Hobby Master 1/48 HA7864 Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop “George Beurling” EP706, No. 249 Sqn., RAF, Malta, 1942

The first Spitfire Mk V was produced in January 1941 and proved to be as good as the Mk III and less complicated. The Mk V was the most produced variant of the Spitfire and the main version throughout 1941 and was a better aircraft than the Bf-109 but that all changed with the introduction of the Fw-190. The Mk V remained the RAF fighter through the summer of 1942 and saw several variants developed using bigger engines, new wing types and more armament. There were 20,351 Mk V aircraft built in all variants.

George Frederick “Buzz” Beurling, DSO, DFC, DFM & Bar (6th December 1921 – 20th May 1948) was the most successful Canadian fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War.

Beurling was recognised as “Canada’s most famous hero of the Second World War”, as “The Falcon of Malta” and the “Knight of Malta”, having been credited with shooting down 27 Axis aircraft in just 14 days over the besieged Mediterranean island. Before the war ended his official total climbed to either 31.

Beurling’s wartime service was terminated prior to war’s end, for repeated stunting and his lack of teamwork. Having found a way to potentially continue combat flying in the post-war era, Beurling was killed in a crash while attempting to deliver an aircraft to Israel.