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Those of you who have been following my Sea King build will know that it has already lasted more than a year. This is entirely my own fault, since I'm the one who chose to detail it to such a degree (not to mention adding the odd rivet or three). I have, however, got a bit bogged down of late, and since the Sea King is a subject very dear to my heart, I've decided to take a break from it before it turns into a chore and I start to make mistakes. It will return, I promise. I expect many of you will have guessed from the title - not to mention the near certainty that that it will be a Fleet Air Arm aircraft, in 1/48. But here is the start point. You ought to be able to work that out easily enough... I acquired this kit for £5 at a show. As you can see, it has been started (though the previous owner didn't get much further than a dash or two of interior green, an opened camera port and a glued contra-prop). The kit has a good reputation, but I have ordered a couple of bits of after-market to address known flaws (to be precise: a vac-form canopy, seamless chin intake, better shaped cowling "bulges", and a new airscrew or two). It's the original boxing, too, so I might have to get in some replacement transfers - the originals look decidedly yellow, so I'll see how they look after a bit of sunshine. There is a strong argument to say that this (with its F22/24 cousins) was the ultimate version of probably the most famous aircraft of all time. There is an even stronger argument that Supermarine's subsequent offerings were either never adopted (Spiteful, Seafang) or not in the same league (Swift, Scimitar...)... so that this represents the best aircraft ever produced by that most august of British companies. So, ladeezanngennnellmeeeen… I present to you a Seafire FR46 (the clue is in the fact that I didn't show the sprue with folding wings), using Airfix's original FR46/47 boxing. To be built essentially OOB (other than the after-market stuff already mentioned, to correct known issues with the kit). One of the reasons I've chosen the FR46 rather than the 47 (wing fold apart) is the fact that I far prefer the look of the low demarcation between colours (though eventually I will probably also build an FR47 with folded wings [Edit; especially since I've now found a photo of a folded, embarked FR47 with low demarcation line!]). And yes, I know there is disagreement about whether 46s were pure-EDSG or Temperate Sea Scheme on top - but I am taking Winkle's word for it and painting TSS (and there are at least some photos where there are definitely two colours on the upper surfaces of an FR46). I am in no way a Spitfire / Seafire expert, and this is meant to be a quickish build to restore my mojo. I don't think there are any howlers in the kit, and if there are then this model will be built with howlers. I do, however, have one question for any late-mark Spit-/Sea-fire experts out there; cockpit. Black or interior green? The FAA Museum's Mk XVII suggests that it was black top half and IG lower, so if in doubt I'll go for that. Can't find any photos, though. The game's afoot!