{"title":"GBR Supermarine Spitfire IBG","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"ibg-72580-1-72-supermarine-spitfire-mk-i","title":"Supermarine Spitfire Mk I","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Supermarine Spitfire is without doubt one of the most iconic and recognisable aircraft of the Second World War. While its story spans the entirety of the conflict—from the earliest days to the final victory—it was the early variants powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with a single-stage supercharger that laid the foundations of the modern Royal Air Force, both technologically and symbolically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe fighter variants Mk I and Mk II formed the backbone of RAF Fighter Command during the critical early years of the war. The Spitfire Mk I became fully operational in 1938–39 and was widely distributed among frontline squadrons by the time of the German invasion of France. Powered by the early Rolls-Royce Merlin II and III engines and armed with eight .303 Browning machine guns, the Mk I offered excellent speed, climb rate, and agility—qualities that quickly earned it a fearsome reputation among both RAF pilots and their German adversaries.\u003cbr\u003e\nAs the Luftwaffe began its sustained aerial campaign against Britain in the summer of 1940, Spitfires Mk I were deployed across southern England to counter the waves of German bombers and their fighter escorts. While the more rugged and numerous Hawker Hurricanes often took on the bombers, Spitfires were frequently tasked with engaging the German Bf 109s in the high-altitude dogfights that became the hallmark of the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire’s tight turning radius, sensitive controls, and superb visibility gave it an edge in one-on-one combat, allowing skilled pilots to outmaneuver many of their opponents.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"IBG","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52786773590283,"sku":"72580","price":21.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/72582.jpg?v=1766235117"},{"product_id":"ibg-72582-1-72-supermarine-spitfire-mk-i-pr-a-b-e","title":"Supermarine Spitfire Mk I PR A\/B\/E","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Supermarine Spitfire is without doubt one of the most iconic and recognisable aircraft of the Second World War. While its story spans the entirety of the conflict—from the earliest days to the final victory—it was the early variants powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with a single-stage supercharger that laid the foundations of the modern Royal Air Force, both technologically and symbolically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe reconnaissance variants of the Spitfire, including the PR.A,B and E, played a crucial yet often underappreciated role during the war. The PR version was created by adapting standard fighter models—stripping away armament to reduce weight and increase range, installing specialized high-resolution cameras, and adding additional fuel tanks. These modifications allowed the Spitfire PR to operate at high altitudes and deep behind enemy lines, carrying out missions that were indispensable for Allied strategic planning.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe origins of Spitfire reconnaissance trace back to the uncertain months of the Phoney War in late 1939 and early 1940. As large-scale ground combat stalled on the Western Front, RAF commanders realized the urgent need for updated intelligence on German positions beyond the Siegfried Line. Early PR variants—Type A, Type B, and Type E—were pressed into service. Based on standard Mk I fighters, these conversions carried minimal extra fuel and simple camera installations, yet they represented a dramatic leap forward in aerial reconnaissance capabilities. Flying from improvised bases in France, often alongside the British Expeditionary Force, these early PR Spitfires undertook daring solo missions deep over German-occupied territory. Their pilots operated without escort, relying on speed, altitude, and stealth to avoid interception. As the German Blitzkrieg finally erupted in May 1940, the reconnaissance Spitfires became critical eyes in the sky—photographing advancing Panzer divisions, troop concentrations, and vital crossings over the Meuse and Somme rivers. Their images proved invaluable during the desperate defense of France and the evacuation at Dunkirk, where up-to-date intelligence on enemy movements was essential to organizing the safe withdrawal of Allied forces. Though primitive compared to later specialized reconnaissance aircraft, these first PR Spitfires set a standard of bravery and innovation that would define RAF photo-reconnaissance efforts throughout the war.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"IBG","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52786773623051,"sku":"72582","price":21.