Victory Productions 1/32 Spitfire - Aces of the Empire

With the recent release by Tamiya of a stunning 1/32 Spitfire Mk IX, I was wondering who would be first to come out with aftermarket decals. It looks like Victory Productions has been anticipating this release, and a mere weeks after the kit has hit the shelves, this stunning sheet with no less than 14 (!) options is now available.

The title of the sheet is Aces of the Empire, so you get what you'd expect: RAF, RCAF, and RAAF Spitfires. Camouflages run the gamut of Spitfire schemes, so whatever your current Spitfire desires, chances are this sheet has an option for you. The decals themselves are beautifully printed, with one of the best Sky representations I have seen in decal form (for some reason my scanner has translated those to more of a gray color; rest assured that the actual color is an accurate Sky). Registration is spot-on, from the roundels to the small badges. One should not hesitate to get this sheet on quality alone.

So what are the options, you are wondering. Well, while there are 14 distinct options, there are actually fewer specific aircraft. The first two options explain that, as they are of the same plane, a Spitfire Mk VII, MD188, but from different points in time. The first example shows the plane in Medium Sea Gray over PRU Blue, while the second has it with a crudely applied Temperate scheme of Ocean Gray and Dark Green painted over the Medium Sea Gray, with a very wide feathering. The undersides remained in PRU Blue. A third option is possible, consisting of the original Medium Sea Gray over PRU Blue, but with the invasion stripes on the lower side only. This aircraft was flown by Wing Commander Peter Brothers of the Culmhead Wing (Nos 131 and 616 Squadrons).

Aircraft numbers three and four are Australian examples, both Spitfire Mk VIIIs. The first is A58-484 from 452 Squadron, flown by Group Captain Clive R. Caldwell. The camouflage of RAAF Spitfires is a confusing one, and the instructions go into detail on the process. Suffice to say, this aircraft is finished in RAAF Foliage Green and either RAF or RAAF Dark Earth over RAAF Sky Blue. The second Australian option is the very well known "Grey Nurse" flown by Wing Commander Robert "Bobby" Gibbes of 457 Squadron. With its large sharkmouth and big name painted on the fuselage, this aircraft has long been a popular subject for Spitfire modelers.

Next up are Spitfires flown by well-known Canadian aces Johnnie Johnson and George "Buzz" Beurling. Buzz Beurling has two aircraft depicted on this sheet, MA585 and MH883. Both aircraft feature his long string of victory markings on the fuselage. Johnnie Johnson apparently was well liked by Victory Productions, for no less than four options are included. For Johnson's EN398, the decals provide both a red and a green maple leaf, as there is some confusion as to that marking. Johnson himself has contradictory recollections, remembering red at one time and green another. As these were decals, though, and other aircraft in the squadron definitely had red, it is highly likely that Johnson's aircraft also had red. The option is there for the modeler, though, which is a nice touch.

Johnson's MK392 was a Spitfire Mk IXe, and like MD188 you can vary the invasion stripes to get a different look for when this plane was with 144 Wing at Normandy. Johnson continued to fly this plane while with 127 Wing in Holland. While Johnson later moved on to the Spitfire Mk XIV, his last kill was in the Mk IX. Indeed, Johnson was the leading Spitfire Mk IX ace, with 27 of his 34 victories obtained in that type. The last option is the infamous "MK329", coded JE-J Jr. An invented serial for a plane built up from spares and wrecks, the E wing was often loaded with kegs of beer on the "Depth Charge Modification XXX" for use at the front. Kegs of beer are not included in the decal sheet.

The remaining Temperate Spitfire options are BS410 of 315 (Polish) Squadron, flown by Frances "Gabby" Gabreski and RR201 of 411 Squadron, flown by Richard "Dick" Audet. Gabreski's Spitfire is very interesting, as he flew with the RAF after the formation of the 8th Air Force in England. He convinced his superiors to let him fly with the Polish squadron to gain combat experience. The aircraft included on this sheet was Gabreski's first combat aircraft, flying this on a sortie on 21 January 1943. Dick Audet's Spitfire is another great one to have on this sheet, as Audet's first kill and ace status happened on the same mission on 29 December 1944. During that mission, his canopy flew off halfway through, but he managed to shoot down two Bf 109s and three Fw 190s.

Rounding out the sheet are two desert Spitfires, both flown by Colin Gray. Both are finished in Dark Earth and Middle Stone over Azure Blue. The first is coded FL-A in white, while the second just has CC codes in red, outlined in white. Markings on both of these options are minimal, but they are finished in the desert scheme, so it is good to have them on this sheet for completeness.

The decal sheet provides roundels for one RAF/RCAF aircraft and one RAAF aircraft, with an additional set of fuselage roundels for the Medium Sea Gray/PRU Blue MD188. As the Tamiya kit comes with roundels, this is not a big problem for those wanting to build more than one of these options. Even if you only build one of these in 1/32, the information presented in the instructions will be very useful for finishing Spitfires in other scales, as the research presented here is quite thorough. My thanks to Victory Productions for the review copy. Visit their website for ordering information.