Northrop P-44B Spitfire

[Alvis 3.1]

*From "Merlins over Oahu" Published 1954

"..chased onto the airfield itself by strafing Japanese fighters. Fortunately, the mechanics had already gotten all 6 P-44s up and running, and Peterson and Wilburton were able to scramble into the cockpits and start taxiing before the Zeroes had time to return. They began their takeoff runs in opposite directions, to ensure that one of them had a chance to get airborne safely.

Peterson almost bent the throttle of his Spitfire in an attempt to get off the airfield as fast as possible. The Zeroes were already turning towards him, and he knew his only hope was to build up speed and altitude. Looking towards Hickam Field, Peterson saw a lone P-40 being shot up by a Japanese torpedo bomber. As he attempted to close the distance, Peterson could only watch helplessly as the P-40 exploded and crashed under a small bridge. What a waste, and what an odd place to wind up...under a bridge. Suddenly, his attention was brought back to his own desperate struggle to survive..."

Of course, Captain Walter Peterson would go on to shoot down 11 planes that day, becoming a double ace in a plane the US Army hadn't wanted to buy in the first place! The story of the P-44 began several years earlier, in England, when a Northrop executive saw some impressive performance from an RAF Spitfire. Realising that it was in advance of anything the US had at the time, he deftly negotiated a license building agreement with Supermarine, and persuaded Packard to manufacture the Merlin as well. The US Army didn't like the idea of a "foreign" plane being built with taxpayers money, but was overridden by government officials who saw the gathering storm clouds, and heeding the warnings of people like Charles Lindberg, began to build anything to match the supposed might of the Luftwaffe.

After the battle of Britain, Northrop P-44 production was ramped up, and improvements were added to the planes. Upgunning to .50 cal guns began to take place, although the planes sent to Hawaii in November of 1941 still only had the two .50 cals in them, with the remaining 6 still being Browning .30 calibers. Fortunately, their first foray into combat was against Japanese planes that had little or no armour.

The kit:

Revell 1/48th Spitfire

Decals from HobbyCraft P-40

Alvis 3.1

Edited May 27, 2009 by Alvis 3.1

[Tomcat RIO]

wow i took a good long look. it might have been possible! the american connection with the merlin could've begun much earlier!

[Alvis 3.1]

Oh, gotta add that the Revell (nee Monogram) Spitfire is a bit of a pig to build...minor fit issues, especially around the canopy, but the biggest problem was the landing gear struts being too fragile, they got broken several times just when trying to attach them. Yes, the real aircraft also had gear that was a tad fragile (especially when the plane was modified for carrier use) but these were just too easily broken. It's really marketed as a beginner type kit, at a Skill Level 2, but I don't think I'd recommend it to a neophyte.

I only used it as I had purchased it to get the decals for my He-112/"Spitfire". Now, what to do with a decal-less HobbyCraft P-40?

Alvis 3.1

[HOLMES]

Alvis..

This is what I think of your Spitfire.....

and the background story to it is just amazing...

HOLMES