It has been some time since my last posting here at the forum, but I think this release has a rather significant relation to the classic British theme on this forum.
Over the last 5 years I have been working on a rather large collection of paints for the Realair Spitfire IX covering the entire period the mark IX was in Norwegian service, from 1942 to 52. 331, 331 (N) sqn and 132nd (N) Wing aircraft are included. The count is now 22 texture sets which have been researched to the best of my ability.
The original realair paintkit has also got major work to make the paints look as real as possible. Some of the changes are; reworked panel lines with correct details as radio and rear access hatches, all RAF decals are new, all stencils are new, crowbar is stripped back to the bare metal as it should for a wartime Spit (Realair painted it red as seen on todays rebuilds), Rotol prop blade decals (Realair painted it as the current modern blades). Camouflage, has for most texture sets been custom made to match pictures. Custom made fonts have also been made for most serials as they (or part of it) don't match any PC font. The armament options have also been replicated on the textures with correct firing port covers and case ejection ports. The IXe wing will never be 100% accurate as the Realair model has the IXc armament with the canon in the inner bay and 303 mgs in the outer wing. The IXe wing had the canon in the outer canon bay and a .50-cal in the inner.
My goal with this package is to try to do a little to keep the memory and history of these brave young Norwegians which flew and fought in Britain finest aircraft alive. Many of them never lived to enjoy the peace they fought for.
A short summary of the included aircraft and a short pilot history of some of the pilots associated with the individual Spitfires. :
1.IXc "AH-W" (BS507), 332 Sqn, 1942
BS507 "AH-W" was the personal aircraft of the Squadron commander, Major Wilhelm Mohr of No. 332 (Norwegian) Sqn. in late 1942/early 1943. Mohr continued in the RNoAF after the war, his postings included "Chief of the Air Force" and he retired as Lt. Gen in 1975. He flew in the Spitfire for the last time (so far!) in 2014.
2.IXc "FN-B" (MH603), 331 Sqn, 1943
This aircraft survived the war and is currently under restauration in Australia. Standard 331 Sqn scheme of the period.
3.IXc "AH-T" (BS255), 332 Sqn, 1943
BS255 "AH-T" of 332 Sqn was often flown by the ace 2.Lt Marius Eriksen. He claimed several of his 9 victories in this aircraft. It was also the aircraft he was shot down in on 2nd May 1941 after first having shot down an Fw 190. Eriksen survived the war as a POW. He briefly continued to fly fighters after the war before becoming a businessman and noted sportsman.
4.IXc "FN-L" (MA568), 331 Sqn , 1943
MA568 "FH-L" flown by Captain Svein Heglund of No. 331 (Norwegian) Sqn., the highest scoring Norwegian fighter ace of WW2, credited with 16 victories. This particular aircraft was used during seven of Heglund’s victories when he was serving in No. 331 Sqn of the North Weald Wing in 1943. Svein Heglund later also served with great success as a night fighter pilot flying Mosquito's with No 85 Sqn RAF, getting three BF-110 victories during bomber escort mission over Germany. Heglund continued in the RNoAF after the war and retired as a General in 1982.
The aircraft was also used by Lt. Nils Kolbjørn Jørstad for one victory in June 1943. The aircraft have 4+ probably destroyed German fighters on its tally.
5.IXc "FN-R" (BS125), 331 Sqn, 1943
BS125 "FN-R" was often flown by 331 Sqn B flight commander Capt. Leif Lundsten. During the spring of 1943 Lundsten shot down both an Fw 190 and a JU-88 in this aircraft. He took command of 331 Sqn. in the spring of 44 and led the squadron during the D-day (6th June 1944). Sadly he was killed on 9th June 1944 when he was shot down by friendly fire from a naval vessel in the English Channel when returning from a mission over France.
