Supermarine Type 553 British Jet Fighter Concept (1953)

Scale: 1/72
Initial Release: 2006
Kit Rarity: 3 
Length: 9.5"

About the Design

In the mid-20th Century, Britain's Supermarine Aviation Works was one of the U.K.'s most successful aircraft manufacturers, having been the company behind one of WWII's most successful fighters, the legendary Supermarine Spitfire. In the post-War years, Supermarine struggled to maintain its supremacy, with little success.  Among its "paper" projects was a Mach 2 research jet, the Supermarine Type 553. The plane, with a cylindrical body and extended nose that called to mind the Douglas D-558-1 "Skystreak," never got beyond the proposal stage.

About the Kit

This was a relatively simple "table top" model (no landing gear) with minimal surface detailing and no cockpit.  (The model did come with a vacuform canopy for those brave souls willing to scratch an interior.) However, the final product was still a credible representation of this historically significant "What If?" aircraft.

This model was built from an original release.