- Kit: A01071A
- Price £4.99
Reviewed by Geoff Coughlin
Our thanks to Airfix for supplying the review sample. Get this kit here now at www.airfix.com
This kit will be built in the not too distant future, so watch out for it in Finished Now!
Reference material for your build… (from around 3 mins 30 secs into film)…
Some other references that you’ll find useful…
…the outstanding Aero Detail No.8 on the Supermarine Spitfire Mks I-V
… the useful Squadron Signal book – Spitfire in action No.39
The new-tool Airfix kit…
Well of course any new kit of the historic Spitfire is always going to be of interest, the fact that as I write we are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and that this is another new Airfix kit makes it even more interesting.
The box…
Standard new box here – quite sturdy and very attractive. Illustrating Spits scrambled from Biggin Hill’s No. 610 Sqn RAF intercepting German intruders over Kent provokes a stirring response. The back of the box features the decal and painting guide. As is usual only Humbrol colour references are offered.
The kit..
Now this is where things get interesting – for a start what strikes you immediately is the smooth lustre of the components and very precise engraving of the panel lines. These look much better than on the somewhat odd hybrid recently offered in 1:48th scale. No, this time we have plastic on sprues that looks and feels much more like a Tamiya kit, so if you’ve ever built one of those you’ll be pleased about that. Already I am planning whether to use a wash – it will certainly work well with these new-style panel lines.
The cockpit seems very well appointed with a very neat seat and separate forward and rear bulkheads with accurate engraved detail. The lightening holes are there and will only need drilling out with a small pin vice drill (see your Techniques Bank) for how to do that. The fuselage side walls have a superb level of detail moulded in that will look great under some subtle weathering. A decal is included for the main instrument panel and this is ideal in the small scales like 1:72nd.