6.IXc "AH-Z" (EN177), 332 Sqn, 1943 Summer
"EN177" coded "AH-Z" of No 332 (Norwegian) Sqn. flown by B-flight commander Captein Werner Christie in the summer of 1943. At the time Christie was credited with 3 kills. He became squadron commander for 332 Sqn. in 1944 and led the squadron during the D-day. Christie shot down 6 enemy aircraft in Spitfires. Werner Christie was one of a very few Norwegians which took command of both a British Squadron (234 Sqn) and later an entire wing (150th Wing/Hunsdon Wing). He shot down 4 enemy aircraft while flying the Mustang III and IV which brings his total to 10. After 244 operational missions he was shot down over Germany on 18 April 1945 and held as a POW until the war's end.
After the war Christie continued in the air force. In 1968 become a General, finally retiring in 1977. He died in December 2004 in Oslo.
“EN177” was also flown by 2.Lt Marius Eriksen on April 20th 1943 when he shot down a Ju-88 at 35.000ft.
7.IXc "AH-O" (ML244), 332 Sqn, 1944
ML244 "AH-O" of No 332 (Norwegian) Sqn. flown by 2.Lt Ola Gjert Aanjesen from the forward airfield Bognor Regis in the summer of 1944. This aircraft took part in the “D-day”. Aanjesen shot down 5 enemy aircraft and survived the war. After the war he continued to fly Spitfires as the squadron commander of 332 Sqn until 1946.
8.IXc "AH-Z" (NH171), 332 Sqn
NH171 "AH-Z" of No 332 (Norwegian) Sqn. flown by the squadron commander Major Werner Christie on the D-day (6th June 1944). For more information see texture set 6.
9.IXe "RAB" (PV181), 132nd Wing, 1945
PV181 "RAB" was the personal aircraft of Wing Commander Rolf Arne Berg of the 132nd (Norwegian) Wing of the 2nd Tactical Air Force in late 1944. As was the privilege of a Wing Commander, the aircraft bears his initials (RAB) as the aircraft code, but he also added Norwegian national markings on the wings and rudder. Rolf Arne Berg was by many considered to be one of the best Norwegian Spitfire pilots and he enjoyed high respect as a commander, he was credited with 6 victories. Tragically he was shot down by and killed during his final combat mission in February 1945.
10.IXe "RAB" (PV181), late scheme, 132nd Wing, 1945
Same aircraft as above, but at a later stage. RAF higher authority did not approve Bergs use of the Norwegian flag stripes on the rudder and wings and demanded PV181 to be brought back to RAF regulations. PV181 become one of the first Spitfire’s to be painted in accordance to the new marking regulations for the 2nd Tactical Air Force. This included a small C1 roundel on the wings, no sky coloured band on the aft fuselage and a black spinner. The aircraft had this scheme when Berg was shot down and killed.
11.IXe "AH-F" (NH475), 332 Sqn, 1945 Homecoming
NH475 “AH-F” of No 332 (Norwegian) Sqn. as it looked during the homecoming flight to Norway in May 1945. Of interest are the C1 roundel on the wings, serial painted on the underside of the wings and of course the Norwegian flag stripes which was painted on the rudder. This aircraft also have the pointed rudder. This aircraft continued in RNoAF service after the war and was later coded A-AY. It was written off after a landing accident in 1949.
12.IXe "AH-S" (NH550), 332 Sqn, 1945 Homecoming
NH550 “AH-S” of No 332 (Norwegian) Sqn. as it looked during the homecoming flight to Norway in May 1945. Of interest are the C1 roundel on the wings, serial painted on the underside of the wings and of course the Norwegian flag stripes which was painted on the rudder. This aircraft has clipped wings. This aircraft continued in RNoAF service after the war and was later coded A-BO and AH-Z. See texture set 17 and 20 for additional schemes used by this aircraft.
