Perhaps this thread should be called " Confessions of another serial Spitfire starter "
This is something I have been intending to build for some time now, having watched this aircraft displayed for about 35 years, firstly by Neil Williams and then Ray and Mark Hanna, surely three of the best display pilots ever.
I will be using the Hasegawa 1/48 kit ( actually the Mk VIII boxing ) with the Aeroclub Mk IX correction set specially designed to address the deficiencies of the Hasegawa fuselage, an Aires resin cockpit set also designed for the Hasegawa kit and the decals from the Airfix Mk IX from a few years ago. The Hasegawa wings come with the teardrop bulges over the wheel wells which is correct for MH434 and I decided to use the Aires set because the cockpit sidewall detail is a little soft on the Aeroclub fuselage and the Aires set also has a representation of the wobble pump, featured on MH434, on the starboard upper wall.
Some photos below of the assorted bits and pieces with a comparison of the Hasegawa and Aeroclub fuselages showing the significant differences in length.
This build will run in the background while I finish other kits from the ' shelf of doom ' so the updates will probably be even more infrequent than usual, but I hope I've shown you enough to whet your appetites.
Cheers
John