1:72 Supermarine ‘Spitfire’ LF.16E; ‘LI-K (TD202)’, Luxembourg Air Wing, 1950

[Dizzyfugu]

1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some background:
The first structures of the modern Luxembourg Armed Forces (Luxembourgish: Lëtzebuerger Arméi; French: Armée luxembourgeoise) can be traced back to November 1944, when conscription was introduced in Luxembourg for the first time. In 1945, the Corps de la Garde Grand Ducale (Grand Ducal Guard Corps) garrisoned in the Saint-Esprit barracks in Luxembourg City and the 1st and 2nd infantry battalions were established, one in Walferdange and the other in Dudelange. The Luxembourg Armed Forces took charge of part of the French occupation zone in Germany, the 2nd Battalion occupying part of the Bitburg district and a detachment from the 1st Battalion part of the Saarburg district. The 2nd Battalion remained in Bitburg until 1955.The strength of the army rose to 2,150 men. Luxembourg signed the Treaty of Brussels in March 1948, and the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949.

Setting up an army after the war proved more difficult than predicted. To a certain extent, the authorities could rely on escaped German conscripts and Luxembourgers who had joined Allied armies; however, they had to find a way to train officers. Initially, British military advisers came to Luxembourg, where training was carried out by British officers and NCOs. But officer training, in the long term, would have to be done in military schools abroad. Belgium and France were both interested in helping and offered solutions. In the end, the government opted for a compromise solution, by sending some officer cadets to the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr in France and others to the Royal Military Academy in Belgium. This eventually led to disunity within the Luxembourg officer corps due to differences in training and promotion.


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Beyond ground forces, Luxembourg also built an air force with British assistance, leading to the foundation of RAF 348 (Luxembourg) Squadron, a unit which should only see a short operational period. The unit was formed as a Royal Air Force squadron by personnel from Luxembourg, Belgium and France in August 1944, based in France and as a fighter-bomber unit with Supermarine Spitfires that primarily carried out armed reconnaissance behind enemy positions, attacking targets of opportunity (mainly vehicles). In February 1945, the squadron was supposed to move to England, to be merged with RAF 349 (Belgium) Squadron and to convert to the Hawker Tempest. This did not happen, though, and 348 Squadron was instead relocated to Noertrange, an airfield in the North of Luxembourg, acquiring Spitfire XVIs and now operating as interceptors. The unit was, after the war, disbanded as an RAF-squadron on 24 October 1946 on transfer to the Luxembourg Air Wing, keeping the former number and unit code, but the roundels were changed from the RAF Type C roundel to a modified Type A roundel with lighter tones, reflecting Luxembourg's national colors, and a new horizontal fin flash. All other markings as well as the RAF paint scheme were retained, though.


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The Spitfire Mk XVI that was operated by the Luxembourg Air Wing was the same as the former Mk IX in nearly all respects except for the engine, a Merlin 266. The Merlin 266 was the Merlin 66 and was built under license in the USA by the Packard Motor Company. The "2" was added as a prefix to avoid confusion with the engines, as they required different tooling.
All Mk XVI aircraft produced were of the Low-Altitude Fighter (LF) variety. This was not determined by the length of the wings (clipped wings were fitted to most LF Spitfires), but by the engine, which had been optimized for low-altitude operation. Almost all production Mk XVIs had clipped wings for low altitude work and were fitted with the rear fuselage fuel tanks with a combined capacity of 75 gal. Many XVIs featured cut-down rear fuselages with bubble canopies. On these aircraft the rear fuselage tank capacity was limited to 66 gal. Because of a slightly taller intercooler and rearranged accessories on the Packard Merlins a new, bulged upper cowling was introduced and appeared on late production IXs, too. Armament for most Mk XVIs consisted of two 20 mm Hispano II cannon (with 120 rpg) and two 0.50" Browning machine guns (with 250 rpg). A 500 lb (227 kg) bomb could be carried underneath the fuselage, or an additional fuel tank, and one 250 lb (114 kg) bomb could be carried under each wing, too. 1,054 Mk XVIs were eventually built.


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


The twenty-two aircraft of the Luxembourg Air Wing were all former RAF aircraft or came directly from the Castle Bromwich factory, where all M. XVIs had been built. They were mostly outfitted with the Spitfire's standard wing tips, and six of them, all without the bubble canopy, were furthermore outfitted with cameras behind the cockpit for photo reconnaissance duties, being designated FR.16E. Some of the Spitfires were also retrofitted with deeper fin rudders to improve handling, but not all of them, resulting in a rather mixed appearance – even though all machines were technically LF16e fighters.

In 1950, seventeen countries, including Luxembourg, decided to send armed forces to assist the Republic of Korea. The Luxembourg contingent was incorporated into the Belgian United Nations Command or the Korean Volunteer Corps, but it did not include aircraft or associated personnel. The Belgo-Luxemburgish battalion arrived in Korea in 1951 and was attached to the US 3rd Infantry Division.
Also in 1951, the Grand Ducal Guard relocated to Walferdange and integrated with the Commandement des Troupes. The Guard had special units for reconnaissance and anti-air warfare. With this re-organization and new focus, the need for air warfare waned and 348 Squadron was disbanded after only five years of operation. The aircraft returned to Great Britain, and RAF 348 Squadron was re-established as a training unit at the Ilkeshire Army Reserve Centre for cadets, with no further relation to its roots as a fighter unit in Luxembourg.


