Showing posts with label Spitfire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spitfire. Show all posts

07 November, 2022

For the first time since WWII, thousands of Spitfires are to be mass-produced in the UK

Airfix repatriates production for the launch of the new Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc Super Kit

Photo Airfix
Airfix, one of the world’s oldest and most well-known manufacturers of model kits, is launching a new Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc model. The premium model will be manufactured in the UK – the first time a main model kit has been produced in the country in over a decade.


The 433-part Super Kit, which produces a 1:24 scale model, will be manufactured in a factory on the south coast. It is arguably the best kit to be produced by Airfix since the company’s inception in 1952 and this particular Spitfire model is set to become an icon in its own right.


Retailing at £94.99, the premium aircraft model will measure 397mm in length with a 469mm wingspan when built and is available in five design/scheme options.


This is the second time that Airfix has moved part of its manufacturing requirements back to the UK. In 2006 Hornby Hobbies acquired the brand and in 2012 they moved an initial part of the production, specifically for its Quickbuild range, to a plant in East Sussex resulting in improved quality, reduced lead times, next-day deliveries and flexible stock holding.


Talking about why now is the right time to bring production of this prestigious model back to the UK, Dale Luckhurst, Head of Brand at Airfix, said:

04 June, 2021

Top G7 VIPs are to lend young apprentices a helping hand on iconic Spitfire rebuild.

132 Squadron of Spitfire Mk Vb’s                                                    photo www.imperialwarmuseum.org.uk

                                  On 9 June 2021, senior G7 representatives will visit the Trelonk estate in Cornwall, to assist a young team of apprentices and aviation engineers engaged in the reconstruction of the 'St. Ives, Cornwall' Presentation Spitfire.

In December 1941, following 15 months of determined fundraising by the local community, the St. Ives Spitfire fund reached its target of £5,000, enabling the construction of Spitfire BL709 'St. Ives, Cornwall' in early 1942.

BL709 spent its life in the service of 340 Squadron, with 13 'Free French' pilots at its controls taking part in 49 missions. On 12 June 1942, less than 6 months into operations, the plane was struck off following severe damage sustained during a raid. Despite its short career, the plane remains an immense source of pride for the local community of St. Ives.

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