 m)\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003eProduction of the Mk IX finished at Supermarine in June 1943, \u003cbr\u003ewith production continuing exclusively at the Castle Bromwich factory. \u003cbr\u003eSeveral major and large numbers of minor improvements were progressively\u003cbr\u003e introduced to Mk IXs, some of which were used on other Spitfire \u003cbr\u003evariants. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"C_type\"\u003eC type\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: normal;\"\u003eAlso known as the \"universal wing\" the new \u003cbr\u003edesign was standard on the majority of Spitfires built from mid 1942. \u003cbr\u003eThe design of the wing was altered to reduce labour and manufacturing \u003cbr\u003etime and carry various armaments: A type, B type, or four 20 mm \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hispano-Suiza_HS.404#British_production\" title=\"Hispano-Suiza HS.404\"\u003eHispano\u003c\/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Autocannon\" title=\"Autocannon\"\u003ecannon\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"firstHeading\" class=\"firstHeading mw-first-heading\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mw-page-title-main\"\u003eJohn Plagis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"firstHeading\" class=\"firstHeading mw-first-heading\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mw-page-title-main\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eIoannis Agorastos\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e \"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eJohn\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003ePlagis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Distinguished_Service_Order\" title=\"Distinguished Service Order\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eDSO\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Distinguished_Flying_Cross_(United_Kingdom)\" title=\"Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eDFC\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e \u0026amp; \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Medal_bar\" title=\"Medal bar\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eBar\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e (1919–1974) was a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Southern_Rhodesia\" title=\"Southern Rhodesia\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eSouthern Rhodesian\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flying_ace\" title=\"Flying ace\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eflying ace\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Royal_Air_Force\" title=\"Royal Air Force\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eRoyal Air Force\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e (RAF) during the Second World War, noted especially for his part in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Siege_of_Malta_(World_War_II)\" title=\"Siege of Malta (World War II)\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003edefence of Malta\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e during 1942. The son of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Greeks_in_Zimbabwe\" title=\"Greeks in Zimbabwe\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eGreek immigrants\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e, he was accepted by recruiters only after Greece joined the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Allies_of_World_War_II\" title=\"Allies of World War II\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eAllies\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e in late 1940. Following spells with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/No._65_Squadron_RAF\" title=\"No. 65 Squadron RAF\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eNo. 65 Squadron\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/No._266_Squadron_RAF\" title=\"No. 266 Squadron RAF\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eNo. 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e, he joined \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/No._249_Squadron_RAF\" title=\"No. 249 Squadron RAF\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eNo. 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e in Malta in March 1942. Flying \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Supermarine_Spitfire\" title=\"Supermarine Spitfire\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eSpitfire\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mk Vs, Plagis was part of the multinational group of Allied pilots that\u003cbr\u003e successfully defended the strategically important island against \u003cbr\u003enumerically superior \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Axis_powers\" title=\"Axis powers\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eAxis\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e forces over the next few months. Flying with \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/No._185_Squadron_RAF\" title=\"No. 185 Squadron RAF\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eNo. 185 Squadron\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e from early June, he was withdrawn to England in early July 1942.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eAfter a spell as an instructor in the UK, Plagis returned to action in September 1943 as commander of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/No._64_Squadron_RAF\" title=\"No. 64 Squadron RAF\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eNo. 64 Squadron\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e, flying Spitfire Mk VCs over northern France. He took command of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/No._126_Squadron_RAF\" title=\"No. 126 Squadron RAF\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eNo. 126 (Persian Gulf) Squadron\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e in June 1944, and led many attacks on German positions during the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Invasion_of_Normandy\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Invasion of Normandy\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003einvasion of France\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e and the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Allied_advance_from_Paris_to_the_Rhine\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Allied advance from Paris to the Rhine\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003ecampaign\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e that followed; he was shot down over \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Arnhem\" title=\"Arnhem\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eArnhem\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e during \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Operation_Market_Garden\" title=\"Operation Market Garden\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eOperation Market Garden\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e, but only lightly wounded. After converting to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/North_American_P-51_Mustang\" title=\"North American P-51 Mustang\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eMustang IIIs\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e, he commanded a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wing_(military_aviation_unit)\" class=\"mw-redirect\" title=\"Wing (military aviation unit)\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003ewing\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e based at \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/RAF_Bentwaters\" title=\"RAF Bentwaters\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eRAF Bentwaters\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e that supported bombing missions. He finished the war with the rank of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Squadron_leader\" title=\"Squadron leader\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003esquadron leader\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e and remained with the RAF afterwards, operating \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gloster_Meteor\" title=\"Gloster Meteor\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003eGloster Meteors\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 14px;\"\u003e at the head of No. 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"firstHeading\" class=\"firstHeading mw-first-heading\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mw-page-title-main\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/www.1-72depot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/KP-CLK0006-marking.jpeg\" jsaction=\"\" class=\"sFlh5c FyHeAf iPVvYb\" style=\"max-width: 1158px; height: 533.778px; margin: 0px; width: 850.469px;\" alt=\"Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) - CLK0006 - Supermarine Spitfire IXc pilot Sqd.  Leader Johnny Plagis - 1\/72 Scale Model\" jsname=\"kn3ccd\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"firstHeading\" class=\"firstHeading mw-first-heading\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mw-page-title-main\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003c\/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/dd\u003e\n\u003c\/dl\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kovozavody (KP)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57795416654208,"sku":"CLK0006","price":20.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0978\/1601\/9328\/files\/CLK0006.jpg?v=1775218082","url":"https:\/\/pienoismallimarketti.fi\/products\/supermarine-spitfire-ixc-pilot-sqd-leader-johnny-plagis","provider":"Pienoismallimarketti","version":"1.0","type":"link"}