Supermarine Spitfire Vb night fighter JU-H, 111 Sqn, RAF Deben, 1941
Sgt Peter Durnford

This was an enjoyable, fairly simple build, using one of the decal options in Airfix's 1:48 scale Club exclusive "Specialist Spitfires" as inspiration. It represents a Spitfire Vb of 111 Squadron, which flew Spitfires as night fighters for a fairly brief period in 1941-2. The base kit was the Vb from Airfix's "Channel Dash" boxing, with the addition of straight exhausts taken from PM Models' Spitfire VC and a De Havilland prop & spinner from the Arfix Mk I/IIa boxing. (I know there is written evidence that these aircraft were fitted with "fishtail" exhausts for night-fighting purposes but the straight exhausts are my best interpretation of the two photos available to meet.) Fuselage roundels and fin flashes were from the kit whilst Medium Sea Grey codes were Xtradecal, donated by a friend on Britmodeller. This particular aircraft was flown by Flight Sergeant Peter Durnford and in it he scored his first "probable", a Fw190, during Operation Cerberus, also known as the Channel Dash, thus bringing us full circle.