Eduard Brassin Spitfire Mk.V Resin Enhancement Sets (for Airfix 1:48)

[woody37]

Spitfire Mk.V Resin Enhancement Sets (for Airfix 1:48)

Eduard Brassin

The new 1/48 Airfix Spitfire Vb kit has been made to feel very welcome in the market for 1/48 Spitfires and that's no mean feat! It's considered an accurate representation and stands up well against the Tamiya kit that's been out for some time. It's not surprising then that it will get plenty of attention from the aftermarket manufacturers creating a win/win/win scenario for Airfix, modellers and the aftermarket producers. Eduard has established itself as a leading supplier of resin upgrades with typically excellent fit under the brand of it's Brassin range. Looking at the quality of these sets, I expect them to follow that tradition.

Spitfire Mk.V 'Fishtail' Exhaust Stacks (648 182)
Offered as direct replacement parts for the kit, these resin parts are beautifully detailed. Most Mk.V's were fitted with this type of exhaust as it offered a slight thrust improvement over the earlier types. The outlets of the exhausts are hollowed out with stunningly thin edges and the welded sections are faithfully reproduced as you would expect.

Spitfire Mk.V Exhaust Stacks (648 179)
These exhausts are the type that was phased out early in the Spitfire V development and replaced with the fishtail type provided above. I would recommend doing your research to ensure you purchase the correct type for your build if planning to use these given the rarity of their use in Mk.V service. Again, they are superbly cast with accurate weld joins and hollowed outlets.

Spitfire Mk.V Radio Compartment (648 184)
The radio for the Spitfire was carried aft of the cockpit and access was through a door on the port side of the rear fuselage. If you're wanting to build a diorama or super detailed Spitfire, then this option is worth considering. The fuselage interior is provided as cast parts that simply mate to the inside faces of the kit fuselage. An etch radio mount is then added to support the resin radio stack centrally. You will need to cut out the access door in the fuselage to view this extra detail, but a replacement door is provided for this purpose. Again, the detail is top notch, however visibility of this fine work is going to be quite limited once the kit is built, so this should be considered before committing.

Spitfire Mk.V Wheels (648 178)
Again, making full use of the casting ability of high quality resin, Eduard have produced these rather stunning wheels. The detail is incredibly sharp with the tyres showing off the 'Dunlop' text and mould lines around the circumference of the side walls. Separate 5 spoke outer hubs are provided giving the added benefit of making painting much easier. The inner hubs are slotted to allow direct replacement of the kit wheels on to the gear legs.

Spitfire Mk.V Cockpit (648 183)
This set necessitates a larger box such is the quantity of parts contained in the set. The complete cockpit interior is beautifully recreated in this set with nothing left out. Some of the parts are delicate and given the nature of them being cast to blocks, considerable care should be taken when cutting them free. An example of this is the control column. A hasty removal could leave you with several parts to glue back together.

Assembly starts with the control panel being built up and mounted to the front bulkhead and the compass fitted. The rear bulkhead then follows with etch armour plate being fitted. The intricately moulded floor pan is then used to mount the forward bulk head assembly on along with the rudder pedals and control column. Next comes the seat assembly which includes rear framework and etch rear armour and perforated front lower lip. Finally, all the remaining main parts are fitted on to the floor pan creating an entire cockpit sub assembly. The Airfix kit has separate cockpit internal side walls. This is a great benefit to the Eduard set as it means that they have been able to replace the kit parts with far sharper and more detailed resin parts without the need for the modeller to go on a cutting and sanding spree to shoehorn the detail in there! The etch sheet is put to further use with various controls and seatbelts giving a comprehensively detailed result. As you would expect with such an aftermarket makeover, plenty of dry fitting should be done to make sure you are able to close the fuselage up afterwards. Given the intricate detailing including in this set, it is target towards more experienced builders who are used to using etch and resin.

Conclusion
These sets allow a 1/48 Airfix Mk.V to be turned in to a masterpiece either as a stand alone model or as part of a period diorama. The detail & quality is second to none and the range provides a modular way to enhance your Spitfire to suit a range of budgets and skill levels. If using the more intricate sets, a good set of modelling tools will make the job much easier such as an etch former and tweezers as a minimum.

Review sample courtesy of

[Julien]

I had a quick look at these, they are top notch, those exhausts are excellent.

[woody37]

It's the first time I've had a look at the cockpit sets up close, they are a work of art. A 1/24 set would be good!

[TomW]

Agreed regarding the exhausts, just received my fishtails this morning and they are works of art. Cant wait to get started on the kit now.

Regards

Tom