Item#: 60321

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XVIe

The Supermarine Spitfire was designed by R.J. Mitchell and its
distinctive silhouette makes it one of the most widely-recognized
fighters of WWII. Famous for its exploits during the Battle of
Britain, the Spitfire continued to evolve to counter newer Axis
aircraft. As a result of this evolution, numerous variants of the
Spitfire were born and served with distinction in the RAF as
well as the air forces of many other countries until well after
the end of WWII.

The Spitfire Mk.XVI was almost identical to the Mk.IX in nearly
all aspects except that most were powered by a Packard-built
Merlin 266 engine which had taller dimensions than the Rolls
Royce 66 engine and featured a bubble canopy with a "low back"
fuselage. Other new structural changes saw the Mk.XVI equipped
with a larger 96 gallon main fuel tank, as well as two additional
fuel tanks installed at the rear of the fuselage and a larger
oil sump to allow it to fly longer distances. Mk.XVIes were
mainly used in ground-attack roles and came with the "E" armament
configuration of two 20mm cannons and two 12.7mm Browning
machine guns. Also, as concrete tarmacs became more common as the
war progressed, changes to the camber angle of the Spitfire's
landing gears were made to make for more efficient landings and
take-offs. With the changes made to the new gun and cannon
positioning, ammunition ejection ports, and the landing gear
design, the wings featured new bulges compared to the Mk.IX. The
Mk.XVIe, served with distinction throughout Europe for the latter
half of the war.

Specs & Features

· 1/32 scale assembly kit of the Supermarine Spitfire M.XVIe.

· This is the first 1/32 scale Spitfire Mk.XVIe full injection
kimodel.

· Challenging model production technology limits, the engine
cowlings have an amazing 0.4mm thickness to allow for a fully
accurate scale representation of the engine. These cowlings can
be installed and removed thanks to small magnets.

· The E Wing with its two 20mm cannons and two 12.7mm Browning
machine guns is faithfully reproduced.

· The details of the Packard Motor built Merlin 266 engine,
including oil tanks and supercharger, have been faithfully
remodeled.

· Movable elevators, rudder, and ailerons. Flaps can be depicted
in up or down position.

· Landing gear parts included to depict either up or down
position (interchangeable).

· Complicated frame configuration of the cockpit features
realistic bulkheads and frames.

· Photo-etched parts to depict details such as wheel covers,
cockpit area including instrument panel and seat belts with or
without pilot included.

· 1 seated and 1 standing pilot figures are included.

· Three kinds of markings included.

· Also included is a display stand which enables you to depict
the plane in flight

· A variety of Tamiya AS and XF paints are separately available
for the perfect paint job.