Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force

Spitfire Parade -1/72 Airfix Mk V, MPM XVIII and Academy XVIs

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.