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Spitfire Mk.Ia ProfiPACK (82151) 1:48 Eduard The Spitfire was the champion of the Battle of Britain along with the Hurricane and a few other less well-known players, and it’s an aircraft with an amazing reputation that started from a bit of a damp squib in the shape of the Supermarine Type 224. The gull-winged oddity was the grandfather of the Spitfire, and despite losing out to the biplane Gloster Gladiator, designer R J Mitchell was spurred on to go back to the drawing board and create a more modern, technologically advanced and therefore risky design. This was the Type 300, and it was an all-metal construction with an incredibly thin elliptical wing that became legendary, although it didn’t leave much space for fuel, a situation that was further worsened by the Air Ministry’s insistence that four .303 machine guns were to be installed in each wing, rather than the three originally envisaged. It was a very well-sorted aircraft from the outset, so quickly entered service with the RAF in 1938 in small numbers. With the clouds of war accumulating, the Ministry issued more orders and it became a battle to create enough to fulfil demand in time for the outbreak and early days of war from September 1939 onwards. By then, the restrictive straight sided canopy had been replaced by a “blown” hood to give the pilot more visibility, although a few with the old canopy still lingered. The title Mk.Ia was given retrospectively to differentiate between the cannon-winged Mk.Ib that was instigated after the .303s were found somewhat lacking compared to the 20mm cannon armament of their main opposition at the time, the Bf.109. As is usual in wartime, the designers could never rest on their laurels with an airframe like the Spitfire, as it had significant potential for development, a process that lasted throughout the whole of WWII, and included many changes to the Merlin engine, then the installation of the more powerful Griffon engine, as well as the removal of the spine of the fuselage and creation of a bubble canopy to improve the pilot’s situational awareness. Its immediate successor was the Mk.II with a new Mk.XII Merlin, followed by the Mk.V that had yet another more powerful Merlin fitted, which returned the fright of the earlier marks’ first encounters with Fw.190s by a similar increase in performance of an outwardly almost identical Spitfire. The Kit This is a new tool from Eduard, following on from their other later marks of the Spit in their usual manner, providing us modellers with a wide selection of types and sub-variants as they proceed through their launch schedule. This is a thoroughly modern tooling with immense detail squeezed into every part, and for the inveterate upgraders, the kits are moulded with that in mind, to be augmented by a raft of super-detailed resin and brass sets from Eduard themselves, which benefit from concurrent launch and excellent fit. The outer skin has been fully riveted with fine lines and rivets everywhere, plus different widths of engraved lines, Dzuz fasteners on cowling panels, and even some lapped panels such as the fuel tank in front of the canopy. It arrives in Eduard’s standard ProfiPACK box, with five sprues in their grey/blue styrene, a circular clear sprue, a fret of Photo-Etch (PE) that is nickel-plated and pre-painted, a small sheet of pre-cut kabuki masking material (not pictured), a large decal sheet with separate stencil sheet, and the glossy instruction booklet with painting guide at the rear in full colour. Construction begins with the cockpit, which will probably be familiar to most, although maybe not in so much detail if you’re not used to the Eduard way. It is built up on the starboard sidewall insert, with equipment, controls and a choice of seat-carrying fuselage frames depending on which decal option you have chosen. The seat is next, having the flare rack at the front removed and replaced by the daintier PE part, as well as some nice PE seatbelts and rear armour. The control column is also made up, and has a PE trigger added before it and the flight control box (more of a tangle, really) are joined to the seat and inserted in the next two fuselage frames forward. The next frame forward holds the instrument panel, which can be plastic with decals, or the more complex and detailed lamination of PE parts with those lovely glossy dial faces on a separate backing plate, either of which then glue to the frame, with the gunsight at the top of the panel, and the compass just below, then the rudder pedals are outfitted with PE straps and footrests, before being put just inside the cut-out below the panel. Forward of that frame is a blanking plate that is glued in place along with the spinner back during the fuselage closure procedure. The socket for the tail wheel and the leading edge of the wing fairing are also glued in, and take care here, as there are two diagrams below the fuselage closure that cover the painting and decaling of the cockpit sidewalls, which must be done before closure, as you’d imagine. The canopy will require small parts of the sidewalls removing to accommodate the appropriate glazing, so make sure you cut those parts off too. They slip in a mention of a panel line on the very front of the nose that you need to fill in, so don’t forget that one, as it’s called out with a line and the word “fill” during the attachment to the wings later on. The lower wing is a single part out as far as the clipped wing rib, and there are two small holes that need drilling out on both undersides before you go any further. A long wing spar bridges the gap between the wheel bay cut-outs, then the rest of the bay walls are made out of short sections and the wing-gun barrels are dropped into their slots ready for closing up the wing, then placing the fuselage into the gap and gluing home. The tail feathers are next, with separate elevator fins and flying surfaces, plus the rudder and its control link. Back to the wings, and the elliptical tips are slid into place along with the ailerons, which you can pose deflected if you wish. Staying with the wing, the model is flipped over, and the radiator, oil cooler and chin intake with fairing are all added in, the radiator and oil cooler both having PE mesh inserts, L-shaped feeder pipes at the rear, and a scale-thickness PE flap with two actuators for open and closed positions. The narrow track landing gear has replacement PE details fixed to the leg after removing the plastic representation, and these then have the captive doors attached to the rear, and wheels made up from a tyre and two hub parts, with a split yoke and wheel for the tail, which slots into the socket buried in the fuselage. The canopy has a choice of fittings on the windscreen, and a choice of open or closed canopies with a PE pull-handle in the top. The fixed rear glazing is fitted first for the open option, but is moulded into the closed canopy for better fit. The locations for the masks are shown in a diagram at the end of the instructions, using liquid mask for highly curved areas of the blown canopy. The cockpit door can be mounted open or closed, then the aerial is glued to the rear of the canopy on a base, two small holes are opened up on the upper wing for the PE landing gear markers, with a fuel filler cap on the cowling in front of the windscreen. The exhaust stacks have been moulded carefully to give hollow tips, and the prop is a single part, covered front and back by the two-part spinner, with the peg on the rear sliding into the front of the fuselage. The final steps show two aerial wire layouts for the different markings, which you will need to provide from your own toolbox. Markings There are a generous seven marking options from the box, including some very early war aircraft with the black and white underwing markings, and the over-sized roundels with yellow outer rings under the wings. From the box you can build one of the following: R6709, flown by P/O Colin Falkland Gray, RNZAF, No. 54 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, United Kingdom, March 1940 N3250, flown by P/O Allan R. Wright, No. 92 Squadron, RAF Croydon, United Kingdom, late May/early June 1940 R6690, flown by P/O John C. Dundas, No. 609 Squadron, RAF Middle Wallop/RAF Warmwell, United Kingdom, August 13th, 1940 R6835, flown by F/O Brian J. Carbury, No. 603 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, United Kingdom, late August 1940 P9386, flown by S/Ldr Brian J. Lane, No. 19 Squadron, RAF Fowlmere, United Kingdom, September 1940 X4253, flown by P/O Wilfrid G. Duncan Smith, No. 611 Squadron, RAF Hornchurch, United Kingdom, February 1941 X4828, flown by F/Lt Wojciech Kolaczkowski, No. 303 Squadron, RAF Speke, United Kingdom, September 1941 The decals are printed by Eduard and are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The stencils are marked on the rear page of the booklet, separate from the rest of the markings to avoid confusion from trying to read overly busy diagrams. Conclusion There are bound to be some moans about another Spitfire model, but other people’s kits don’t make money for Eduard. They’ve done a great job of this early mark, and the detail is second to none from the box, with nothing else needed to create a great replica other than paint and glue, with a sprinkling of talent. Very highly recommended. You can also get an ART poster of the full box art, which really is a nice one. You can see that below: Review sample courtesy of

