Supermarine Spitfire IA N3162 EB-G Eric Lock

One of 200 Spitfire Mk Is built at Supermarine's Eastleigh factory near Southampton delivered between September 1939 and January 1940, Mk IA N3162 made its first flight on November 6, 1939, before joining No 41 Sqn (motto "Seek and Destroy") at Hornchurch in Essex the following month. Given the unit code letters EB-G, N3162 became the regular mount of Plt Off Eric Lock, who accounted for 21 German aircraft during the Battle of Britain, making him the highest-scoring RAF ace of that conflict. Sadly, Lock never returned from a raid on German armoured vehicles in the Pas de Calais in August 1941, while N3162 went to serve with the Fleet Air Arm until October 1944, when it was finally struck off charge.

This superb 1/22^nd-scale model of N3126 shows the Spitfire in its 41 Sqn codes  — EB-G — and includes a clear canopy, rubber tyres and aerial mast and wire. Hand-carved in sustainable kiln-dried South East Asian Mahogany, this tribute to one of "The Few's" finest pilots has a span of 49cm and a length of 40cm. All markings (finished in satin) are as per standard Battle of Britain Spitfires — Dark Green and Dark Earth camouflage with Sky undersurfaces — with fine detailing, including a black propeller spinner and red gun-port tape on the wings.