A little bit of Spit and Polish

[Spinners 15,986]

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I - No.113 Fighter Squadron, Polish Air Force, 1939

In July 1938 a group of Polish Air Force officers arrived at the Supermarine works for a technical presentation on the Spitfire Type 300 and to watch a series of demonstration flights of the Spitfire flown by Supermarine's chief test pilot Mutt Summers. The Poles left suitably impressed and presented their thoughts directly to a small Parliamentary committee headed by Ignacy Mościcki (the President of the Republic of Poland). With the indigenous PZL.50 Jastrząb fighter still under construction and months away from flying, Mościcki forced through an order for 32 Spitfire Type 300 fighters for delivery during the Spring of 1939. This order was approved by the Air Ministry and a contract between the two governments was finalised on November 18th, 1938.

Starting in May 1939, initial deliveries were made to the 113th Fighter Squadron of the Polish Air Force based near Warsaw and by early August the squadron were fully equipped with 16 Spitfire Mk.I's all with the early flat cockpit canopy and two-bladed Watts propellor. At dawn on September 1st, 1939 the squadron were immediately into action defending Warsaw from Luftwaffe Ju-86 bombers and Bf-109 escort fighters and over the next few days the squadron claimed 15 victories for the loss of 3 Spitfires.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Spinners 15,986]

 

[Stratos 3,188]

A classic! BTW, you're becoming very proficient naming this kind of posts. lol

[bazillius 1,258]

I like your stories too

[Wilches 1,172]

I think the Spit should be painted in a more brownish hue, almost chocolate like other Polish planes that time. Lovely!!!

[+Erik 1,812]

Nice

[Spinners 15,986]

11 hours ago, Wilches said:

I think the Spit should be painted in a more brownish hue, almost chocolate like other Polish planes that time. Lovely!!!

AFAIK the colour of Polish aircraft was Khaki and not brown. I used an illustration of a PZL P.11C from an aircraft modelling website as my guide. I do have some white in my weathering/dirt layer so perhaps that is lightening it a bit too much.

[+Gepard 11,289]

I'm not sure with the insignias. IIRC the polish insignias were a little bit different in before, during and past communist time. The "checkbord" was mirrored. At one periode the red square was in the left upper corner and in the other two the white square. But i have forgotten which was which.

[Spinners 15,986]

The change in checkerboard orientation is relatively quite recent.

[+yakarov79 11,082]

this checkerboard is correct for the 1921-1993 period. all good.

The color looks good too, no chocolate brownish at all...

[anunk47 370]

It's a clickbait, but I like it! 
Noice! 
 

[Wrench 9,846]

makes you wonder 'what might have been' IF the Poles did have the Mk1s in those opening days

nice job!

[+Gepard 11,289]

On 2.9.2023 at 8:37 AM, Wrench said:

makes you wonder 'what might have been' IF the Poles did have the Mk1s in those opening days

Would have changed nothing. The Spitfire Mk.I was unable to save France, why it should have performed better in Poland?