Dad was ex-Air Force so I sort of grew up with it, but my pride and joy as a 11 year old was the 1:24 Mk II Spitfire I lovingly put together over weeks. Nothing spared, decal softener to mould it to the paint, clear gloss and then clear matt over the top of both, masking tape harness straps, muddy wheels, the lot. Gear and flaps down, canopy cracked open, gun port covers shot through, she was set on short final from my bedroom ceiling by some light gauge fishing line...
Her service life ended when she was unfortunately shot down and destroyed one cold July afternoon by my brother, who decided to see how much different history might have been if the Luftwaffe had taken to the RAF with air rifles...