I have been diverted off my Dynavector 1/48 Scimitar build by these two kits - one is the CMR Scimitar and the other is a rebuild of an old Skybirds 86 Scimitar in 1/72 The CMR had come up against a brick wall when I discovered that there were two right hand inner wing panels and no left hand panel. Thanks to Hannants and CMR I happily ended up with the missing part - https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235079067-cmr-supermarine-scimitar-wing-fold-set/ CMR SUPERMARINE SCIMITAR 1/72 XD275 117/E 800B flight HMS EAGLE 1966 Basically built straight from the box with a few minor changes - I lowered the canopy sill line carefully as I thought the kit canopy sat a little high and then moulded a new canopy as the windscreen needed to be a bit wider-I struggled to get the canopy anywhere near the clarity of the kit offering but I am happier with the look of the windscreen - a lot of clear plastic ended up in the bin. I lengthened the tail bumper a tad. made a new refuelling probe from 1/16inch aluminium tube. scratch built a ladder from model railway 4mm scale signal ladder and Evergreen strip. The palouste starter pod is from CMK inserted some fine brass wire pins at the wing hinges for added strength. Jury struts made from brass wire/tube rather than the flat kit etch part. I found the kit pretty fiddly to get together in parts but the moulding's are superb, in particular the wing fold break - if you are building this CMR Scimitar do be careful of some of the fine moulding that could be mistaken for flash eg on the flaps and wing fold break - the wing fences are very delicate too and I managed to break them during handling & had to replace them. I referred a lot to Navy Bird's CMR Scimitar build along the way Added a slice of Evergreen 3.2mm square tube to the top of the main landing gear struts to make the joint a bit stronger - The front wheel and strut of the polouste had to be scratch built a the kit part disappeared into the carpet never to be seen again! SKYBIRDS86 SUPERMARINE SCIMITAR rebuild 1/72 XD317 as operated by Airwork FRU 1969 at Hurn Airport - decals are left overs from the CMR sheet I now had a spare wing from the CMR Scimitar so I fitted it to the Skybirds kit and added the front end of an old Xtrakit Scimitar - a lot of work but it seemed to work out ok. Home made canopy & white metal ejection seat from the spares box although the Skybirds Ejection seat is ok Scratch built FOD blanks & Harley Light nose from CMR kit The Skybirds86 kit has some beautiful white metal castings for the landing gear etc CJP

