Brunhilde

[Greebo]

Thanks to Lyric1 and Guppy35 for their help in researching this skin, which is an adoption of one first done by Fencer in 2008.

In the late summer of 1944 91 (Nigeria) Squadron with their fast Spitfire Mk XIVs was tasked with destroying V-1s over southern England. This Spitfire Mk XIV RM687, with nose art featuring a nude Valkyrie maiden named "Brunhilde" riding a V-1, was flown by Flt. Lt. H D "Johnny" Johnson. He was one of the most successful pilots at this dangerous job, ending up with 13.5 V-1 kills by Mid August when the squadron re-equipped with Mk IX Spits and transferred to France. RM687 was transferred to 402 Squadron RCAF where it was later written off in a landing accident.

[lyric1]

 

[Vraciu]

Really neat...

[Devil 505]

Excellent. Love the nose art.

[Guppy35]

Very nice.  Poor Brunhilde has been butchered in the diecast and model building world where they've attached it to RB188.  As I was telling Lyric1, when I corresponded with Johnny Johnson back in the 80s while chasing 91 Squadron Spit XII info, he sent me the original photo.  In those pre-scanner days the best I could do was a copy negative, before I returned the original to him. That image from the copy negative has shown up all over since I first posted it online years ago. 

What can't be seen on the copy negative print, was what was very visible on the original print.  RM687 was easily visible on the spinner.  I see elsewhere they are trying to say it's RM684, but there was no doubt what was on the spinner, and Johnson himself said that was common to see so that spinner stayed with the kite it belonged to.  He was a helluva nice guy and shared all kinds of stories about his days in the RAF.