Written in February 2020
My Forgotten Hobby III is much more than a just forgotten hobby. It’s more than building model airplanes since the 1960s. My Forgotten Hobby has been about a learning experience and sometimes about preserving the past of unknown heroes who gave so much.
It is hard to decide how I will finish my Spitfire Mk Vb…
Buzz Beurling’s Spitfire?
While researching how to paint my Airfix Spitfire Mk Vb I stumbled upon this image taken on the IWM Website.
This is the description they give.
Supermarine Spitfire Mark VC, ER557 ‘EF-D’ “Mustapha”, of No. 232 Squadron RAF awaits the signal to start up in its dispersal at Tingley, Algeria. It formed part of the fighter escort for a force of North American B-25s of the 12th Bombardment Group Detachment USAAF, one of which can be seen taking off at right.
The caption says Spitfire Mk Vc, but while researching more I think RAF 232 squadron was not flying Spitfire Mk Vcs but Spitfire Mk Vbs.
As I was trying to find out the difference between a Spitfire Mk Vb and a Spitfire Mk Vc just to be sure I found this information. The Spitfire Mk Vc had the “c” wing which could carry four 20mm cannons. However most of the time the pilots would prefer having only two 20mm cannons instead of four.
So IWM is probably right unless I prove them wrong…
I know this won’t matter because I won’t modify what I am building right now. I will stay with the two 20mm cannons.
RAF 232 Squadron was somewhat special lately especially since I had this group photo shared Vicki Sorensen. Vicki’s father was Frank Sorensen.
The group photo was taken at Tingley, Algeria in early 1943. It was shared by Arthur Sherwin, last row, second from the right. This photo is most interesting when we look at some Frank Sorensen’s log book pages.
We clearly see he was only flying on Spitfire Mk Vbs not Spitfire Mk Vcs.
Frank Sorensen is the second pilot on the left in the back.
I will probably build my Spitfire Mk Vb as one of the Spitfires he flew.
Update May 10, 2020
My Forgotten Hobby III 