New 1/72 Eduard Spitfire IXc

[Giorgio N]

The new Eduard 1/72 Spitfire is here. And it's fantastic !

As this is a kit that has been long awaited by many, I hope that this first look will be of interest.

As soon as the kit was made available I ordered a few overtrees. These are sprues sold without decals, instructions and PE parts, useful for those who already have decals and other accessories. As I have plenty of decals I've decided to buy some. The actual value for money of overtrees is debated, in my case I paid the same I'd have paid for the Airfix kit at my local shop and while these overtrees come with no decal the quality of the plastic IMHO well compensates for that.

Even if the overtrees are a "cheap" product, they all come in individual top opening cardboard boxes. And these boxes are big:

Opening the box, a wealth of plastic appears:

Overall there are 5 dark grey plastic sprues and one for clear parts. A quick look at the sprues shows that Eduard has already planned other variants.

The main sprues carries the wing and fuselage parts. These are likely specific to this kit (that represents a late Mk.IXc). The wings are moulded with the gun bulges and therefore can't be used for an earlier Mk.IX with the wider bulges or for an E wing aircraft. The way the ailerons are cut also means that the wing is likely going to be replaced for the Mk.VIII.

The undersides of the wing come with part of the carburettor air intake, meaning that an early Mk.IX will likely also have a new part here.

The fuselage comes with the fixed tailwheel only. Again, the Mk.VIII will use new parts. At the same time different cowlings are included, hinting at other variants.

Speaking of variants, how do I know that a Mk.VIII will be issued ? The short span ailerons of this variant are included in the sprue, together with a nice choice of wingtips:

The presence of the Mk.V style elevators means that Eduard will also issue an early Mk.IX. Likely Eduard will mould a new wing with wider gun bulges for this subvariant. Mind, this is a deduction I'm making, not sure if things will be this way or not.

The early carburettor intake for this variant is also included in the parts:

Now here we have a choice of 3 different types of main landing gear, choice of 2 exhausts styles and different arrangements for the rear bulkhead. The 2 front bulkheads are for panels with or without moulded on instruments, the flat one being used with PE parts. There's also a choice of different wheel wells doors but these parts look completely identical...

The abundance of options can also be seen in the next sprue:

3,4 and 5 spoke wheels and different gun fairings for the C and E wing. The cockpit sidewalls are separate, a choice with pros and cons: they allow much better detail but at the same time they result in some thick walls overall. In any case, the detail is very nice.

The presence of the fairings for the E type wing of course means that this subvariant will appear, and will require a new wing. Not only a IXe will appear, but the clear parts show that one more variant will be issued:

Yes, there's a bubble canopy in there ! So a Mk.XVI is sure to come. The engine cowling for this variant is included in the first sprue above.

Surface detail must be seen to be believed, panel lines are great and the riveting very subtle. This is a kit that will reward well laid thin coats of paint, the rivets may disappear with a thick coat. I've tried to take a picture but IMHO does not show the detail well:

The only minor criticism is that some parts may have looked even better if moulded in the harder plastic that japanese companies use. Really it's a very minor criticism as the level of detail overall is great.

Since this kit didn't come with decals, I can't comment on them of course. I will look at accuracy in the next few days and may also compare the kit with other existing kits of the Spitfire IX. Or I may not, really any other kit would look bad compared to this one.

Needless to say that this kit is now jumping on top of the stash and I'll start a thread in the WIP section here to show if it builds as well as it looks in the box

[Levin]

Can I build a mk ix with the long wingtips out of the kit or do i need another fuselage or so?

I am not that spitfire expert so please excuse that i have to ask

Thank you in advance Levin

[Giorgio N]

Can I build a mk ix with the long wingtips out of the kit or do i need another fuselage or so?

I am not that spitfire expert so please excuse that i have to ask

Thank you in advance Levin

you can as long as the Spitfire you're interested in has the later larger carburettor intake. Now I don't know of many Spitfire IX with extended tips, the ones that come to my mind are those used by the SAAF in Northern Africa, IIRC 3 aircrafts stripped to natural metal. These can be built with the parts included in the kit

Edited June 30, 2016 by Giorgio N

[Levin]

Thank for your quick answer.I am gonna do a little research by myself now. maybe eduard also make a kit for a mk vi/vii with the long wing tips now (were those or?)

Greetings from germany Levin

[PhantomBigStu]

OMG

looks amazing

[Giorgio N]

Thank for your quick answer.I am gonna do a little research by myself now. maybe eduard also make a kit for a mk vi/vii with the long wing tips now (were those or?)

