Get item URLs Spitfire Parade - The four spitfire models seen in a line up Get item URLs Clockwise from Top, the XVIII, FR XIV, VIII and PR XIX Get item URLs Evolution of the Burma fighters - Vengeance MK III (Revell kit), Hurricane IIc (Academy), Spitfire MK VIII and Spitfire FR Mk XIVe Get item URLs IAF Pilots scramble to their Spitfire VIIIs. Note the unique white band on the dark spinner of the second Spitfire. Get item URLs The first is of course a Mk VIII in the post war RAF three colour reduced size markings and grey/green SEAC scheme. Get item URLs The second is an Mk FR XIVe in the dark brown/dark green with white ID bands. The RAF roundels have had their red portions removed to avoid any confusion with the Japanese Hinamaru but have not yet been reduced in size and the white has not yet been repla Get item URLs The third aircraft, an F Mk XVIIIe is in post war Silver with matt black anti glare panel on the nose with a gloss red spinner. For a short while, soon after independence, the RIAF used the ‘Chakra’ markings from the Indian Flag which represented 24 hours Get item URLs Lastly a PR Mk XIX modified from the Academy XIV with guns removed and modified windshield and antenna) is depicted in RAF PR blue and a black spinner. 14 such aircraft were operated by 101 PR flight from Jan 48 at Palam. Page: 1 « Jump to Album » Modelling the... -- Polly Singh's... -- -- 1/72 Lindberg SE 5a -- -- Frog / Novell... -- -- Airfix 1/72... -- -- Match Box 1/72... -- -- Monogram 1/48... -- -- Airfix 1/72... -- -- Monogram 1/48... -- -- Revell Frog 1/72 ... -- -- Spitfire Parade... -- -- Academy and... -- -- Academy 1/48 ... -- -- Match Box 1/72 ... -- -- Occidental 1/48... -- -- Italeri 1/72... -- -- Italeri 1/72 Bell... -- -- Heller 1/72... -- -- Matchbox 1/72... -- -- Hobbycraft 1/72... -- -- Canberra Farewell... -- -- Aeroclub 1/72... -- -- Black Panty Hunter -- -- Academy 1/48... -- -- Alliance 1/72... -- -- Fujimi 1/72... -- -- KP 1/72 ... -- -- Airfix, Heller... -- -- 1/72 The Indian... -- -- Fujimi MiG-21PF, ... -- -- Hasegawa 1/72... -- -- Heller 1/72... -- -- 1/72 Italeri Hawk... -- Rupesh Santoshi's... -- -- Matchbox 1/72... -- -- Matchbox 1/72... -- -- Hasegawa 1/72... -- -- Hasegawa 1/72... -- -- Eastern Express... -- Murli Rajan 's... -- -- 1:48 Academy... -- -- Academy MiG-29... -- -- MiG-29UB -- -- Tamiya 1/72 MiG-29 -- -- Hasegawa 1/72... -- -- 1/72 Mirage 2000 -- -- Zvezdz 1/72... -- -- Dornier Do-228 -- -- Hawker Hunter F.56 -- -- Academy 1/72... -- -- Academy MiG-23 in... -- -- SEPECAT Jaguar IS -- -- SEPECAT Jaguar IB -- -- MiG-21M -- -- MiG-23MF -- -- Mil Mil-35... -- -- Italeri 1/72... -- -- Hawker Hurricane IIc -- -- Spitfire FR.XIV -- Misc Modeller... -- -- Hasegawa 1/48... -- -- Hasegawa 1/72... -- -- Matchbox 1/72... -- -- Aeroclub 1/48 HAL... -- -- Academy 1/48... -- -- OEZ N02 1/48... -- -- Tamiya 1/100... -- -- Academy 1/48... -- -- Academy 1/48... -- -- Eastern Express... -- -- KP Models 1/72 ... -- -- ESCI 1/48 MiG-23UM -- -- Trumpeter 1/144... -- -- Revell 1/48 Mil... -- -- Revell 1/32 Mig-29 -- -- Italeri 1/72 MiG-29 -- -- Italeri 1/72 MiG-29 -- -- Trumpeter 1/48... -- -- Academy 1/48... -- Aamod Potdar's... -- -- Academy 1/48... -- -- Italeri 1/72... -- -- Italeri 1/72... -- -- Italeri 1/72 Sea ... -- -- Balsa Wood 1/72... -- -- Academy 1/48 Mig ... -- -- Tamiya 1/72 Mi-25... Indian Air Force ... -- Stamps -- Special and First... -- Brochures and... Aviation Art -- Denis Anthony La ... -- Ian Steele Loughran -- Polly Singh -- Joseph Arul Raj -- K S Raman -- Miscellaneous... -- Derek Bunce History -- The RIAF in World... -- -- RIAF Water... -- -- No.4 Squadron in ... -- -- No.4 Squadron in ... -- -- Sqn Ldr M S Pujji... -- -- Sqn Ldr MS Pujji... -- Jets and Growth: ... -- -- 54th Pilots Course -- -- Group Captain B S... -- -- Tenure with No.3 ... -- -- The Battle Axes' ... -- -- 65th Pilots Course -- -- Instructional Duties -- -- No.2 Squadron -... -- -- No.2 Squadron -... -- -- No.2 Squadron -... -- -- No.45 Squadron... -- The... -- -- 114 Helicopter Unit -- 1971 War -- -- Gp Capt Harish... -- The Last Quarter ... -- -- Group Captain B S... -- -- Wg Cdr P M Ahuja ... -- -- Air Vice Marshal ... Memorials and... -- Flight Crew... Medal Gallery -- World War II Groups Collectibles -- LP Album Record -... Advanced Search

The Indian Air Force received its first Spitfire, a LF Mk VIIIc on the eve of the third Arakan campaign when No 4 Sqn, operating from Cox’s Bazaar (now in Bangladesh) had a lone Mk VIII path finding for Allied P-47s and P-51s. The IAF was to eventually receive some 300 Spitfires of various marks, primarily LF VIIIc, F/FR XIVe, F/FR XVIIIe, one single PR XI, ten T IX and 14 PR XIX. Initially all aircraft were retained in RAF serials (Mk XIV allotted IAF serials but not painted on) as they were handed over by departing or stood down RAF sqns (81, 131, 61 and 34 sqns), on loan. The newly independent (14 Aug 47) ‘Royal’ Indian AF finally received 159 aircraft between 29 Dec 47 to mid 1953. Only the T IXs were directly received from Vickers. The Spitfire replaced the Hurricane MkIIc in RIAF service and by Jul 1945 all RIAF fighter units were equipped with Spitfires of various marks. Indian Spitfires also formed part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (with 11 and 17 sqns RAF) at Miho in Japan for nearly a year. During the Oct 1947 invasion of Kashmir by Pakistani regulars, Spitfires were the first combat aircraft to be flown in to Srinagar. Only the Mk VIIIs were used, as the XIV were considered too tricky to fly from the miniscule, rough and dusty strip. Almost all Spitfire units began to re equip with the Tempest II from mid 1947 and the last units became the advanced operational training school at Hakimpet and 14 Sqn that exchanged its Spitfire Mk XVIIIs for Hunters in mid 1957. I have tried to model each of the major types in the four distinct schemes of those times.