13.IXe "FN-L" (MJ931), 331 Sqn, 1945 Homecoming
MJ931 “FN-L” of No 331 (Norwegian) Sqn. as it looked during the homecoming flight to Norway in May 1945. Of interest are the C1 roundel on the wings, serial painted on the underside of the wings and of course the Norwegian flag stripes which was painted on the rudder. This aircraft continued in RNoAF service after the war and was later coded A-AI. It was written off after an accident in 1947. See also texture set 15.
14.IXe "FN-Z" (PL187), 331 Sqn, 1945 Homecoming
PL187 “FN-Z” of No 331 (Norwegian) Sqn. as it looked during the homecoming flight to Norway in May 1945. Of interest are the C1 roundel on the wings, serial painted on the underside of the wings and of course the Norwegian flag stripes which was painted on the rudder. The flag stripes has slightly different proportions than seen on most of the other Spitfires. This aircraft has clipped wings. This aircraft continued in RNoAF service after the war and was later coded A-AS. It crashed after an engine failure in 1949, the pilot parachuted successfully.
15.IXe "FN-L" (MJ931), 331 Sqn, 1945 Summer
MJ931 “FN-L” of No 331 (Norwegian) Sqn. as it looked during the summer of 1945. As the Norwegian squadrons were still under RAF command, RAF roundels are still used. 331 Sqn introduced Norwegian flag stripes on the rear fuselage, covering the RAF sky coloured band.
This aircraft continued in RNoAF service after the war and was later coded A-AI. It was written off after an accident in 1947. See also texture set 13.
16.IXe "FN-K" (PT882), Feltflyvingen, 1946
PT882 "FN-K" of the "Feltflyvingen" of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1946. The "Feltflyvingen" was a short lived cadre/Operational training unit in the immediate post war years when both 331 and 332 Sqn were temporarily disbanded due to personnel shortage. It still carries 331 Sqn codes.
17.IXe "AH-S" (NH550), 332 Sqn, 1946
NH550 “AH-S” of No 332 (Norwegian) Sqn. as it looked in 1946. At this stage the RAF roundels have been overpainted with the new Norwegian roundel. The fuselage roundel has the same size as the British, but the wing roundel is smaller. 332 Sqn introduced Norwegian flag stripes on the tailfin in a position similar to the RAF tail flash. This aircraft have clipped wings. This aircraft was later coded A-BO and AH-Z. See texture set 12 and 20 for additional schemes used by this aircraft.
18.IXe "A-CD" (JL361), 331 Sqn, 1950
Spitfire Mk IXe JL361 "A-CD" of 331 Sqn of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1950. From 1946 the RAF wartime squadron codes were changed to a new system with one aircraft type letter (A for Spitfire) and two individual aircraft letter codes regardless of the squadron. This new system was not popular with the squadrons and during 1951 the old squadron codes were reintroduced.
19.IXe "AH-H" (MK671), 332 Sqn, 1951-52
Spitfire Mk IXe MK671 "AH-H" of 332 Sqn of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1951. It has a pointed rudder. Standard Norwegian scheme after regulations of 1951 which brought the old squadron codes back into use.
20.IXe "AH-Z" (NH550), 332 Sqn, 1951-52
Spitfire Mk IXe NH550 "AH-Z" of 332 Sqn of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1951. At this stage of its career it has got normal wing tips and a pointed rudder. Standard Norwegian scheme after regulations of 1951 which brought the old squadron codes back into use.
21.IXe "FN-L" (PL912), 331 Sqn, 1951
Spitfire Mk IXe PL912 "FN-L" of 331 Sqn of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1951. It has a pointed rudder. Standard Norwegian scheme after regulations of 1951 which brought the old squadron codes back into use.
22.IXe "FN-C" (ML363), 331 Sqn, 1951
Spitfire Mk IXe ML363 "FN-C" of 331 Sqn of the Royal Norwegian Air Force in 1951. It has a pointed rudder. Standard Norwegian scheme after regulations of 1951 which brought the old squadron codes back into use.
The package is available over at the SoH, enjoy!