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/72582_45dc5213-6dc3-4806-bf0b-1e55ffe8efbc.jpg?v=1766235584"},{"product_id":"ibg-72584-1-72-supermarine-spitfire-mk-i-ii-2-in-1","title":"Supermarine Spitfire Mk I \/ II [2 in 1]","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Supermarine Spitfire is without doubt one of the most iconic and recognisable aircraft of the Second World War. While its story spans the entirety of the conflict—from the earliest days to the final victory—it was the early variants powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with a single-stage supercharger that laid the foundations of the modern Royal Air Force, both technologically and symbolically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe fighter variants Mk I and Mk II formed the backbone of RAF Fighter Command during the critical early years of the war. The Spitfire Mk I became fully operational in 1938–39 and was widely distributed among frontline squadrons by the time of the German invasion of France. Powered by the early Rolls-Royce Merlin II and III engines and armed with eight .303 Browning machine guns, the Mk I offered excellent speed, climb rate, and agility—qualities that quickly earned it a fearsome reputation among both RAF pilots and their German adversaries.\u003cbr\u003e\nAs the Luftwaffe began its sustained aerial campaign against Britain in the summer of 1940, Spitfires Mk I were deployed across southern England to counter the waves of German bombers and their fighter escorts. While the more rugged and numerous Hawker Hurricanes often took on the bombers, Spitfires were frequently tasked with engaging the German Bf 109s in the high-altitude dogfights that became the hallmark of the Battle of Britain. The Spitfire’s tight turning radius, sensitive controls, and superb visibility gave it an edge in one-on-one combat, allowing skilled pilots to outmaneuver many of their opponents.\u003cbr\u003e\nThe Mk II, introduced in late 1940, featured minor but meaningful improvements, including a more powerful Merlin XII engine and a stronger airframe with provisions for a Rotol constant-speed propeller. Though visually nearly identical to its predecessor, the Mk II offered better climb performance and reliability, allowing it to take over frontline duties as production of the Mk I began to slow. Together, these two early marks of the Spitfire became symbols of resistance, courage, and technical excellence—machines that not only helped win the Battle of Britain, but laid the foundation for the RAF’s growing dominance in the skies over Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"IBG","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52786773655819,"sku":"72584","price":51.29,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/72584.jpg?v=1766235949"},{"product_id":"ibg-72591-1-72-supermarine-spitfire-mk-vb-2-in-1","title":"Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb [2 in 1]","description":"\u003cp\u003e1:72 Scale Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb - North West Europe 1941-44 - Black Box Limited Edition\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n \n\n\u003cp\u003eINCLUDES\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e2x Complete Spitfire Mk Vb plastic model kits (each of them including two different fuselage versions and two different wing upper halves variants)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e1x Huge decal sheet with 18! marking options (containing 42 roundels and 20 fin flashes to cater for the huge variety included in the box!)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e2x 3D-printed cockpit structure insert (with\/without additional armour and headrest)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e2x Sets of 3D-printed wheels\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e2x Sets of 3D-printed exhausts (each of them in 4 different variants!)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e2x 3D-printed seamless carburettor air intakes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e10x 3D-printed rear-view mirrors (5 variants, each in 2 copies)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e6x 3D-printed gunsights (3 variants, each in 2 copies)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e2x Photo-etched frames with some of the smaller details\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e2x Sets of the most thoroughly researched stencils ever prepared for a Spitfire Mk Vb model in any scale (with separate subsets for Supermarine, CBAF and Westland-produced machines)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e2x Sets of painting masks\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"IBG","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52815343812875,"sku":"72591","price":44.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/72591-1024x650.jpg?v=1768041375"},{"product_id":"ibg-a720001-1-72-supermarine-type-300-k5054-stage-1","title":"Supermarine Type 300 K5054 Stage 1","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"IBG","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53072210755851,"sku":"A720001","price":39.