Hobby Master 1/48 Spitfire FR.1x MK716 Coded X 16 Sqn Normandy Sept 1944 HA8314
The Mk. IX replaced the Mk. V in June 1942 and on September 12, 1942 a Mk. IX brought down a Ju-86R flying at 43,000 feet. Another major achievement took place on October 5, 1944 when a member of 401 Squadron became the first allied aircraft to shoot down an Me-262 jet. Even with the arrival of the Griffon powered Mk. XIV the Mk. IX continued in service until the end of WWII. 5,665 Mk. IX Spitfires and its variants were produced.
The RAF gave some reconnaisance aircraft special paint colors in an attempt to camouflage them. The PRU (Photographic Reconnaissance Unit) used a very dark blue for night missions and a very pale pink for dusk, dawn and cloudy day missions. Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk. IX MK716 from No. 16 Squadron was one of only 15 converted to the pale pink scheme. These aircraft retained their wing guns and first appeared in November 1942.