The Spitraider

kitbash 1/48 Otaki Spitfire & Heller 1/100 Transal

by Ausonus

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The   "SPITRAIDER"
The  most   unknown  prototype  of  the  Royal air Force!

The  prototype  of  the Spitraider (derived from the Spitfire Mk 1) first flew on March 21st 1940 and was the direct competitor of the Westland Whirlwind.  It was powered by two Rolls Royce Peregrine-785 Hp.  Its max speed was expected to be 460 mph at sea level and 550mph at 15000 feet.  

Climb: 4'50'' to reach 15000 feet.
Low level range: (only) 310 miles
Weight: 3160 kg/ 4505 kg
Armament: one 20 mm Hispano-suiza, three Brownings Mk2 in the nose.

Click on images below to see larger images

The prototype first flew with a mockup under belly canon but unfortunately crashed on the second flight on April 1st 1940.  The test pilot, Flight Lieutnant K. Islanding was injured but survived.  The cause of the crash was the breaking of the right gear on landing;
The " Spitraider", so nicknamed by the ground crew, had shown a rather unstable and nose-heavy flight platform, but would have been a good low level strike aircraft!
The Battle of France was about to begin and the RAF would soon need more fighters than ground-strike  aircraft for the Battle of England.  As the Spitraider would not be operational anytime soon, it was cancelled...

Ok, I give up :
My friends of my French plastic modelers club "ACP 37 "gave me a crashed model as a joke.  I mixed this 1/48 Spitfire airframe (Otaki ?) with a bit of Hasegawa 1/72 P-38 and a lot of pieces of Heller 1/100 Transal for the two motors, the nose was from a 1/72 Machtbox Douglas Havoc ... a lot of putty, one beer (light) for myself and Humbrol enamel for the kit!
Not ugly, eh?

Ausonus

Photos and text © by Ausonus