biggles2000 Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Hi, I'd just like to hear others opinions on which is the best 1/48 Spit to buy, as I'm fairly new to that scale. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hepster Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Biggles, Your choices are Airfix, Fujimi, Tamiya and Hasegawa, roughly in order of both price and quality. Of these, only the Fujimi is discontinued. The Airfix and Fujimi kits are the oldest, and you can often find them going for as little as a fiver. The tamigawa stuff is a lot better (Hasegawa has the edge I've heard), but will cost three times as much. I've built the Airfix kit, and it does look the part, but no amount of work will make it look as good as a tamigawa. In other words, buy the dearest one that you can get! It'll be worth it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire Vb is the most accurate and easiest to build. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire Vb is the most accurate and easiest to build.Stephen I can only back you up. And also, there's too many Vb, and not enough Vc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 I can only back you up.And also, there's too many Vb, and not enough Vc. I'm with you on that. Stephen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry McGrady Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Hi,I'd just like to hear others opinions on which is the best 1/48 Spit to buy, as I'm fairly new to that scale. John Well Tamiya is the easiest build , but has inaccuracies Shape wise the Airfix is better , but harder to build , But at the end of the day theyll look like Spitfires when finshed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perry Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 i still like the Airfix Spitfire Vc / Seafire. Cheap as chips and loadsa extra parts n decals to make god knows how many different varients Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Arrow Jag Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Tamiya Mk VB by far I just wish they would make a few more different marques as their Mk.I is the bees' also! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bushbrit Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Tamiya Mk VB by far I just wish they would make a few more different marques as their Mk.I is the bees' also! Airfix for acuracy overall and Tamiya for quality. Hasagawa is around 1/50th scale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 Over the years I've built more Airfix 1/48th scale Spitfire Vb's that any other individual kit. I've bought 2 Tamiya Spitfires and one remains unbuilt in its box some 16 year later - the shape is just too compromised for my eye. The Tamiya kit was released some 14 years after the Airfix kit and shows the advances in moulding technology that took place over that period, but they seem to have used somewhat foreshortened plans when tooling the kit. Hasegawa and Tamiya are much superior kits but to my eye t least the Airfix builds into the superior model, and it's a nice kit to build. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biggles2000 Posted February 2, 2008 Author Share Posted February 2, 2008 Thanks for your replies, everyone. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidelvy Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Best to start with is prbably one of the newer Airfix spits. Detail is not as precise as Tamiya or Hasegawa, but the price is lower (though not much compared with Tamiya) and they don't seem to difficult to build. Also, you get a whole ton of plastic. If you buy the Mk IX you'll get a pair of C wings you can put with the fuselage of the Mk I to make a Mk Vc. You also have an arrester hook and I note the Mk I is moulded with cuts marked in the fuselage so you can make a Seafire that will be more consistent in detail than the current Airfix Seafire/Spitfire Vc. Best value would be the ICM range of Mk VII, VIII & IXs. These have lovely detail and an engine (though a bit undersize). But be warned, it is very fiddly to build. You have to get the nose spot-on or you have heaps of trouble keeping the thing straight. There is one boxing that gives you everything - bombs, rockets, cockpit supercharger intake, large and small carburretor intake... In terms of quality Tamiya and Hesegawa are tops, but there are issues with accuracy. The Revell Mk IX is a re-boxing of the Hasegawa, so this reduces the price. My favourite so far is the Airfix Mk 22/24 or Seafire FR46/47. It is nicely detailed and has a very precise fit, though you need to dry fit the cockpit carefully and trim the frame behind the seat. Not so many colour options as a Mk IX, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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