Supermarine Sea Otter Mk.I "WWII Service" 1:72 Special Hobby (72429) The Se Otter was developed by Supermarine from its famous predecessor the Walrus. As a longer range Sea Plane the main difference is the arrangement of the engine from the pusher as seen on the Walrus to the more conventional puller. The Sea Otter was the last Sea Plane to be designed by Supermarine, and the last biplane to enter service with the RAF & FAA. Despite the prototype flying in 1938 it was not ordered until 1942 with only 292 of the nearly 700 ordered being produced before the end of WWII. Many aircraft were sold and used in civilian use post WWII with conversions to passenger and freight transport for remote locations being done. The Kit This is a re-release of the Azur Ffrom kit originally from 2011. The kit arrives on 4 spures, a clear spurue, A sheet of PE, a bag of resin parts and a cockpit film. Construction starts with the interior. Two seats complete with PE belts are made up these are fitted to the cabin floor along with all of the internal bulkheads. The instrument panel with its POE part and film goes in. The two rear windows go into the fuselage halves from the inside and then the fuselage can be closed up around the cabin interior. Now the tailplanes and rudder are fitted to the completed fuselage before work can start on the wings. Both the upper and lower wings are 3 part. There is a single upper with left & right lowers. The engine pod fits under the top with with the engine, cowl, and exhaust being in resin. The lower wing is attached to the main fuselage and then the upper wing is fixed on with all of the struts. There are shallow locating points for all the struts. Under the lower wing the stabilising floats can be fitted along with a pair of resin & PE bomb racks. At the rear the tail wheel is added and the main wheels are also built up ad added. To finish up PE & wire (not supplied) hand rails are fitted to the front and rear fuselage. These were used in SAR operations. A full rigging diagram is provided if the modeller wishes to rig the finished aircraft. Decals Three options are provided on the decal sheet, these look to have been made in house, they look to be in register with no issues.: JN106 - No. 1701 Sqn FAA, Maryborough Australia 1945 JM744, No.771 Sqn FAA, RNAS Hatson (HMS Sparrowhawk) Orkney Islands, 1944 JM808, No.712 Sqn FAA, RNAS Hatson (HMS Sparrowhawk) Orkney Islands, 1944/45 Conclusion This is a good kit of an overlooked aircraft. The fabric effects are well represented without being overscale and there is a fair amount of detail. With some care this will build up into a good looking model. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Spitfire Mk.XIV Civilian Schemes (A05139) 1:48 Airfix The Spitfire is possibly the most iconic and well-known fighter of WWII, so I'll not drone on about how great it was, as we already know - It and the Hurricane were the saviours of our bacon on a number of occasions, and are immortalised in aviation history as a result. The Mark XIV was powered by the powerful Griffon 61 and later on the 65 engine, with the resulting extension in forward fuselage, power bulges, not to mention pure grunt as it was pulled along by the massive five bladed prop. It was based upon the XIII, and gave a substantial performance increase over the popular Mk.IX, later having the cut-down fuselage back and teardrop canopy and new E-type cannon wings. The extra weight of the engine required centre of gravity motivated changes, and the wash off the props necessitated a new larger tail empennage to maintain control authority within acceptable ranges. It entered service in late 1943, and was capable of almost 450mph at 25,000ft and could climb like the proverbial homesick angel, giving anyone on the receiving end of its wrath a serious reason for concern. The Griffon engine had a drinking problem and drained its tanks with a frightening efficiency, so drop-tanks were often carried on longer missions, allowing it to range a lot further from home. It was also a good candidate for knocking V-1 Flying Bombs out of the sky, and was considered the best Spit for the job by many. Its successor the XVIII was an evolution of this successful type, but wasn’t in squadron service until after WWII had ended. The Mark.24 was the last of the land-based Spitfires, thus ending its service in the RAF but continuing with other countries that bought retired airframes that they flew for a while longer. The Kit This is a reboxing from Airfix of their Mk.XIV, but with new decals depicting the retired airframes that saw civilian service once they had been superseded by the new jet engined alternatives that grew in performance and firepower through various generations. The kit arrives in a red-themed top-opening box with a bright red Spit on the lid, four sprues of grey styrene, one of clear, a long narrow decal sheet and the instruction booklet with spot colour throughout and full colour painting and decaling guide on the rear pages. Construction begins with the cockpit interior, which consists of two inner skins that are decorated with the usual items we all know and recognise instantly. The pilot's seat is made from an L-shaped seat with separate sides, which has an armour panel fitted behind it and the adjustment lever on the right side. The frame behind the pilot has moulded-in lightening holes that you can either pick out with wash or drill out at your whim, then add the seat frame and head-armour, finally fitting the seat to the frame on its four corners. The rudder pedal assembly goes through a depiction of a section of the wing spar and has separate pedals that you should leave off if you are intending to fit the pilot, and the control column is planted in the middle of the sub-assembly. The instrument panel is glued to the next frame forward and has a nice decal with just the dials printed, which should settle down with a little decal solution. The instrument panel is inserted into the port cockpit side along with the rudder pedal assembly, allowing the two cockpit tub halves to be joined and an angled front firewall bulkhead to be fitted to close in the foot well. Then the seat assembly and next frame to the rear are slotted into the grooves, and your optional pilot with his two separate arms can be plonked in if you’re using him. Before