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ACHTUNG SPITFIRE! Last Christmas I bought this kit and I was really looking forward to builded immediately... But it did not come up to my desk until now. I have nothing to say just that this kit is absolutelly brilliant and I have never seen anything better than this. The construction is always thinking one step forward and the parts fit 100%. Just an amazing job from Tamiya, you are advanced as no one is. But I will stop praising now. I fell in love with the coloured photos and this one convinced me to make this particular Spitfire K9955: (Colourised by Doug) from Facebook The description says: "RAF Fitters working on a Spitfire Mk I (possibly code LO-O K9955) of 'B' Flight, No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron at Drem in East Lothian, Scotland. March 1940" Two years ago, I was in Scotland, East Lothian at the East Fortune airfield and museum which is very close to the former Drem airfield. The second reason why I chose this marking is the Scottish emblem from the Scottish pilot. I found decals from the Fündecals and ordered them immediatelly (what a luck!). And now to the model. I have worked on the cockpit using all the accesible photos of the early Spitfires to make the most realistic representation of this Spitfire. Look what I have done: Thanks for watching and good luck with your builds! Cheers, Andrew S.

On another post, like so many I've seen here in the past, the crowbar on a Spitfire was painted red. No I understand from everyone on this fine site, there is no such thing as a red crowbar. But, it got me thinking, what is the origination of this idea of the red crowbar. How did this develop? I know this is not a burning question for most, but it has piqued my curiosity. Any takers?

The two latest Wingleader Volumes, with the Spitfire book by Kotare's own Richard Alexander. Super close up detail and feature you might have heard of. Station keeping lights and Signal dischargers on the Spit, waist guns on a Halifax? Pop over to the website for sample pages. Bookshop - Wingleader.co.uk/shop/

Source: http://www.modelarovo.cz/supermarine-spitfire-mk-1a-1-72-kp-kovozavody-prostejov/ - ref. KPM72260 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IA - Wats Prop https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/spitfire-mk-ia-wats-prop/ - ref. KPM72261 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IA - Three-bladed Propeller https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/spitfire-mk-ia-three-blade-prop/ https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72261 - ref. KPM72262 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IA - Commanders https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/spitfire-mk-ia-commanders/ https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72262 - ref. KPM72262 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IA - Black and White https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/spitfire-mk-ia-black-white/ https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72263 V.P.

This my second from the superb “Southern Star” Dual Combo boxing after my 92 squadron Mk.Vb - I always wanted to build an Aussie spit but every time I have nearly got to it - something came up to put me off. So now I have done it and I am reasonably pleased with the result - though I should learn my lesson and do ALL of my research before I start. Based on research carried out by the genius Peter Malone and some self interpretation of pictures found on the net, I modified the Eduard colour scheme and made a couple of minor mods to the kit. Basic plan was for a standard Tropical RAF colour scheme of Dark Earth/Mid-Stone over Azure Blue but with the Mid-stone overpainted with Foliage Green. The white tail and wing leading edges were apparently (I hope) added shortly before the squadron moved north to Kiriwina Island for operations. Also at this time it appears that the Mk.II IFF was replaced by the Mk.III IFF which dispensed with the wires from the fuselage to tail to be replaced by a dipole aerial under the starboard wing. I hate those wires so a dipole was dutifully and gratefully added. Also, the pipes for the gun heating system were removed from the rear of the exhaust leaving unfilled holes in the cowling - suitable holes were duly drilled (Well after painting - should have done my research earlier!)In all the pictures I could find - none showed any stencilling so I was lazy and left them out - I can feel a rash of pictures coming along to prove this wrong now! I wasn’t happy with the Eduard suggestion for the colours of the Votes filter sides and the spinner. They both look like similar but slightly different greens from the Foliage Green to me and my interpretation of the pictures. I tried to make the whole thing look a little but scruffy and dusty but as I noted to a friend - that often makes it look not so well done! There was one howler which was too late to correct but no model is perfect so it will have to stay as it is. Anyway - again a super kit from Eduard and again the removal of the carrier film from the decals was fairly easy and effective. Will definitely be building more! Cheers Malcolm

