Bharat Rakshak:Indian Air Force

Occidental 1/48 Spitfire Mk IX

After the second world war, Vickers Armstrong contracted with the Royal Indian Air Force to modify ten Mk IXs into two seat trainers by adding a rear, raised seat and moving the front cockpit forward by 13 ½ in. These were the only new build Spitfires received by the RIAF. The RIAF received the T Mk IXs from 11.48 to 9.49. All aircraft went to Advanced Flying School ( India ), later Services Flying Training School at Ambala and finally to Conversion Training Unit at Hakimpet. The original RAF serials and the IAF serials later applied are detailed below. Of these only one T Mk IX has survived. Table showing Serial numbers of T Mk IXs delivered to India RAF Serial - Indian Serial MA 848 - HS 534 MH 432 - HS 535 MJ 177 - HS 536 MJ 276 - HS 537 MJ 451 - HS 538 MJ 518 - HS 539 MK 172 - HS 540 MK 176 - HS 541 MK 298 - HS 452 ML 417 - HS 543 The ac that I have modeled was originally an LF IXc clipped wing ML 417 which became HS 543 and was the last T IX delivered. It was taken on Charge by the RAF on 28.4.44 and allotted to 443 RCAF Squadron based at Ford in Jun 42. Coded 21-T it saw action during D Day landings and by late Jun was based at St Croix-Sumer, Normandy . Claimed two FW 190 probables on 13 Jul and two Bf 109s on 19 Jul all over Roune. It later claimed two 109s destroyed on 29 Sep and later passed through hands of 442, 401 and 441 Squadrons. Purchased by Vickers Armstrong on 31.10.46 for conversion to the trainer version, it was delivered to the RIAF on 15.11.48, this aircraft served with the AFS ( India ) till 1949 and then moved to Palam. It was then sent to the IAF museum in 1967. It was sold to Senator Norman Gaar of Kansas City in 4.71 and flew after restoration as a single seater in the UK on 10.2.84. Sold/Shipped to US in January 2002 to Freidken Family and is today based at Planes of Fame, Chino , CA . The Brigade models conversion is not meant for the Occidental kit. This is something I learnt at the end of the build. The amount of elbow grease and putty is simply not worth it, coz in the end I ended up with reduced dihedral and reduced span. The rear canopy did not fit the width of the rear cockpit and had to be heated and widened and the Brigade models cockpits come without a floor. Anyway it’s the only game in town and all in all it does provide for the new tail shape and extended fuselage + rear fuselage and canopy that would take you a month of Sundays to scratch build. The decals are from Model Alliance’s issue in the Spitfire profiles No 8 series by Jon Freeman and came to me via Phil Camp. There is much argument about the colors of the ‘chakra’. But Tonal assessment of B&W pics tells us that initial chakras at least on the Spits were all blue rather than the later Blue, Saffron and Green. The fin flash is saffron forward as was the practice till the early sixties. I used Testors acrylic aluminum overall and pastels to weather.