inserting the cockpit tub you need to paint the interior of the fuselage above the waistline, and remove a small part of the sill if you are posing the canopy closed. Then it is mated to the starboard fuselage half, together with an insert in front of the canopy, which is where the fuel tank filler is found. You can also cut out the access door on the left side of the fuselage, bearing in mind that you have a new door on the sprue so you can be a bit brutal in removing the plastic. For decal option A, the tip of the moulded in fin is shortened according to a scrap diagram nearby. The full-width lower wing has two circular bay walls fitted along with a section of the front spar, which holds the landing gear top sections, before the rear spar and front extensions are also attached to stiffen the wing. Decal option B has you cutting the upper wing tips and cannon fairings are removed as per another scrap diagram, then you pop the upper wings on and move on to joining them to the fuselage after making sure you’ve fitted the light in the belly first. The elevator fins are slotted into the tail at 90o to the rudder fin, then the three flying surfaces are added with any deflections that you might wish to portray. The ailerons are also separate and can be posed deflected if you wish. Under the nose the chin-insert is glued in, noting the finely moulded Amal fastenings there and on the side cowlings. Under the wing the two square radiator baths with textured radiator panels and separate open or closed cooling flaps on the rear are glued into their recesses. The fuselage has a couple of camera ports in the sides, which are supplied in clear styrene, and should be filled before painting, as they were faired over to streamline the sides in civilian service. Option A has the gun fairings attached to the stubs in the wing’s leading edge, while option B has a couple of smooth inserts to fill the cut-outs you made earlier. You might need a little filler here if you’ve been clumsy, but test-fitting should make that easier. Option B also has clipped wingtips, which are clear to include the lights, and both have their characteristic Griffon power-bulges added at this time. The tail wheel was retractable in the Mk.XIV, so you have the choice of wheels up or down for all three rubbery bits. In-flight a small portion of the wheels can still be seen, so Airfix have provided a slim wheel to put on the doors so that a realistic look is obtained, and a single door piece for the tail is also included. For the wheels down option, you have separate struts and doors, which slot into the sockets within the bay and have a pair of diamond treaded tyres with separate hubs added, making sure that the slightly flattened section is facing the floor. The tail wheel bay and doors are a single part, with the wheel inserted once it is applied to the fuselage. A T-shaped pitot probe goes under the wing with small hooks under the trailing edge and a centreline aerial at the rear, then the tubular exhaust stubs are glued into the nose, and joined by a one-piece five-bladed prop, two-part spinner, and three parts that slot into the front and will permit the prop to spin if you don’t flood it with glue. You then have a choice of open or closed canopies, using the winddscreen and canopy assembly for open, and a different canopy part for the closed option. The open option also allows the door to be posed down, which as previously mentioned uses a new part. Markings There are two options in the box, one in bright red, the other in silver, and as you may have already gleaned, they have different wings. From the box you can build one of the following: Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk.XIV G-Fire, Duxford, England, 1988 Supermarine Spitfire FR Mk.XIV CF-GMZ, Canada, 1949 Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion Seeing a civilian Spitfire makes a change from your average camouflaged Spit we see on the forum every day, but if you’re not into modelling warplanes, these civilian options make a colourful alternative. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Supermarine S-5 1/72 AMP / MikroMir via A-market The S-5 was one os a series of flying boats designed by RJ Mitchell specifically to compete in the Schneider Trophy races of the 1920s. The aircraft was designed as an all metal structure following the crash of the wooden S-4. The aircraft though was not all metal as the wings would feature a spruce main spar with ply ribs and skin. The S-5s came 1st and 3rd in the 1927 race. Later the first S-5 would crash during an attempt on the world speed record tragically killing the pilot RAF Flight Lieutenant S.N Webster. Mitchell then came to the conclusion that the Napier engine had reached its peak and looked to Rolls Royce for a new power plant which then became the S-6. These aircraft would ultimately lead Mitchell into designing the Iconic Spitfire, but that's another story. The Kit This is a new tool from AMP (Part of the MikroMir family) for 2020. This is a fine tooling on three sprues with excellent detail, there is a small amount of flash on some parts which should be easy to clean off. As well as the plastic parts the bracing wires are provided in photo etch. There is a tiny canopy with an even smaller mask. Construction starts in the cockpit which for the size is quite detailed with a control column, rudder pedals and other details going in. The frame is attached to the rear bulkhead and placed inside the fuselage which can be closed up. The engine covers and prop go on next which about completes the fuselage. The single part main wing is then attached. Next up the floats are assembled and added onto the main fuselage. All the bracing wires for these are provided as PE should the modeller wish to use the, Rigging is shown on the instructions if the modeller wants to make their own. Now the wing ailerons, tailplanes and rudder can be added. Lastly the small canopy is attached. Decals There is no printer name on the decals, though they look good and are in register. There are three markings for N220; at the factory in 1927, in Venice 1927 when it won the race, marked with No.4 race number; then finally at Calshot in 1928. Conclusion Its good to see a new tool of this important aircraft in 1/72. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