Greetings from germany Levin

The Vi was based on the Mk.V so I wouldn't expect it. The Mk.VII could be done by Eduard but it's hard to tell if and when. The Mk.VIII will sure arrive and this variant also used the long wingtips. As these tips are already included in the kit, I would expect Eduard to also offer decals for aircrafts that used them.

[Levin]

Yeah i am not that spitfire expert

Thank you for your help

have fun when building it

I look forward to your WIP threat

Edited June 30, 2016 by Levin

[tempestfan]

Giorgio, one of the u/c leg fairings should have a tiny triangular section at the front where the wheel part joins the leg part, to cover the oleo link used on some late (?) VIII/IX/XVI versions - it's quite hard to tell from the pics but I seem to see it. (I keep seeing things...).

Anyway, that kit offers a lot of alternative parts one could use to dress up older kits. Essentially one could take an Airfix JE-J and keep nothing but the four airframe parts (possibly need to retain prop and spinner, or rplace otherwise), replacing everything else with superfluous parts off this kit. Amazing !

And it's ridiculously cheap, a mere € 12,49 at my favourite supplier. For the ProfiPack...

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good afternoon Giorgio

Thank you for this open box

Patrice

[Nick Belbin]

Should I mention that we 1/48 modellers have had the benefit of this kit for a few years now . . ?

[Rick Brown]

Should I mention that we 1/48 modellers have had the benefit of this kit for a few years now . . ?

Stop it!

Interesting, looking forward to a WIP.

Rick.

[DaveCromie]

Now that is a whole lot of possibilities! Wonder if the new fuselage sprue needed to make a Mk VIII will have a cabin pressurisation intake and a rear pressure bulkhead to make a VII?

DC

[Graham Boak]

Is one of the transparencies the deep rear section for a Mk.VII? It rather looks like it - or what else is the spare rear section for? Presumably the pressurisation intake will come with the new Mk.VIII fuselage and wings.

[Procopius]

Is one of the transparencies the deep rear section for a Mk.VII? It rather looks like it - or what else is the spare rear section for? Presumably the pressurisation intake will come with the new Mk.VIII fuselage and wings.

Opened and closed canopies, I shouldn't wonder. That's how it is on their 1/72 Fw190.

[DaveCromie]

Is one of the transparencies the deep rear section for a Mk.VII? It rather looks like it - or what else is the spare rear section for? Presumably the pressurisation intake will come with the new Mk.VIII fuselage and wings.

Hi Graham

D'oh! Forgot that small but blindingly obvious difference! Given Eduard's previous conviction for having modellers make cuts in the plastic to allow for open Spitfire cockpits, if they just add a deeper rear fixed transparency to a new sprue I'm sure the VII will be very doable from a 1/72 Mk VIII.

Must work out how I'm going to do it for the 1/48 Mk VIII conversion to Mk VII that I am planning. So far I'm looking at scratch building the pressure bulkheads and pressure intake but the rear transparency is giving me some difficulties.

For those who haven't seen them yet, here are the instructions including the colour schemes for the Profipack.

Cheers all

DC

Edited July 1, 2016 by DaveCromie

[Giorgio N]

Giorgio, one of the u/c leg fairings should have a tiny triangular section at the front where the wheel part joins the leg part, to cover the oleo link used on some late (?) VIII/IX/XVI versions - it's quite hard to tell from the pics but I seem to see it. (I keep seeing things...).

The ger legs are indeed supplied with different types of oleo links, however the covers look totally identical to me. Will post pictures of these parts only, maybe I'm just not seeing something that is clearly there

Should I mention that we 1/48 modellers have had the benefit of this kit for a few years now . . ?

Really 1/48 modellers have been better treated than 1/72 enthusiasts when it comes to Spitfire IXs ! Even before Eduard issued their Spit, you had the ICM kit that at least was decently detailed and accurate.

Is one of the transparencies the deep rear section for a Mk.VII? It rather looks like it - or what else is the spare rear section for? Presumably the pressurisation intake will come with the new Mk.VIII fuselage and wings.

Checked again and no deeper Mk.VII style parts, they are indeed for open and closed canopy

Hi Graham

D'oh! Forgot that small but blindingly obvious difference! Given Eduard's previous conviction for having modellers make cuts in the plastic to allow for open Spitfire cockpits, if they just add a deeper rear fixed transparency to a new sprue I'm sure the VII will be very doable from a 1/72 Mk VIII.

Must work out how I'm going to do it for the 1/48 Mk VIII conversion to Mk VII that I am planning. So far I'm looking at scratch building the pressure bulkheads and pressure intake but the rear transparency is giving me some difficulties.

