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Well here we go, first WIP. Airfix 1/24 Spitfire HF Mk.VIII 457 Squadron RAAF. I’m converting the new Mk.IXc kit into an HF Mk.VIII. Most of you are aware that the kit appears to cater to other marks, so I have decided to change it into a Mk.VIII. So as the first step after my research, I opened up the flashed over holes in the wing and installed the recognition lights provided in the kit (clear parts 3&4). Next I am removing carefully the bezel from the wing bottom so I can reposition it aft on the fuselage. You can see where I am drilling around it to make it easier, as the plastic is rather thick here. I posted a synopsis of the kit here, so you can see where I’m coming from.

Getting very close to starting my first WIP on this beautiful model. I have already spent well in excess of 120 hours of research, (a lot of it from BM) trying to decide what version to do. So if you’re looking at building this beauty and you want accuracy, here are a few things that I have learned about the configurations of the Airfix kit that you may or may not know. The top cowling appears to be the later type and not correct for an early IXc ala Plagis/Johnson etc. The fact that the engine isn’t designed to accommodate removable cowling panels is a bit of a head scratcher. It would have been nice to provide components to allow the propeller to be mounted without using the engine components, then you could build the engine as a separate display if your installing the cowling covers. The exhausts are going to require filling in the rather large cavities that were presumably done to prevent sink holes. I would rather fill a sink hole than a back yard swimming pool. REXX please do these proper. Nigel (YouTube) managed to get the cowling panels to fit, but it wasn’t easy, he hasn’t quite finished his yet. But it’s worth watching if you’re looking at building one. The main landing gear oleos and corresponding gear doors are the late type ie. forward facing torque link (scissors), different gear doors. There’s a bit of a cutout on the late gear well, to accommodate the larger forward torque link, and the doors have a radiused web to cover this. (as per kit). Early IX’s have either the spline type (no torque link) or the aft facing torque link, with the earlier gear doors, so you would have to add back the piece cutout for the late type gear well. I have all the drawing numbers, but I am trying to keep it simple. It does give you 3 throttle quadrant options, as well as 2 gunsight options. Airfix seems to have confused the compressed air tanks with oxygen tanks (decals for them are warnings only seen on oxygen tanks) I have found numerous errors in books and the internet confusing them. The oxygen tank on the Mk.IX so far as I can tell is well out of sight, being halfway down the fuselage. It’s a larger diameter and shorter and usually painted black with the white warning stencil Airfix have provided on their decals. I have access to some factory drawings that show various configurations for oxygen tanks depending on the airframe use, sometimes 2 or even 3 on PR versions. Not a big deal but a bit frustrating finding so much confusion. The 300psi compressed air tanks are for the pneumatically operated flaps, radiator flaps, guns and supercharger ram, and shouldn’t have oxygen warnings on them. The wings have flashed over openings for the recognition lights seen on Mk.VII and VIII’s and the clear parts 3&4 are included. If they plan on a VII or VIII, I don’t know how they are going to address the fuselage recognition light being further aft on the fuselage, other than a new lower wing and fuselage. Also in step 55 you have to remove a bit of plastic where there would be a starboard gun camera ala VIII. So why are the flashed over recognition lights on the lower wing possibly going to be included with the central recognition light in the wrong place? A non issue for the Mk.IX but worth mentioning. The voltage regulator seems to be a late type (one cylindrical, one rectangular), while most photos show the 2 cylindrical type. Warbird restoration issue? Not sure why both types aren’t included. The grommets for the wire IFF antenna are moulded on the fuselage, but no fittings are moulded on the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizer. I found numerous photos showing it still in use on early IX’s. The wide cannon blisters are completely wrong and hopefully we will see resin or 3D printed replacements. The kit only has flush rivets represented, early IX’s had raised rivets on the rear fuselage. The Rotol propeller decals instructions show the placement to be further out from the hub than wartime photos show. The red disc should be 1.5” (1/1) from the adapter collar. Wartime photos even show only the coloured disc, with no other data visible. It would have been nice to include yellow and green discs, as not all Spitfires had the same blade composition, which is what the coloured disc tells the technician. Again the propeller blade design requires more filling and sanding than a sink hole. Resin blades would be welcome. There are no Dural Rotol propeller blades provided, many early IX’s had them, and the identification disc would be white. Leave off decals #58, there’s no physical indicator sticking out of the wing on a IX, the indicator is the red and green rectangular lights on the control panel, decal #7. For the wing walks, check your aircraft if possible, as there are variations on the wing walk stripes also. The separate rear fuselage would indicate a version with retractable tail wheel, there’s even a wheel well E9 provided which is also used to mount the tail wheel. This speaks to an upcoming VII or VIII. There is room for more surface detail on the rudder and elevators, especially in this scale. A set of paint masks for the rib tapes would kick them up a notch. I see some resin wheels have been done already, with smooth, diamond and block tread, Z block tread would be also nice as an option. I just received my Airscale cockpit upgrade and it’s very impressive, I’m waiting on the Sutton harness now. Eduard is apparently doing some aftermarket according to Hannant’s. I don’t know what they’re doing. Hopefully it’s propeller blades, oleos, gear doors, tires, cowling panels, exhausts. While it is a very impressive kit, there is certainly some aftermarket requirements to do the early version correctly. Synopsis, OOB it’s only a late IX with what’s provided. If you can think of anything else that I have missed, that you noticed, please chime in. Hopefully this will be helpful to some modellers. Cheers Jeff