AA29104 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc 'Porky II' - 31st USAAF - Lt. Robert Connor

Everyone loves a Supermarine Spitfire and there have been plenty in the CORGI range over the years, but this Mk.IXc version features the first USAAF livery on this tooling. This striking design is a historic one, carried today by ‘The Suffolk Spitfire’.

The highly detailed design comes with removable undercarriage and rotating propeller, as well as a stand for display purposes.

This die-cast model has a limited edition run of only 1,100 units

History

When the 309th Fighter Squadron of the USAAF 12th Air Force moved to support Allied operations in North Africa, and subsequently on to Sicily and Italy, they took their Spitfire Mk.V fighters with them. However, they received upgraded Mk.IX variants of the Spitfire from April 1943 onwards. 

These more powerful aircraft was used to provide fighter cover for Allied bombers across the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, and even to protect earlier variants of the Spitfire which were still operational. 

This beautifully presented Spitfire was the mount of Lt Robert Connor, who playfully embraced the less-than-flattering nickname squadron mates gave him, by having distinctive artwork painted on the starboard side of his Spitfire. 

It featured the cartoon character Porky Pig and his Loony Tunes catchphrase ‘That’s All Folks’ in what resembled a slice of white bread. The aircraft carried the name ‘Porky II’ as the pilot was thought to have named an earlier Spitfire Mk.V ‘Porky’, and he had to distinguish between the two. 

The 309th exchanged their Spitfire Mk.IX fighters for North American P-51B Mustangs in March 1944, but not before writing a particularly interesting chapter in the annals of USAAF chronicles. 

An aircraft wearing these markings is currently one of the star attractions on the UK airshow circuit, operating as ‘The Suffolk Spitfire’. Resplendent in its unusual USAAF markings, it is one of the most distinctive restored Spitfires flying today.