Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I

This 1:5 scale model of the first version of the iconic high-speed fighter aircraft, the Spitfire, was made by master model maker David Glen between 1990 and 2003. The oldest surviving Spitfire Mk.I, K9942, is on display at the RAF Museum’s Midlands site.

This scale model of a Spitfire Mk.I has a balsa wood frame and is skinned with printer’s lithographic plate, replicating the aluminium skin of the actual aircraft. The plate is secured with rivets and the flying surfaces have fabric coverings, as the aircraft would have done. The Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I entered RAF service in 1938 and its sleek monoplane design and superb handling characteristics soon endeared it to its pilots.