Aces & Leaders No. 2
Supermarine Spitfire
Mk.XII and Mk.XIV

by Gaetan Marie & Phil H. Listerman

Philedition

Reviewed by Brett Green

Spitfire enthusiasts are certainly not short of reference material, but there is always room for a publication that presents its information in a practical and accessible format for the modeller. Aces and Leaders No. 2 – Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XII and Mk.XIV does exactly that.

The Spitfire Mk.XII was the first production variant to be powered by the Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, giving it excellent low-altitude speed and climb performance for intercepting German fighters and raiders. The later Mk.XIV combined the more powerful two-stage Griffon with improved aerodynamics, making it one of the fastest and most capable Spitfires of the war. The Mk.XIV was particularly important in combating V-1 flying bombs and opposing increasingly advanced German aircraft from 1944 onwards. Together, these variants marked an important stage in the Spitfire's evolution from a relatively light, Merlin-powered fighter into a heavier, faster and more powerful interceptor, while retaining its famous agility and handling qualities.

This 85-page softcover book features a glossy card cover and concentrates exclusively on the Griffon-powered Spitfire Mk.XII and Mk.XIV, covering both high-back and bubble-canopy variants. The layout is straightforward, attractive and particularly useful for anyone looking for inspiration for their next model.

The book features around 50 wartime photographs and 40 colour profiles, with each opening spread devoted to a particular aircraft. A large – often full-page – reference photograph is accompanied by a carefully illustrated colour profile, together with notes covering the aircraft's history and eventual fate. The accompanying notes are particularly useful to modellers, providing information on camouflage, production variant, unusual features and individual characteristics that may otherwise be overlooked.

One especially nice touch is the small space provided for readers to add their own notes. It is a simple idea, but one that reinforces the book's practical, on-the-bench, modeller-oriented approach.

The selection of aircraft covers 40 individual subjects, offering no shortage of potential markings and colour schemes to inspire a Mk.XII or Mk.XIV project in any scale. The combination of period photography, colour artwork and concise historical and modelling information makes this an easy book to dip into when researching a particular aircraft or simply looking for an interesting subject.

Aces and Leaders No. 2 is not intended to be an exhaustive technical reference. Instead, it offers a compact and visually appealing collection of individual Spitfire subjects, each presented with enough background information to help the modeller understand what makes that particular aircraft interesting or distinctive.

For anyone contemplating building a Spitfire Mk.XII or Mk.XIV – whether high-back or bubble-top – this is a useful and practical source of inspiration. Its uncomplicated format makes it easy to use at the modelling bench, while the combination of photographs and colour profiles provides plenty of inspiration for marking options.

Thanks to Philedition for the sample www.raf-in-combat.com 

Review Text & Images Copyright © 2026 by Brett Green
This Page Created on 6 October, 2026
Last updated 6 October, 2026

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