Supermarine Spitfire Mark Vb. North West Europe 1941-44 – Black Box Edition

72591 – 1/72 – Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb North West Europe 1941-44 – Black Box Edition

The Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb became the backbone of RAF Fighter
Command’s offensive and defensive operations over North West Europe
between 1941 and 1943. Entering front line service in early 1941, the Mk
Vb equipped many of the squadrons conducting the “Circus,” “Rodeo,” and
“Ramrod” operations—daylight fighter sweeps and bomber escorts intended
to draw the Luftwaffe into combat. Its improved Merlin 45 engine and
universal wing made it a versatile platform, though by mid 1941 it was
already meeting increasingly capable German opposition.

The real test came in early 1942 with the appearance of the Focke
Wulf Fw 190A over France. The so called “Focke Wulf Summer” exposed the
Mk Vb’s limitations in speed, roll rate, and climb at low to medium
altitudes. RAF losses rose sharply, and Fighter Command was forced to
adapt tactics while waiting for the Spitfire Mk IX to restore parity.
Despite this disadvantage, Mk Vb units continued aggressive cross
Channel operations, often led by experienced aces such as Robert
Stanford Tuck or Wilfrid Duncan Smith, two of the very few RAF fighters
pilots to earn the Distinguished Flying Cross with Two Bars for repeated
gallantry in combat.

Full list of Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb – North West Europe 1941-44 – Black Box Limited Edition contents:

2x Complete Spitfire Mk Vb plastic model kits (each of them including
two different fuselage versions and two different wing upper halves
variants)

1x Huge decal sheet with 18(!) marking options (containing 42 roundels
and 20 fin flashes to cater for the huge variety included in the box!)

2x 3D-printed cockpit structure insert (with/without additional armour and headrest)

2x Sets of 3D-printed wheels

2x Sets of 3D-printed exhausts (each of them in 4 different variants!)

2x 3D-printed seamless carburetor air intakes

10x 3D-printed rear view mirrors (5 variants, each in 2 copies)

6x 3D-printed gunsights (3 variants, each in 2 copies)

2x Photo-etched frames with some of the smaller details

2x Sets of the most thoroughly researched stencils ever prepared for a
Spitfire Mk Vb model in any scale (with separate subsets for
Supermarine, CBAF and Westland-produced machines)

2x Sets of painting masks

1x Special bonus