Hi everyone! Let me present my new model. This time it’s Supermarine Spitfire, one of my favourites. There’s no need to specify the facts about the prototype because everyone knows this plane inside out and it’s one of the most frequently assembled models. However, I should point out that I wanted to show the qualities which were specific for early Spitfires. Those were the fighting machines whose creators had no idea about real combat conditions. They were equipped by a streamlined flat canopy that didn’t provide 360-deg vision or have any armoured windscreen panel (when you come to think of it, the plane had no armoured protection neither for life-critical units nor for a pilot). Moreover, the early models were built up with an old-school two-bladed rotor and some throwbacks such as an antispin parachute, and there wasn’t any weapon heating. It rendered the fighter useless on apparent combat heights of German bombers because frozen machine-guns didn’t work there. In other words, the early Spitfires were like Englishmen with enormous potential but poorly aware of what was waiting for them in the heat of the coming major war. I’ve chosen Airfix A02010 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/Mk.IIa set for assembling. The set makes a good impression, the details are well-fitted, but still there are certain drawbacks in canopy-fuselage attaching and wing-fuselage blending. The model is quite accurate, so it hasn’t raised a lot of my criticism. The only thing is that the upper part of cowl panel has square-flat shape closer to the Mk.V rather than Mk.I. The panel lining is pretty true-to-fact although a bit simplified and needs improvement. The model features the 9th manufactured prototype of Spitfire K9795 from the 19th Royal Air Force squadron in Duxford as in October of 1938. Thanks for looking!

Hi folks. It repeatedly occured to me, as the build wound down through the closing stages, that the mid-production 1/32 Spitfire Mk.Ia from Kōtare was the kit I'd enjoyed most from about eight years old to pushing 65 now. The 'why' is explained through my 1957 Leica M3 double stroke. It's a film camera that 'gets out of the way' of the photographer and the photographic process and just lets you see and snag images with ease. The Kōtare kit, through its engineering, incredible precision and design philosophy, also 'gets out of the way' and leaves you free to enjoy the process of modelling. At least that was my experience. The only seams that require filling and smoothing are the wing leading edges, lower rear fuselage and forward fin. The upper rear fuselage piece preserves all the dome headed rivet detail and does away with the need for a seam. Just one example of the conspicuous effort Kōtare have expended on making the model a straightforward pleasure. Inside the box is a kit that shakes the tree in terms of commonly believed Spitfire lore and for some Kōtare's conclusions will be a bridge too far but as they make clear in the build guide - that's ok. I was happy to go with their steer start to finish, including the blue-ish codes. Biggin Hill's just up the road from me, so the 610 Squadron option was the preferred choice. Happy days. Steve

Hi all Being fortunate enough to live in the same city as the head office of Kotare Models, I received my pre-order delivery last Thursday evening. Decided, despite many other models on the bench, to move this one to the top - might even get it finished this year (since the birth of my daughter 8.5 years ago I've started many, finished 2....). Has been a pleasurable build so far, nothing out of the ordinary with putting it together. Only thing I have struck is very tight tolerances - so those familiar with Wingnut Wings will know to keep gluing surfaces free of paint. I used thin strips of Tamiya tape to mask areas that would be glued (bulkheads-to-floor for example). Spent a few hours painting, masking, then painting again. Not so sure on some of the colour call-outs - but knowing the people behind the model I'm sure the references and call-outs are accurate - just can't personally bring myself to paint the pilots armour plate black for example. Modelling is a lot about perception I guess (looks like a Spitfire, smells like, etc, etc - in my mind, early Spits have always been green-ish...). Anyway, here is where I'm at so far with the cockpit - a few things still to add, flat coat to apply overall and gloss details to be added to instrument panel. Also still to tension the cables (although I did debate the point of them given the limited visibility - used 0.2 braided fishing line coloured with a silver sharpie - slightly too large but it was either that or .1 which seemed a bit thin...). I've also assembled the wings, wheels, tailplane and fettled some other minor parts ready for final assembly. Cockpit painted with Tamiya paints, some mixed to the Kotare Models guidelines, some not. SMS Silver used for the fuselage. Mig/Ammo and Vallejo paints used for the details. Citadel washes used to cover up my mistakes... Changing cameras... Just goes to show how we can't trust colour images (let alone black and white war time images) for colour accuracy - same lighting, two cameras - one Canon, one FujiFilm - yet the tones, shadows, colour cast, etc, are completely different. Hence I model for enjoyment and don't fret too much about the colour shades and the correct number of rivets! Cheers Bob

