[flyXwire]

Ok, here goes: I now own two versions of James Edgar "Johnnie" Johnson Spitfires from Gemini Aces and Corgi Legends. As you can plainly see, the D-Day stripes on
the Corgi Legends Spit "wraps around" the entire rear fuselage and upper wings, while the GA's Spit the bands are only visible to the undersides off the wings and rear fuselage.

Which one is the correct version? Now this may seem trivial, but I really want to find out among the Spitfire experts on here their opinions on this one. Thanks!

[Canucklehead]

The Corgi version would be depicting the plane (badly) the day of and couple weeks after D-Day, whereas the Gemini version would represent the plane several weeks after D-Day, as most allied aircraft at that time only kept the undersurface stripes.

[hworth18]

Full D-day stripes were only worn on A/C for a very short time up to/after June 6th.. After D-day the stripes weren't needed on the upper surfaces and were removed/painted over..

[flyXwire]

So let me see if I follow this one correctly: Corgi's JJ Spit w/full wrap around stripes would still be valid/accurate before the D-Day mission, but after that it's totally fiction?

[Raven]

Short-term or not, I actually prefer the wrap-around D-Day stripes.

http://wings-fine-arts.ebusiness-app...store/4261.htm

http://wings-fine-arts.ebusiness-app...store/4384.htm

I am very partial for anything with D-Day stripes - the more the better!

[hworth18]

Originally Posted by flyXwire

So let me see if I follow this one correctly: Corgi's JJ Spit w/full wrap around stripes would still be valid/accurate before the D-Day mission, but after that it's totally fiction?

Allied aircraft still wore the full stripes for a time after D-day, but I don't recall exactly how long.. They were then removed from the upper surfaces because the upper stripes made them too conspicuous sitting at airfields in France..

[Captain Eddie]

Thanks for that info, Hworth! I just bought the JJ Spit by Corgi at TM, wondered about that myself as I also have the Gemini.

[flyXwire]

Originally Posted by hworth18

Allied aircraft still wore the full stripes for a time after D-day, but I don't recall exactly how long.. They were then removed from the upper surfaces because the upper stripes made them too conspicuous sitting at airfields in France..

Thanks Harry. I did a research lastnight about that one and found out that that's exactly what the Dutch AF did on their Spitfires.

Raven, thanks for posting the artwork for Johnnie's Spitfires by Robert Taylor. I've forgotten that I have those specific imagery in my collection.