In 1940 he need for a photo reconnaissance aircraft fast enough to evade Luftwaffe fighters led the RAF to modify a number of Spitfire Mk I fighters for the task. These were stripped of their armour, guns and radio and fitted with extra fuel tanks and three cameras in the rear fuselage. Dubbed Spitfire PR Mk I there were seven high altitude unarmed versions types A to F which varied mainly in the types of cameras and the amount of fuel carried. An eighth variant, the Type G, was developed for low altitude reconnaisance. This retained the fighter armament and armour but added the cameras and an extra fuel tank in the rear fuselage.
1416 Flight was the pioneer specialist photo reconnaissance unit of the RAF and they used these Spitfires on both high and low alt sorties over enemy territory into 1942. The Type Gs were painted either pink all over, or like this one, extra dark sea grey and extra dark sea green on top and PRU mauve underneath. The pink or mauve colours made the aircraft almost invisible from the ground against cloud cover in the early morning or evening when the sorties were staged.
There is a photo of this aircraft in this
Britmodeller Forum Thread.