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


From 1955, the Grand Ducal Guard was organized into a headquarters company, a garrison platoon, a reconnaissance company and two training companies. In 1959, the Commandement des Troupes was disbanded, and the Grand Ducal Guard was integrated into the Commandement du Territoire (Territorial Command). The force was further reduced to a single company, a corporals' training school, and a weapons platoon. In 1960, the Grand Ducal Guard was again reorganized into four platoons, temporarily grouped into intervention and reinforcement detachments. In 1964, the Grand Ducal Guard was organized into a HQ, three platoons, a reinforcement platoon, and the NCO school. On 28 February 1966, the Grand Ducal Guard was officially disbanded.


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


General characteristics:
    Crew: one pilot
    Length: 31 ft 2 in (9,55 m)
    Wingspan: 32 ft ½ in (9,93 m)
    Height: 11 ft 5 in (3.86 m)
    Wing area: 242.1 sqft (22.48 m²)
    Airfoil: NACA 2209.4 (tip)
    Empty weight: 5,065 lb (2,297 kg)
    Loaded weight: 6,622 lb (3,000 kg)
    Max. takeoff weight: 8,731 lb (3,946 kg)

Powerplant:
    1× Rolls-Royce Merlin 266 liquid-cooled V12 engine with a two speed, two-stage supercharger,
      rated at 1.470 hp (1.096 kW) at 9.250 ft (2.820 m), maximum output of 1.710 hp (1,276 kW),
      driving a 4 blade constant speed Rotol airscrew with Jablo or Hydulignum wood blades

Performance:
    Maximum speed: 415 mph, (364 kn, 669 km/h)
    Combat radius: 411 mi (360 nmi, 662 km)
    Ferry range: 1,135 mi (991 nmi, 1,827 km)
    Service ceiling: 40,500 ft (13,265 m)
    Rate of climb: 2,600 ft/min (13.2 m/s)
    Wing loading: 27.35 lb/sqft (133.5 kg/m²)
    Power/mass: 0.22 hp/lb (0.36 kW/kg)

Armament:
    2× 20mm Hispano Mk II cannon (120 RPG)
    2× 0.5 in (12,7 mm) Browning machine guns (250 RPG)
    3× hardpoints (1 ventral, 1 under each outer wing) for up to 1.000 lb (454 kg) ordnance in total


The kit and its assembly:
A quick one! This simple livery whif was inspired by the idea of a post-WWII military aircraft for/from Luxembourg – and it turned out to be a tricky task because there were not many plausible options for the small country. I eventually settled for a Spitfire Mk. XVI as the most plausible choice, and because it's more or less my favorite Spitfire version, and the respective Sword kit. It's a typical short-run IP kit, with good detail and mediocre fit, and it requires some good attention to go together. Some resin parts (exhaust stubs, gun barrels) were also included.


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Since I wanted realism the Spitfire was built mostly OOB – I just changed the pointed Mk. IX tail/fin into a deeper alternative from a Griffon-powered Mk. XIV or XVIII. It's a subtle change that stretches the fuselage visually and makes the aircraft look "faster". Since I am not a big fan of the LFs' clipped wings I replaced them with standard tips, which the Sword kit offers, too. I also used the kit's bomb shackles, even though I left them empty so that the Spitfire's clean lines were not compromised.


Painting and markings:
Very conservative, using standard RAF late war/post-WWII colors: RAF Dark Green (Tamiya XF81), to avoid the earlier more bluish tone, Ocean Grey (I used Tamiya XF-53 Neutral Grey, FS36270, for more contrast) and Medium Sea Grey (Humbrol 64) underneath. The propeller spinner became simply black, a common design on post-war RAF propeller aircraft, and I painted the cockpit in very dark grey (Revell 06, Anthracite) instead of cockpit green. The landing gear wells and struts were painted in Medium Sea Grey, too, a common Spitfire practice.
The model received a very light black ink washing, so that it would not look too weathered, and panels were emphasized through post-shading with slightly lighter shades of the basic colors, but only subtly.


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The whiffier aspect became the markings: the bright roundels came from the Matchbox Gladiator sheet, the fin flash was improvised to match the roundels' colors. The tactical code was created with single white RAF letters from XtraDecal, while the Sky fuselage band came from another Spitfire sheet (Revell).
The Spitfire's authentic serial was created with material from the Sword kit's OOB sheet but puzzled together from two codes. Finally, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish and light soot stains were added under and behind the resin exhaust stubs, which were painted with a mix of Steel metallizer and rust brown.


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Supermarine 'Spitfire' LF.16E; 'LI-K (TD202)' of the Luxembourg Air Wing 348 Squadron; Aérodrome de Noertrange, 1950 (What-if/Sword kit) by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


A very simple project, and one that I might have saved for the "One Week Group Build" at whatifmodellers.com – but I had already built a Spitfire (and it was even a LF.16E!) for this occasion, so I gathered my mojo and built if off of my bucket list of projects and ideas. Looks quite odd, though, due to the unusually light roundels – exoticism in a very limited sense. 

[NARSES2]

I like that Dizzy 

[Dizzyfugu]

Thank you. It's not spectacular, but I just had to turn the thought into hardware...    Unfortunately not in time for the 1WGB, but I would not have finished it in a week, anyway.

[PR19_Kit]

I like that Dizzy 

What Chris said. 

And I'm now going to Google 'Luxembourg' to check the backstory.