I have the Eastern Express Spitfire floatplane, The Spitfire kit included is i presume the Frog version and its b****y awful! I reckon I could easily use the Airfix Mark V instead but how about the MK1? what are the changes from the MK5? Hope someone can help.
I'm not sure if it's currently available but I remember Airfix having a Mk.I out at one time. IIRC the Spitfire Floatplane project made use of both a Mk.I and a V.
A Mark I was converted, but then deconverted because of the Batttle of Britain. Three Mark V were converted (don't know which variant, but they were all the same) and were fitted with two different types of tropical filters, and four-blade props. They were almost used on operations in the Mediterranean. The Mark IX was also fitted with a late-design tropical filter.
The Eastern Express kit is actually a good buy, IMO. Yes, the old Frog Mark II is trash, but the decals are nice and the float conversion quite spiffy. It will work fine with an Airfix Mark V. So, looking at it as an aftermarket conversion kit, it's reasonable. The floats might also be good for a Mark IX conversion.
Spitfire Mk I serial R6722 was proposed as a floatlane. It was to be fitted with floats from a Blackburn Roc. The whole project was handed over to Folland Aircraft.
It was cancelled, but arrived at No 12 MU for waterborne trials on 3 June 1940 and was found to be totally unstable.
R6722 was painted in normal day fighter camo incl undersurfaces scheme of B&W. The a/c was never flight tested and after the floats had been removed it was sent back to No 39 MU on 10 May 1941 for conversion to F Mk VA status.
A Mk III was also proposed before the successful conversion of the three Mk VB's and a Mk IX.
All the above from 'Spitfire the History' by Morgan & Shacklady page 380.
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