After the Seafire 5 kits set (link) Sword Models is to release in late October 2020 a 1/72nd Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XIVc/e 3 kits set - ref. SW72133 Sources: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SW72133 https://www.aviationmegastore.com/spitfire-mkxiv---3-in-1--expected-october-2020-sw72133-sword-8596444721332-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=173345 V.P.

Matchbox 1/72 Supermarine Walrus 23hours 5 minutes. Waterlined and rigged. Spitfire wing section from Matchbox kit. Figures from Matchbox and Airfix. Dinghy Milliput and Plasticard. This was the image that inspired my build

Hello guys, here's my latest model, Airfix's Spitfire Mk.22 in 1:48. The kit had some moulding issues, and the landing gear struts don't have the most positive attachment points, but I got there in the end.

Hello guys, this is my quarentine project number five, the Spitfire 22/24 from Airfix in 1:48. As you can see in the following photos, this kit came with missing plastic in some areas. Nothing some CA can't fix, but still annoying: Here's where I'm now, a fully built airframe:

Spitfire Mk.XIV Bubble Canopy Cockpit (4397 for Airfix) 1:48 CMK by Special Hobby This newly tooled Griffon engined Spit from Airfix is fresh off the blocks and here’s a super-detailed resin cockpit from CMK that will give it a lift in that department. Arriving in their standard bubble-pack with card rear, the set contains 21 resin parts, a small sheet of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, and a slip of printed clear acetate. The instruction sheet is folded up inside and a small rectangle of clear plastic helps to protect the parts from damage. It's a complete drop-in replacement for the kit tub and builds up in a similar manner, but with the benefits of using resin instead of styrene, with its ability to capture more detail. It begins with the cockpit floor, which removes the seam that’s present in the kit version and adds more detail. To that the rudder pedals and their actuators are installed, then three fuselage frames with the rear side walls having grooves to accept them. The front frame has the seat attachment frame added, plus the head armour with more armour sandwiched between the seat and frame in the next step. The kit’s control column is topped with a new grip, and a full set of detailed seatbelts are included on the PE fret, which you’ll have to paint yourself. The seat is quite exposed at this stage, which is rectified by building up the instrument panel and frame complete with film instruments that should be painted white on the rear, the PE panel, and another double layer for the centre panel that stands slightly proud. The compass is installed in the footwell, and then the completed panel is sited on the floor and held in the correct place by the forward side walls, which also have grooves to assist with location. The access door is separate, and a gunsight is glued to the top of the panel, with a front bulkhead closing off the footwell. Providing you have painted it all, you should now be able to slot it into the model with minimal effort, but it’s always worth test fitting these things anyway. Conclusion Highly detailed resin usually beats styrene, and this set is no exception. With the door open you should be able to see your handiwork, making it all worthwhile. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Finished today: And the three Strike Witches themed aircraft. I have a fourth one, and three more should arrive to my stash in the near future.

Hello guys, here is my next project, an anime themed model. It's Lynette Bishop's Spitfire Mk.IX from the Strike Witches anime.

After the 1/48th kit (link), AMP is to release in 2020 a 1/72nd Supermarine S.5 kit - ref. 72009 Source: https://www.facebook.com/mikro.mir.dnepr/photos/a.1416729748404757/2912209615523422 Sprues V.P.

Italeri is to release in 2020 a new tool 1/48th Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I - ref. 2792 Source: https://www.italeri.com/uploads/news/b9oyS352gqHmhEzkjSqwDK80IVvs09sLuqzoPqmR.pdf V.P.

In August 2020, Eduard is to release in August 2020 - just in time for the 80th Anniversary of the BoB - a new tool 1/48th Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I limited kit - ref. Source: https://www.eduard.com/out/media/InfoEduard/archive/2020/info-eduard-2020-01.pdf V.P.