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/MRM_A720001.png?v=1777033649"},{"product_id":"ibg-a720002-1-72-supermarine-type-300-k5054-stage-2-3-4","title":"Supermarine Type 300 K5054 Stage 2\/3\/4","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"IBG","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53072210788619,"sku":"A720002","price":39.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/MRM_A720002.png?v=1777033663"},{"product_id":"ibg-72592-1-72-supermarine-spitfire-mk-vb-trop","title":"Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb (trop)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe arrival of Messerschmitt Bf 109F-equipped II.\/JG 27 in North Africa in September 1941, followed by additional Luftwaffe fighter Gruppen, shifted the balance of air power in the Axis favour. In response, RAF Middle East Command urgently requested Spitfire reinforcements, and it was decided to deploy two squadrons—No. 92 and No. 145 Squadrons RAF—to Egypt. The tropicalisation of the Spitfire Mk V, however, caused significant delays. The first aircraft were not shipped until February 1942. Tropical modifications included the distinctive Vokes dust filter and enlarged oil tank housed in a deeper engine cowling beneath the nose, a revised oil cooler and radiator installation, desert survival equipment stowage, and numerous smaller adaptations intended to improve reliability in harsh desert conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTo accelerate delivery, it was decided that fifty tropicalised Spitfires would be shipped to Takoradi on the Gold Coast (modern Ghana), assembled there, and flown across Africa to Egypt via the established Takoradi ferry route. At the same time, a further fifty non-tropicalised airframes were dispatched by sea around the Cape of Good Hope to Port Sudan. The first shipment arrived at Takoradi aboard the SS Lagosian on 3 April 1942. After assembly and test flying, the aircraft began the long ferry flight to Egypt later that month. Allocated initially to No. 145 Squadron, the first Spitfires entered combat on 1 June 1942. Although their numbers were initially too small to alter the air situation decisively, their impact grew steadily as additional aircraft and trained pilots became available. By the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein in October–November 1942—one of the decisive Allied victories of the North African campaign—the Western Desert Air Force fielded three Spitfire squadrons in Egypt: No. 92, No. 145 and No. 601 Squadrons. Operating primarily in the air-superiority role, they increasingly challenged the Luftwaffe and helped erode the effectiveness of Axis air operations over the battlefield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the victory at El Alamein, Spitfires accompanied the Allied advance across Libya into Tunisia, while further RAF units converted from Hurricanes and Kittyhawks to the type. Their growing presence provided the Western Desert Air Force with a modern fighter capable of matching the Bf 109 on more equal terms. After the Allied landings in French North Africa during Operation Torch in November 1942, additional Spitfire units were deployed from Gibraltar and the United Kingdom to Algeria and Morocco. Together with rapidly expanding USAAF fighter and bomber formations, these reinforcements enabled the Allies to achieve increasing air superiority over Tunisia. Throughout the winter and spring of 1942–43, Allied fighters and bombers conducted relentless attacks against Axis airfields, ports, shipping and supply lines, gradually overwhelming German and Italian air forces in the theatre.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBy the time the Tunisian campaign ended in May 1943, Allied air power had become a decisive factor in the destruction of Axis forces in North Africa. The Spitfire, which had arrived in Egypt only a year earlier in small numbers, had become one of the principal fighters of the Allied air offensive, contributing significantly to the campaign that ended with the surrender of more than 250,000 Axis troops in Tunisia.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"IBG","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53293152895243,"sku":"72592","price":21.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/725634173_1660435731702780_822337401007436688_n.jpg?v=1786315351"},{"product_id":"ibg-72600-1-72-supermarine-spitfire-pr-mk-ic-pr-mk-ig","title":"Supermarine Spitfire PR Mk Ic \/ PR Mk Ig","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Supermarine Spitfire is without doubt one of the most iconic and recognisable aircraft of the Second World War. While its story spans the entirety of the conflict—from the earliest days to the final victory—it was the early variants powered by the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with a single-stage supercharger that laid the foundations of the modern Royal Air Force, both technologically and symbolically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Spitfire’s origins trace back to the 1930s, when Great Britain, recognizing the growing threat posed by Nazi Germany’s expanding air force, began modernizing its own aerial capabilities. Reginald Mitchell’s design, influenced by his experience with high-speed Schneider Trophy racing aircraft, proved to be a masterpiece: aerodynamically clean, structurally modern, and exceptionally agile. The Spitfire quickly became the RAF’s premier fighter, embodying the new spirit of a reformed and ready air force.