h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I recounted earlier this month how I rediscovered a partly made balsa wood model of a Supermarine Spitfire while clearing out the garage. In fact it’s one of a half a dozen models that I’d stored in the rafters rather than throw them away. All except this one and a much larger radio controlled glider were completed. The others had been flown but each were in need of some repairs to greater or lesser degrees. All very unlikely to happen now.

This Spitfire model was started just after l finished an edited guide entry on rubber-powered, scale-models about five years ago. It was intended to be an illustration of the type of thing the guide entry was on about. It got to the stage of the fuselage being mostly completed, but wings, undercarriage and tailplane has not yet been started. But then boredom set in and other, ore pressing matters took its place.

In the dim and distant past I have built well over a hundred of these type of models but the time had come when I just didn’t have the enthusiasm for them any longer. I gave up the hobby many years before and had only embarked on this one for ‘old times sake’ and to get a picture for the guide. Even so, enthusiasm had again run out before I managed to get it finished, so the guide entry has had to make do with a picture of the contents of the kit box.

But this model has a bit of sentimental history. The kit was manufactured by a company called Keil-Kraft and was designed by a gent named Albert E Hatfull. It was one of a number of different aircraft modelled by them in their series of kits, Flying Scale models. It was one of the first that as a kid, i attempted to make by myself. Over the years I made almost every one in the forty-odd models in the series and I think four of the Spitfire, with varying degrees of success.

The thing that stood out though about this particular model kit was that the illustration on the box was of a particular aeroplane that had been photographed in flight for publicity purposes by the RAF in 1942. One of the photos taken at the time was reproduced as a line drawing on the box. The picture showed the aircraft’s squadron markings QJ*S. serial No R5696. At the time of making the first model such things didn’t really matter much to me, it was a Spitfire! That small drawing captured my imagination like nothing else.

Later, when details meant an awful lot more I found that the actual aircraft had been in service during the Battle of Britain, flown by pilot officer A Wright in 92 Squadron. It was damaged and later modified to Mk 5b specification complete with twin 20 mm Hispano cannon in place of its eight Browning machine guns. The Mk5b spec is how it was pictured on the box as in the later photograph.

QJ S. R5696. Flown by pt off A WRIGHT 92 sqd Battle of Britain.

I never actually got around to making the model as depicted on the box. Weirdly that’s something that I’ve always regretted and regarded as unfinished business. Maybe it will get done after all.

Would that be: A87763026 Constructing Rubber-Powered, Free-Flight, Scale Models

<BB<

Yes, that’s the one.

Long time, how time flies.

Deek