Hi all here is my Tamiya Spitfire MK1a (61119) I finished this back May/June and only just got round to posting here I decided before starting this kit that I wanted to do something different and try new things I finished it as a 19 Squadron spit serial N3200 code QV using Topnotch Cammo and insignia Masks ( a first for me ) Ive tried to replicate it as close as possible when it was lost on operations on 26th May 1940 having been shot down but not before it brought down a Junkers Ju87 Tamiya paints used throughout the build figures from Tamiya and ICM (another first in doing figures) Thanks for looking and enjoy Happy modelling Photo credit unknown

Spitfire Mk.I Upgrade Sets & Masks (for Tamiya) 1:48 Eduard & Eduard Brassin Tamiya have retooled their Mk.I to modern standards in 1:48, although their old kit wasn't half bad, it just had a few shape issues. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Resin Wheels (648455) Kit wheels are generally in two halves, which means you have the resultant joins to deal with, possible mould-slip issues on single part wheels, and sometimes less than stellar detail due to the moulding limitations of styrene injection technology, especially in the tread department. That's where replacement resin wheels come in, with their lack of seamline and superior detail making a compelling argument. They are also usually available at a reasonable price, and can be an easy introduction to aftermarket and resin handling, as they are usually a drop-in replacement. This set includes two resin main wheels with separate front hubs, and a tail wheel on a long leg that slots into the rear of the fuselage. A sheet of wheel masks accompany the set (not pictured) in Eduard's usual yellow kabuki tape, with a pair of additional Pac-Man shaped masks for the tail wheel in case you mess the first application up. Update Set (49960) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. A complete set of new layered instrument panels and side wall equipment are the primary parts on the painted set, with new rudder pedals; seat mounted flare pack; compass; head armour; radiator and oil cooler mesh with cooling flaps; bay door skins, tie-down brackets and hoses for the main gear; a replacement crew access door and rear view mirror inside the hood. Zoom! Set (FE960) This set contains a reduced subset of the interior, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, as seen above. Whatever your motivations for wanting this set, it provides a welcome boost to detail, without being concerned with the structural elements. Seatbelts STEEL (FE961) These belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new painting method that adds perceived depth to the buckles and other furniture by clever shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. You get a full set of four-point crew belts, which thread through the back of the seat and attach to the next frame aft. landing flaps (48987) Eduard landing flaps use an ingenious technique to achieve excellent true-to-scale flaps using few parts, and requiring the modeller to simply remove the retracted flaps from the lower wing, plus scrape the upper wings to accommodate the thickness of the completed bays. Each half of the two flap sections (bay and flap itself) is constructed in the same manner, by twisting and folding over the attached ribs to create a 3D shape, with extra parts added along the way. The bays glue to the inside of the upper wing and the flap attaches to the rear wall of the new bay with a length of 0.3mm wire that you will need to supply. The short inner section also has a deeper bay interior giving the impression of seeing inside the fuselage. Repeat this for the other side, and you're almost done. There are also parts included for the pop-through flap indicator "stalk" that gives the pilot a visual indication he hasn't cleaned up his flying surfaces before parking, thereby saving him an alleged fine of a few of shillings. This needs a small hole cut where the panel line is engraved on the top wing half. Masks (EX643) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition you get a set of hub masks for the main wheels, allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Masks Tface (EX644) Supplied on a bigger sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with everything above, but also give you another set of canopy masks tailored to fit the interior of the glazing so that you can paint the interior and give your model that extra bit of realism. Review sample courtesy of

To properly make Clostermann's Spitfire, I had to sand down the teardrop shaped bulges on the wings and two fairings. I did it with an Xacto, and made several scratches to the surface that had to be filled with CA. Luckily the plastic was thick enough to resist several sanding sessions. The horizontal stabilizers pushed each other out, and had to be pressed so they could stay in their place. The propeller spins, that's a good feature of the kit. I used Eduard decals for the ID codes. The Hasegawa roundels bulged a bit over the raised detail on the wings, and the underwing roundels had to be broken so they could fit in their place.

