Celebrating the lives of two of the most incredible pilots of the Battle of Britain, the stories behind this RAF Fighter Legends Collection will tug at your heartstrings and make you proud to be British.
Both pilots died in combat while flying some of the most iconic UK aircraft. These highly detailed die-cast aviation models are essential purchases for collectors, and you’ll save £10 on the RRP when buying them as part of this bundle.
What's Included
Supermarine Spitfire MkI - RAF No.222 Sqn - Flt Lt Douglas Bader (Battle of Britain 85)
Product code: AA39216
The aircraft of one of the most inspiring pilots of the Second World War, this Supermarine Spitfire MkI is a must-have for your Aviation Archive collection. With rotatable propellers, detailed crew figures and a display stand, this 1:72 die-cast model, with its unique white, black and silver underside, is a replica of an aircraft with an amazing story.
This die-cast model has a limited edition run of 1,016 units.
History
Unquestionably one of the most famous military pilots to have ever lived, the story of Douglas Bader’s life is extraordinary, and could even be likened to reading about some mythical heroic figure from the pages of a ‘Boys’ Own’ magazine. Losing both his legs in a pre-war flying accident, the Second World War allowed Bader to rejoin the Royal Air Force, with his drive and determination later becoming the inspiration for an entire nation.
After successfully completing a refresher course, Bader was initially posted to No.19 Squadron at Duxford, then on to No.222 Squadron at Hornchurch as a Flight Leader, both to fly the Spitfire Mk.I. Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I P9443 was the 606th Spitfire built and was subsequently delivered to the Royal Air Force on 1st April 1940. She was initially flown to No.6 Maintenance Unit at Brize Norton, then on to No.222 Squadron at Hornchurch on 4th June.
She was a standard mid-production Mk.I Spitfire, presented in the standard markings of an Operation Dynamo fighter, with Night/White and Aluminium undersides. Bader used this aircraft to score his first aerial victory over a Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109 on 1st June 1940 as he took part in Operation Dynamo, when what he thought must have been a novice pilot flew straight in front of his Spitfire, taking no evasive action when he opened fire on it.
Individual price: £59.99
Item Length - Without Packaging (cm)
12.5
Item Height - Without Packaging (cm)
4
Item Width - Without Packaging (cm)
16
Item Scale
1:72 Scale
License line
BAE SYSTEMS is a registered trade mark of BAE Systems plc.
Finish
Painted
Wingspan (mm)
160
Detailed Crew Figures
yes
Rotatable Propeller(s)/Rotor(s)
Hawker Hurricane Mk.I - RAF No.601 - P/O 'Billy' Fiske (Battle of Britain 85)
Product code: AA27609
Honouring the life of an incredible American pilot, this 1:72 Hawker Hurricane Mk.I is a wonderful addition to our Battle of Britain 85th Anniversary collection. Presented in a stylish camouflage livery with a blue nose, this highly detailed model features crew figures and rotatable propellers.
This die-cast model has a limited edition run of only 1,000 units.
History
When Britain stood alone and needed the young men of the Royal Air Force to stand against the might of the all-conquering Luftwaffe, many airmen answered that call, not all of them native to these shores. American Pilot Officer William Meade Lindsay ‘Billy’ Fiske III was born in New York in June 1911, and by the time he volunteered to join the Royal Air Force in August 1939, he was already a national hero back in his homeland.
In 1928, Fiske was the driver of the US five-man Olympic bobsleigh team that won gold at the St. Moritz games, and at the age of just 16, also became the youngest ever gold medal-winning Olympian, a record that stood until 1992. Impressively, he repeated the feat four years later at the Lake Placid games.
On joining the RAF, Fiske believed that he was the first US citizen to join the force after the outbreak of hostilities, something he was extremely proud of. Tragically, Fiske lost his life on 17th August 1940, the day after he and the rest of No.601 Squadron had been sent to challenge a force of Junkers Ju-87 Stukas which had been sent to attack his home airfield at Tangmere.
With his engine seized, he managed to crash land back at his home airfield, but was still in the cockpit when the Hurricane burst into flames.
Individual price: £59.99
Item Length - Without Packaging (cm)
13.3
Item Height - Without Packaging (cm)
3.8
Item Width - Without Packaging (cm)
17
Item Scale
1:72 Scale
License line
BAE SYSTEMS is a registered trade mark of BAE Systems plc.
Finish
Painted
Wingspan (mm)
170
Detailed Crew Figures
yes
Rotatable Propeller(s)/Rotor(s)