Nederlandse Modelbouw en Luchtvaartsite

Dutch Modelling and Aviation

In Memoriam

Klaas Willem Jonker
(Wilko)
† April 30, 2018

On Monday 30 April 2018, Wilko Jonker died after a long illness at the age of 58. He leaves behind a wife and two children. The Dutch military aviation and plastic modeling were his hobby and on this website he shared all the knowledge he has collected over the years. His hobby has been able to distract him from the persistent disease in his body until the last week of his life. The contacts with other hobbyists were a major support for him.

This website will be maintained by different people for as long as possible, so that other enthusiasts can continue to benefit from extensive content.

Building of the Spitfire Mk. IXB

During and after the second World War many Spitfires were used by the Dutch. It happened to in many different model, such as the Spitfire Mk. IXb.

The 322 Dutch Squadron RAF used four different types, such as the Spitfire Mk. IX, also used by the post war Dutch Air Force.

The Spitfire Mk.IXb was not equipped with the more modern universal wing, but with the older type of wing, the b wing, also used on the Spitfire Mk. Vb.
For those interested, I recommend the websites www.Spitfiresite.com and http://luchtoorlog.be/spit_vl.htm, where much information about the Spitfires and the types of wings can be found.

Below a separate overview of the Dutch Spitfires Mk. IXb

Serial overview Spitfire Mk.IXb of 322 squadron RAF
Serial Squadron code Date entering service Date out of service Notes
MJ232 VL-C 09-08-1944   18-10-1943 to 33 Maint. Unit

21-06-1947? SOC
MK147   28-09-1944 16-11-1944 14-01-1944 to 39 maint. Unit

To Detling;
01-10-1947 to Turkey
MK189 VL-H / 3W-H 13-09-1944 13-09-1944 28-01-1944 to 9 Maint. Unit
MK320 VL-F / 3W-F 20-08-1944 20-08-1944 28-01-1944 to 9 Maint. Unit

Cat. Ac. F/O Vlug; FLAK damage;
81 RSU
22-09-1944 to 326 squadron
MK684 VL-V 09-08-1944 30-08-1944 26-03-1944 Naar 8 Maint. Unit

Missed in action near St. Omer; F/O Muller returned.
MK905 3W-P 09-08-1944 01-09-1944 20-03-1944 to 39 Maint Unit

FLAK near St. Omer and crash;
Maj. Kuhlmann or F/Lt van Eendenburg?
ML347 VL-Y / 3W-Y 28-09-1944 30-09-1944 21-04-1944 to 9 Maint. Unit

F/O Manders, Cat. B;
05-04-1945 to MedAAF

 

Serial overview Spitfire Mk.IXb Dutch Air Force
Serial Second serial RAF-serial Date entering service Date out oif service Notes
H-102 H-51 MH485 13-07-1947 30-04-1952 Sold to the Netherlands on 01-10-1946. 13-05-1947 to Tilbury and shipped to the Dutch East Indies.
By the end of 1948 new serial H-51.
Used till the end of 1949.
Sold to Belgium on 31-04-1952 as SM30
H-105 H-68 MH434 13-07-1947 30-04-1952 Used in the Dutch East indies, later sold to Belgium. as SM41.
Restored to flying condition in England. See site of OFMC and the links below.
H-112 H-63 MH725 13-07-1947 30-04-1952 On 15-05-1947 to Tilbury and shipped to the Dutch East Indies.
On 23-01-1948 belly landing after a test flight and stored at Andir.
In December 1948 re-serialled as H-63 in a new colour scheme consisting of Jungle Green and grey under surfaces.
In 1950 returned to the Netherlands.
H-113 H-57 NH309 13-07-1947 30-04-1952 Sold to the Netherlands in 1946 and via Tilbury transported to the Dutch East Indies.
First flight at Kalidjati on 28-01-1948.
Went to 322 squadron at Semarang on 26-11-1948.
New colour scheme and serial just before start of the so called second police action.
In September to Andir and stored in crates. In 1950 sent to the Netherlands.
In 1952 sold to Belgium as SM-34
H-117 H-67 MJ714 13-07-1947 30-04-1952 Op 26-07-1946 sold to the Netherlands and via Tilbury shipped to the Dutch East Indies.
First flight on 04-03-1948. On 16-03-1948 transported to Kalidjati and stored for a large period.
Not used and returned to the Netherlands in 1950.
Sold to Belgium on 31-04-1952 as SM35
H-118 H-54 EN560 13-07-1947 12-03-1953 Sold to the Netherlands in 1946. On 16-5-1947 to Tilbury.and on 13-06-1947 shipped to the Dutch East Indies.
In 1950 returned to the Netherlands, refurbished at Fokker, but scrapped for spare parts.
H-120 H-56 MH439 13-07-1947 30-04-1952 Used in the Dutch East Indies. Went to Belgium as SM33

Because of this information I started to built a model of the Spitfire MK.IXb.
I used an Airfix Mk.VC , which still contained the original B wing. Further I still had an old Airfix Mk.IX (originally from the 50s) and a Spitfire IXE model of KP.
The Airfix happened to be of rather poor quality, I thought the KP kit much better.
The KP kit has a rather good interior. The Airfix Spitfire IX lacks this. As I had not the intention to built a perfect model, I didn't use several modelling add-on but simply used the KP fuselage.

As I wanted to built a Spitfire IXb used by the 322 Dutch squadron RAF, I replaced the later used pointy rudder with the more rounded rudder of the Airfix Spitfire. See the photos below.
The main problem seemed to be fitting the Airfix wing to the KP fuselage.
This happened to fit rather well, I just had to cut off some plastic at rear and the front of the wing.
Also I had to remove some plastic of the fuselage to fit the wing.

Romp KP MkIXE in aanbouw
The model of the Spitfire IXb under construction. Airfix wings are loosely fitted tot the KP fuselage.

 

Vleugel Airfix MkVB in aanbouw
The model of the Spitfire IXb under construction.
The wings of the Spitfire Vb kit.

 

Romp en vleugels los gepast
The model of the Spitfire IXb under construction.

 

Romp, vleugels en richtingssroer los
The model of the Spitfire IXb under construction.

 

The nasty point of the KP kit is the lack of pins to fit both fuselage halves.
It was necessary to fit both halves perfectly well together to prevend problems putting the fuselage and the wing together.

The model I painted in a standard World War II RAF scheme and applied decals from van Dutch Decal set 72056. The serial I made my self with rub letters.
Nowadays you can use your computer and printer to print this kind of things on decal paper.

 

IMG 8714

The finished model of the Spitfire IXb.
The kit used is the one from KP, combined with the wing and rudder of the Spitfire VB kit from the old Airfix Mk.IX kit. The decals come from Dutch Decal set 72056, the RAF-serial is home made.

IMG 8715