For those who haven't seen them yet, here are the instructions including the colour schemes for the Profipack.

Cheers all

DC

Best option for a Mk.VII canopy is the Falcon vacform set. This contains canopies for all variants and subvariants, the quality is great

[Dave Fleming]

How does it measure up? I've seen comments on other forums that it's slightly overscale (1/70th was mentioned).

Don't like the rivetting, but that's just me.

Looked at the overtrees but the current £/Euro conversion rate made the 10 Euro postage charge a bit steep. Even the Euro price from Eduard is close to the £13.99 RRP in the UK

Can see a few of these in my future, especially as the kit has 602 Squadron markings!

[Giorgio N]

How does it measure up? I've seen comments on other forums that it's slightly overscale (1/70th was mentioned).

Don't like the rivetting, but that's just me.

I've not measured the kit yet but I've compared it with the Airfix Mk.IX. The Eduard fuselage is only slightly shorter than the Airfix one. As the Airfix one measured slightly longer compared to Monforton's measurements, the Eduard one may well be correct

Wings are roughly the same, apart of course from the chord that is wider at the root on the Airfix wing (that we know to be incorrect).

As soon as I start building the model and separate the parts from the sprue, I'll check the dimensions

Looked at the overtrees but the current £/Euro conversion rate made the 10 Euro postage charge a bit steep. Even the Euro price from Eduard is close to the £13.99 RRP in the UK

Can see a few of these in my future, especially as the kit has 602 Squadron markings!

Postage on their site is one of the reasons I decided to get 5 overtrees... I had planned on buying 3 but with the 10 Euro postage the cost of each would have made little sense. When I realised that with more kits I would have paid the same postage I decided to get another couple. Of course not everybody here would feel justified in buying 5 identical sets of sprues...

In general I feel that the cost of the profipack box is justified by the quality of the package. Sure it's not cheap for a 1/72 kit but as value for money it's not bad. Of course assuming that the dimensions are right, something I hope to check soon

[Dave Fleming]

Thanks, I have a plan for several, but as most will have 602 markings anyway, the kit looks like the best bet! :-)

[Graham Boak]

As the Airfix one measured slightly longer compared to Monforton's measurements, the Eduard one may well be correct

? Not when I measured it. It's now together so quick check isn't possible. However, the truth will not come from comparing it to other models but to the plans themselves.

[Giorgio N]

IIRC the Airfix mk.IX overall was around 0.5 mm longer than the Monforton measurements, at least this was what I had found when the fuselage length of that kit was first discussed. The Eduard kit is shorter by the same 0.5 mm compared to the Airfix one.

In any case, Graham is right, the kit must be checked against measurements and not against other kits and today I finally managed to measure the fuselage. The results are very good !

The measurements I checked came from Monfortons and from other measurements mentioned in this old thread:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/45024-airfix-172-spit-ix/

All dimensions on the Eduard kit are very close to the scaled down measurements on the real aircrafts. For smaller parts, the worse difference is 0.2 mm, for the overall frame 5 to rudder post length the difference is 0.3 mm. This means an error of 0.4%, pretty good in my book.

I have yet to check the wings, tomorrow I'll look for measurements of these and compare with the kit.

[Procopius]

The measurements I checked came from Monfortons and from other measurements mentioned in this old thread:

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/45024-airfix-172-spit-ix/

All dimensions on the Eduard kit are very close to the scaled down measurements on the real aircrafts. For smaller parts, the worse difference is 0.2 mm, for the overall frame 5 to rudder post length the difference is 0.3 mm. This means an error of 0.4%, pretty good in my book.

I have yet to check the wings, tomorrow I'll look for measurements of these and compare with the kit.

::excited wheezing::

[DominikS]

I'm happy to have two PPs at home and two OTs waiting for shipping till I'm home. After the first glance I must say that there are only few things I don't like: Engine cowling divided into two parts, these strange places on the wings which are supposed to imitate patches covering guns...I hope to start building one next week so will be able to say sth more.

[Andrew D Jolly Rogers guy]

Boy, if I ever do a IX this'll be the kit for me, I do believe....

[The wooksta V2.0]

Giorgio, the spare ailerons are shorter for the forthcoming mk VIII.

When you start assembling the wings, remove the locator pins on the lower wings at the mid wing trailing edge - will aide assembly as they create a gap - sand off the gun patches and also sand down the edges of the instrument panel. Like the Airfix mk I/II and F22, the panel will hinder the fuselage closing properly if not sanded.