Description
Product Info
This detailed 1:24 scale model of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc includes 448 components to recreate the iconic ‘Flying Drays’ – the beer-transporting Spitfires from the Second World War. Designed for modellers aged 14 and up with a Skill Level of 4, this kit boasts a wingspan of 469mm and comes with extra resin parts to enrich your model: two beer barrels with lids, two nose cones, two bomb racks, and a slipper tank. With three paint options and an Airfix pint glass, this kit captures a remarkable moment of RAF creativity.
Key Features
1:24 scale model with 448 plastic pieces and Skill Level 4 difficulty
Includes extra resin components: two beer barrels with lids, two nose cones, two bomb racks, and a slipper tank
Measures 469mm across when assembled
Offers three genuine paint options representing the famed ‘Flying Dray’ missions
Suitable for modellers aged 14 years and older
Depicts the morale-boosting beer delivery Spitfires from the post D-Day period
History
Throughout the years, various images and tales from pilots’ accounts have surfaced about Spitfires that transported beer barrels. Some publications refer to a unique ‘Depth Charge Modification XXX’. Following the D-Day landings, squadrons stationed at forward airfields in northern France would dispatch a pilot back across the Channel in a Spitfire to fetch beer or ale in barrels attached under the wings on adapted bomb racks. Naturally, such missions would have been considered highly irregular by the RAF’s senior command, so these flights were not officially documented in the pilot’s logbooks. This leaves scant official evidence regarding the precise details of these impromptu deliveries. Repeated details about these escapades often appear in various secondary sources. One instance is the participation of The Henty and Constable Brewery in Chichester and the nearby RAF Ford. To boost morale, the story was also publicised by the newspapers of the time, accompanied by some evidently staged photographs. Thus, it’s challenging to ascertain the complete and accurate story or whether the pilots claiming involvement in such missions were instead guilty of embellishing the truth.
In the summer of 1944, after the D-Day landings, British troops advancing into Normandy encountered fierce resistance and a shortage of beer. Supplies were limited, and morale was crucial. So, in one of the war’s most surprising missions, Spitfire pilots took to the skies, not only with ammunition but with beer. Resourceful airmen adapted drop tanks and secured barrels beneath their wings, delivering much-needed refreshment to thirsty troops across the Channel. Some dubbed it “Operation Cheers.” These were not official missions. They were morale flights. Spitfires, symbols of British resilience, became flying drays for a brief, glorious period.
It wasn’t about luxury. It was about a taste of home. A cold beer in a hot war zone was more than just a drink; it was a reminder of what they were fighting for. So, raise a glass to the RAF pilots who delivered courage, camaraderie, and casks, one flight at a time. Because even heroes need a pint!
As part of this special release, we’ve partnered with CAMRA. ‘CAMRA campaigns for pubs, pints, and people, which includes celebrating our beer heritage and how that fits into the history of Great Britain. The story of the Spitfires and their ‘Flying Dray’ service to the front lines of D-Day is a brilliant example of that. Airfix’s Flying Dray Spitfire kit sounds like the perfect way for beer lovers to remember this unique piece of history’ – CAMRA
Tech Specs
Item Length – Without Packaging (cm)
40.9
Item Width – Without Packaging (cm)
46.9
How many pieces will be found in the box opened by the customer?
238
Item Scale
1:24 Scale
License line
Produced under licensed. (Vehicle/Aeroplane Models) the distinctive logos, product markings, and trade dress are all trademarks of The Boeing Company.
Contents (what’s in the box) sets
Plastic kit, instruction sheet, paint guide and decal sheet.
Finish
Plastic
Number of Scheme options
2
Skill Level
4
Flying Hours
4
Wingspan (mm)
469
