Scale: 1/72 | Models used: Revell Battle of Britain Set – Spitfire Mk.IIa (Nr. 03766), 3D-figure from Superhobby.com

A British mechanic stands proudly next to a Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa from No. 19 Sqn. This plane will be made ready to defend the skies during the Battle of Britain in 1940.

The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the war.

During the Battle of Britain (July–October 1940), the more numerous Hurricane flew more sorties resisting the Luftwaffe, but the Spitfire captured the public’s imagination, in part because the Spitfire was generally a better fighter aircraft than the Hurricane.

Spitfire Mark IA, X4179 QV-B, of No. 19 Squadron, on the ground at Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire, as the pilot, F/O Francis N Brinsden, undertakes a cockpit check prior to take off, 21 September 1940. Source: battleofbritain1940.com

The model comes from the Revell Battle of Britain set (Nr. 03766), a very nice collection box which comes with four iconic planes of this famous air campaign. Instructions are clear, parts are well moulded and the model is build up pretty quickly. Painting the Spitfire was a case of testing different kinds of tones for the camouflage pattern. I chose a dark earth brown from Vallejo and an Italeri dunkelgrün.

The final detail stage consisted of a tone filter with a dust wash, application of decals and a pinwash to enhance the panel lines.

A 3D-printed mechanic figure from a Polish manufacturer brings life to the scene. I made the base by utilising a Tamiya plastic base and applied dirt texture and the required grasses. To give more context to the diorama I added a barrel and some crates from Black Dog.