Hobby Master HA8326 1:48 Spitfire Mk.IXe ML407, flown by F/O Johnnie Houlton, 485 (NZ) Squadron, France, September 1944
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 of the Mk. IX took place on October 5, 1944 when 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. There were 5,665 Mk. IX Spitfires and its variants produced.
In April 1944 Spitfire Mk. IXe ML407 was built at Castle Bromwich and delivered to the RNZAF 485 Squadron on April 29, 1944 based at ALG Selsey, Sussex. RNZAF 485 Squadron was the first New Zealand squadron to be formed and it was placed under RAF command. On D-Day this aircraft shot down the first enemy aircraft, a Ju-88 over Omaha Beach. The pilot was F/O Johnnie Houlton whose final tally was 7 kills and 4 damaged. In September 1944 the registration ML407 was added to the fuselage.
