Airfix A50160 Dogfight Doubles - Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb and Messerschmitt Bf109E Plastic Kit - 1:48 Scale

Airfix A50135, Dogfight Doubles Supermarine Spitfire Mk1a, Messerschmitt BF109E-4, 1:72 Scale

Includes 10 Acrylic Paints

2 Brushes

2 Poly Cement

Between June 1940 and November 1942 the small but strategically important island of Malta, situated in the Mediterranean Sea, became the most heavily bombed place on earth when first Italian and then German bombers attempted to force the island to surrender. Merchant shipping convoys were also attacked in an attempt to prevent the island being re-supplied with food and military equipment.

Initially Malta had only defending fighter aircraft which were outdated Gloster Gladiators and then Hawker Hurricanes but at the height of the battle, cannon armed and tropicalized Spitfire Mk.Vbs were used to intercept the German Junkers Ju88 and Ju87 Stuka dive bombers which were escorted by Messerschmitt Bf109Es. It became a struggle that was in some ways similar to the Battle of Britain. Eventually at the end of 1942, the war in North Africa had been won by the Allies so Malta was no lo of such important to the Axis powers and the bombing stopped allowing the starving civil population to be re-supplied by sea.

Paint Scheme:
• Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb, No. 229 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Qrendi, Malta, December 1942.
• Messerschmitt Bf109E-7, aircraft flown by Oberleutnant Joachim Muncheberg, 7./JG26 Schlageter, Gela, Sicily, Spring 1941.

Airfix Gift Sets are ideal for more advanced modellers and include glue, acrylic paints and brushes.

258 Piece Kit