Spitfire Mk.22/24 Upgrades (for Airfix) 1:48 Eduard This kit from Airfix may not be the newest on the block, but it's a golden oldie that is generally well-liked by modellers, so much so that it has been re-released by Airfix a number of times over the years. Eduard's new range of sets are here to improve on the kit detail in the usual modular manner. Get what you want for the areas you want to be more of a focal point. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Detail Set (49924) Two frets are included, one nickel plated and pre-painted, the other in bare brass. It begins with a re-scribing template for the Mk.22 radio hatch, which was in a different place to the 24, the lines for which will need filling to finish the job. A complete set of new layered instrument panels, placards and sidewall instruments are the primary parts on the painted set, with a new seat with supports; rudder pedals; gun bay internal structure; wing details; radiator skins; roll-over bar behind the pilot's head; access door; main gear and tail-wheel bay detail also supplied. Zoom! Set (FE924) This set contains a reduced subset of the interior, namely the pre-painted parts that are used to improve on the main aspects of the cockpit, as seen above. Whatever your motivations for wanting this set, it provides a welcome boost to detail, without being concerned with the structural elements. Seatbelts STEEL (FE925) In case you don't already know, these belts are Photo-Etch (PE) steel, and because of their strength they can be etched from thinner material, which improves realism and flexibility in one sitting. Coupled with the new printing method that adds perceived extra depth to the buckles and other furniture by shading, they are more realistic looking and will drape better than regular brass PE. As well as the crew belts, you also get a bracket on the head armour that holds the tensioning of the shoulder belts, which will require you to remove the moulded-in part. landing flaps (48963) Eduard landing flaps use an ingenious technique to achieve excellent true-to-scale flaps using few parts, and requiring the modeller to simply remove the over-thick ribbing, plus scrape the upper wings to accommodate the thickness of the completed bays, and hollow out a hole in the upper wing for the flap indicator. Each half of the two flap sections (bay and flap itself) is constructed in the same manner, by twisting and folding over the attached ribs to create a 3D shape, plus some 0.6mm rod for the hinges from your own stock. The bays glue to the inside of the upper wing and the flap attaches to the rear wall of the new bay. Repeat this for the other side, and you're almost done. The indicator is placed in the hole opened earlier, and the cover is glued over it, with a scrap diagram showing its correct position. Masks (EX610) Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, these pre-cut masks supply you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition you get a set of hub/tyre masks for all the wheels (including the tail-wheel), allowing you to cut the demarcation perfectly with little effort. Review sample courtesy of

Whirlybird Models is to release at the SMW 2018 a 1/72nd Supermarine 545 kit - ref. Source: https://www.facebook.com/whirlybirdmodels/photos/a.520880691670428/520895088335655/?type=3&theater V.P.

Spitfire Mk.VIII/IX Cockpit Doors (648380 for Eduard) 1:48 Eduard Brassin Cutting out the cockpit door on a Spitfire usually involves taking a saw or knife to the kit fuselage, taking care not to damage the part you cut out. No longer! Now you can cut out the opening and discard the piece, using this highly detailed resin alternative in its place. As usual with Eduard's resin sets, they arrive in the familiar Brassin clamshell box, with the resin parts safely cocooned on dark grey foam inserts, and the instructions sandwiched between the two halves, doubling as the header card. Inside the box are two resin doors on one casting block, one with the controversial crowbar installed, and one without, showing the clips that it normally affixes to. If you're building a post-war bird by all means paint it red, but for a WWII vintage build leave it interior green, otherwise the sticklers will get ya! There are also decals that are placed in vertically between the two internal stiffeners, with a choice of black or red text and the helpful folks at Eduard have split one set of stencils diagonally, to ease putting them in around the crowbar. Review sample courtesy of

AMP is to release a 1/48th Supermarine S.5 kit - ref. 48009 Source: https://www.facebook.com/mikro.mir.dnepr/posts/1959896374088089 V.P.

I noticed that FlyPast had an interesting article about the Supermarine Scimitar in their last magazine. Sadly there is no available kit in 1/72... Cheers / André

AMP has 1/48th and 1/72nd Supermarine S.6B kits in project. Source: https://www.facebook.com/mikro.mir.dnepr/photos/a.1416729748404757.1073741828.1416295571781508/1868468463230881/?type=3&theater V.P.