\u003cbr\u003e\nEarly operational variants, such as the Mk I and Mk II, armed with eight Browning machine guns, played a central role in the Battle of Britain, giving the RAF the means to resist and ultimately repel the Luftwaffe’s aerial assault. Later models, like the Mk V, introduced heavier armament and improved performance, while retaining the Spitfire’s hallmark manoeuvrability and flying pleasure.\u003cbr\u003e\nAmong the lesser-known but crucial developments were the high-altitude versions, such as the Spitfire Mk VI, which featured extended wingtips, a pressurized cockpit, and specialized equipment for high-altitude interception missions. Designed to counter enemy reconnaissance and bomber aircraft operating at extreme altitudes, these variants pushed the Merlin engine to its limits. In parallel, Photo Reconnaissance (PR) versions were developed, optimized for long-range missions with additional fuel tanks, stripped-down equipment, and high-altitude capability. These unarmed but swift aircraft flew deep over enemy territory, capturing vital intelligence with unmatched precision.\u003cbr\u003e\nSpitfires powered by early single-stage supercharged Merlins saw combat on every front of the war: from the white cliffs of southern England, across the deserts of North Africa, over the besieged skies of Malta, and into the jungles of the Far East. Their adaptability and reliability made them indispensable across vastly different environments and theatres of war.\u003cbr\u003e\nAlthough the single-stage Merlin engine defined the early war years, it was by no means the end of the Spitfire’s evolution. Later models were fitted with two-stage supercharged Merlins, dramatically improving high-altitude performance, and eventually with the even more powerful Griffon engine, extending the aircraft’s relevance and capability to the very end of the war—and even beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike most reconnaissance Spitfires, which relied on high altitude and speed as their primary means of protection, the PR Type G was developed to carry out photographic reconnaissance missions at low and medium altitudes. Low-level reconnaissance flights were among the most dangerous operations undertaken by RAF aircrews.This required a completely different approach to both aircraft configuration and operational tactics. To obtain photographs with sufficient detail, pilots were required to fly directly over their targets, often within range of light anti-aircraft artillery, machine-gun fire, and enemy fighters. Unlike the high-altitude PR variants, which frequently operated beyond the reach of most defensive measures, PR Type G crews faced constant exposure to hostile fire and had to rely on their flying skills, speed, and low-altitude maneuvering to survive. The Type G retained its fighter armament, providing pilots with the means to defend themselves if attacked. Engaging enemy aircraft was discouraged unless absolutely necessary, as preserving the reconnaissance mission and returning with the photographic evidence always took priority. Despite these dangers, the Type G played an important role in the development of Allied photographic reconnaissance. Early missions flown by armed reconnaissance Spitfires contributed to obtaining the first detailed photographs of German radar installations, providing invaluable intelligence on the Luftwaffe’s growing early-warning network. Equally important were reconnaissance flights over occupied Norway, during which German warships concealed within the fjords were located and photographed. These images enabled Allied intelligence to monitor the movements of major Kriegsmarine units and provided vital information for British naval planners. Although later specialized reconnaissance variants offered greater altitude performance and longer range, the PR Type G remains a testament to the courage of the pilots who carried out some of the war’s most hazardous missions—flying low over enemy territory, where success depended on a combination of precision, speed, and exceptional airmanship.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"IBG","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53293152928011,"sku":"72600","price":21.59,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0777\/1809\/4091\/files\/725291887_1310938434575521_1121347130204870509_n.jpg?v=1786315592"}],"url":"https:\/\/anglia-models.com\/collections\/gbr-supermarine-spitfire-eduard-copy.oembed","provider":"Anglia Models","version":"1.0","type":"link"}