Just curious, why not the XIV?
I spent a long time researching the Spit XII and corresponding with many former pilots and ground crew. The association with those folks make the XII the Spit for me. That and I think the single stage Griffon Spit has the right combination of sleek and tough look to it. The RN version, the Seafire XV is probably even nicer looking. One just took to the air after a long restoration and is at Oshkosh for the show.
My prize aviation history bit is the logbook of a Spit XII driver who flew with both 41 and 91 squadrons, the two RAF squadrons that flew the Spit XII in combat. It would be nice to have the bird to go with that logbook