Spitfire HF Mk. VIII ProfiPACK 1:48 Eduard The Spit needs little introduction other than that it helped to save Britain from the Luftwaffe's onslaught during the Battle of Britain, holding off the fighters while the Hurricanes went after the bombers. It was a flexible airframe and was capable of much improvement, which rendered it useful for the full course of WWII, with many changes during service both to the airframe and the Merlin powerplant, which was later replaced by the more powerful and larger Griffon engine. The Mark VIII airframes were all built by Supermarine themselves and saw a lot of use overseas, with the Mk.IX used more in defence of the British Isles and benefitting from the extra power the revised engine gave it. The high altitude HF was equipped with a set of wingtip extensions to improve climb and lift in the thinner atmosphere at height, and ran a Type 70 Merlin that was able to propel it a further 3,500 feet above the standard Mk.VIII, as well as 10mph or so higher top speed. The extended wingtips gave little in the way of assistance, while slowing down the aircraft's roll-rate, and although it was well-liked by pilots (with standard tips), it was eclipsed by the more potent IX. The Kit Eduard's Spitfire range just keeps on growing, and this new boxing uses as much existing tooling as is appropriate, and adds new parts to complete the airframe as its mark requires. Consequently there will be a fair number of parts remaining in the box after completion of your model. The kit arrives in the standard ProfiPACK box with the orange band, with four sprues in dark grey/blue styrene, one in clear, two sheets of decals, a small sheet of pre-painted and nickel-plated Photo-Etch (PE), a sheet of yellow kabuki tape masks, and the glossy colour printed instruction booklet with painting and marking guide to the rear. The sprues are bagged in resealable clear foil bags, while the circular clear sprue is bagged separately in a ziplok type bag for extra protection from chaffing. The PE and masks are in a bag each, with the PE protected by a piece of card, and the decals are in their own bag with paper covering the printing to protect them. Eduard's 1:48 Spitfires are beautiful models that have exquisite surface detail, go together well and look the part. There's not much unusual about this build, and the cockpit goes together as you'd expect, with a small depression to fill on the head of the frame behind the seat, and a choice of two parts either with the head armour moulded in or added as a separate PE part. There are optional styrene or colour PE instrument panels, and a decal on the sheet to overlay the styrene part if you really don't like laminated PE panels. There's also a decal for the compass that sits between the pilot's knees hanging from behind the instrument panel. If you're closing up the canopy you'll need to trim a few sections of the cockpit sill, which are indicated in red on scrap diagrams, and a few holes need drilling in one wing root and in the starboard nose for the later application of a small teardrop fairing peculiar to the HF's engine configuration. The wings are full span underneath as you'd expect, and there are a choice of colours for the underwing recognition lights, which is predicated by your decal choice. The tops glue on after the wheel wells have been constructed from three parts each, and the airframe is brought together by adding the wings, elevators and rudder at the rear. The cowling is a perceived weak-point of the kit due to the fact that it must be moulded as two parts due to its shape and you then have to deal with the seams, which are prominent, and with some fillers have a tendency of coming back both there and over the fuel tank in front of the windscreen. This not limited to Eduard's Spits, as I remember having it with another brand myself. Don’t forget to add the exhaust stacks with their hollow slide-moulded tips, which are closer in look to resin than styrene. At this stage the wings are clipped and have no control surfaces, which are added next, and the former have long tabs that slip inside the slot in the wings, so take care with alignment here and save yourself a lot of heartache later by minimising the seam. Underneath you need to add the chin with prominent scoop plus the radiator housings, all of which have PE mesh intakes and in the case of the latter, exits too. The doors at the rear of the housings can be posed open or closed by fitting a different actuator, the angles and positions of which are shown in scrap diagrams. The Spit's landing gear was notorious for causing many a nose-over due to its narrow track, and this is replicated well by the kit, with each wheel having four parts, the main strut having either styrene or PE scissor links on the oleo, and the bay doors nicely detailed as well a commendably thin. If you are posing your model in flight, leave the tabs at the wing end intact, otherwise they need trimming as instructed. The VIII had a retractable tail-wheel in the search for speed, and this is well depicted with a two-part yoke around the tyre, and two clamshell doors that have the correct position pointed out in another scrap diagram. Pitot probe, aerial and two metal hooks are fitted on the underside, and then it's just a case of choosing whether to leave your canopy open or closed and fitting the prop. A rear view mirror and closure mechanism is provided in PE, and if you are closing the canopy, you have a single part for the opener and the fixed rear part, while the open canopy has two sections that fit one over the other. Choose your cockpit door position, then fix the single part prop to the back plate and top it off with the spinner, locating it on the front (shocker!) with its spindle through the thoughtfully provided hole. A fuel filler cap, aerial post behind the cockpit and a pair of cannon barrels with domed over outer positions finishes things off nicely. Markings This is a ProfiPACK kit, and you have your usual five markings options spread between two sheets. The main sheet contains the machine specific decals, while the smaller sheet is full of stencils for the airframe that are common between them. These are called out on a separate page of the instructions. Decals are by Eduard, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, and a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. From the box you can build one of the following: JF364, No. 32 Squadron, Foggia, Italy, early 1944 JF476, No. 92 Squadron, Triolo, Sicily, November 1943 JF519, No. 1 Squadron SAAF , Trigno, Italy, February 1944 JF630, flown by F/O L. Cronin, No. 81 Squadron, Palel, India, March 1944 308th Fighter Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, Castel Volturno, Italy, 1944 Yes, those roundels on the right are a bit bright, but they're supposed to be like that. Supplied on a sheet of yellow kabuki tape, the masks provide you with a full set of masks for the canopy, with compound curved handled by using frame hugging masks, while the highly curved gaps are in-filled with either liquid mask or offcuts from the background tape. In addition you get a small number of masks for the wing and fuselage lights where needed. Conclusion One of the less famous Spitfire marks with a quirky set of wingtips gets a thoroughly modern, well-detailed rendition with a nice selection of decal options that should please most folks. If you're hungry for more detail, just check out the back page of the instructions, which has an advert extolling the benefits of the resin wheels, engine, cockpit, gun bays, exhausts and various PE sets that you can add. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of