After much hinting (a careful fortnight campaign of orchestrated name dropping to my two eldest children: "Ahem, Daddy wants a Spitfire") and the availability of the said Airfix kit in a leading Supermarket chain meant I got what I wanted :)
And some Toblerlone milk chocolate to boot, so I am chuffed! I don't believe I ever had this model as a kid. I certainly had the early MkIa and I'm pretty sure I had the MkIX version too but somehow I missed out the Mk Vb, perhaps because to my young eyes it looked too much like the Mk IX with the 20mm cannon.All I can say is that I know better now.
The chocolate now consumed, the Spitfire (with its circa 1974 mould) to look forward to making. Time to reclaim a "painting tray" area as the house move looks to be put on hold.