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc BR294 GL-E, 185 Squadron, Hal Far, Malta, mid 1942 Subject; Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vc (t), Merlin M46, twin Hispano Suiza 20mm cannons and four .303 Browning's. Built 17th April 1942, and transferred to 8 Maintenance Unit. Arrival in Malta 30th April 1942 (second Op Bowery delivery launched from USS Wasp and likely to have standard camo overpainted in transit), and crashed on landing at Hal Far on 3rd July 1942. De Havilland prop, fishtail exhaust stacks. The kit Manufacturer; Airfix Scale; 1/72 Aftermarket; Xtradecal Defenders of Malta set otherwise out of the box. Kit number; A02108. Extras; Prym Knitting Elastic for the antenna wires. Planned paints; Exterior; Standard supplied Dark Earth and Middle Stone 'A' type camo with Air Ministry Sky underside overpainted upper including spinner with Dark Blue Grey mix. Lower, (Air Ministry Sky) XF23 Light Blue, XF19 Sky Grey and XF2 Flat White mix. Upper, AK Real Colour RC292 RAF Middle Stone and RC287 RAF Dark Earth with RC295 RAF Extra Dark Sea Grey and XF8 Flat Blue mix oversprayed. AK Xtreme Metal Burnt Metal on exhaust stacks, Mr Metal Dark Iron and Aluminium for external detailing. Interior; AK Real Colour RC293 RAF Interior Grey Green, AK Xtreme Metal Aluminium and various Tamiya XF and Posca pens for detailing.

Summer is not normally an active model building time for me but the recent damp weather has allowed me to actually finish something! In this case the Airfix 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk1. Having previously built the Hurricane and Me109 from the same stable I thought it would be nice to complete the BoB set of rivals. The kit itself was quite nicely detailed and went together easily with virtually no fit issues or filler. The only addition being a set of PE seatbelts. Paint was predominantly Vallejo Modelair with a little Tamiya acrylic here and there. For the first time I tried out the flexible masking putty when spraying the camo' and it went reasonably well with only a little touch up required - lessons learnt for next time. I decided to go with one of the kit options of a 222 Squadron machine from late August 1940 just because I liked it and I kept the weathering on the subtle side of things (I think/hope) but in keeping with how the machine would have been used. Anyway, here are the pictures and I hope you like it. Feel free to give tips and hints to improve the next one.

Hi Comrades! Here is my recently completed Spitfire IX. The kit is Hasegawa, decals from Eduard's special edition "Operation Velveta". The Spitfires in Tayeset 107 were from Italian surplus, so they had the non-cripped "c"-wing, unlikely to the Chech originated Spitfires from Tayeset 101. Thanks for looking

1/72 Eduard Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX first CAD picture: https://www.facebook.com/161026690575664/photos/a.909009385777387.1073741841.161026690575664/909012812443711/?type=3&theater

Hi Comrades! Here is my recently completed Spitfire IXe from Eduard "Operation Velveta" limited edition kit (with Techmod decals) Great kit! The model depicts the prototype at the end of 1949 with highly weathered look. No stencils, no antenna wire. Thanks for looking

Well here she is... one of the smallest kits I've built but definitely one of the nicest to assemble. The Eduard kit had a great reputation and it did not disappoint! Front end was obviously hacked away to reveal the Eduard 1/72 Merlin engine kit, which also went together nicely and looks great in this tiny scale. Everything was built OOB apart from the aftermarket decals for MH434, and the whip aerial and removal of a pair of cannons. The kit PE mirror atop the canopy was the wrong shape, so I scratchbuilt a rounded version. Bit fiddly, to be honest, but I got there in the end! All mods were to represent the modern MH434 aircraft. Paints were Vallejo acrylic (RAF Day fighters set) - which airbrushed beautifully, only let down by some dodgy masking by me! A bit of oil paint and Flory clay wash weathering finished it off. I can't resist a bit of diorama photography, which requires some extra bits & pieces. The hangar backdrop is Noy's Modern Fighter Hangar; the RAF Coningsby backdrop is from, I believe, Coastal Kits...self-adhesive vinyl print which I mounted onto some foam board. Assorted small tool bits are 00 scale from Goodwood Scenics and the stepladder is from Rusty Rails - both model railway suppliers. The personnel are ReedOak figures - amazingly detailed, especially for 1/72 scale. Land Rover is an Oxford Diecast 1/76. If I've left any background info out, please ask... someone asked for a thread on how I do the hangar and night diorama photography, so if that's of interest, I'll cover that in the diorama section? In the meantime thanks for reading and enjoy some more photos, please overlook the deficiencies in the model but I think I'm reaching the limit of what my eyes (and tweezers) can achieve in 1/72!!! And finally.... a couple of shots with a one penny coin, to show the scale of the kit/accessories!

When a couple of sets of etched and resin parts came back into stock from my Hannants watchlist, I accidentally bought a second reconnaissance Spitfire. In my defence, it could happen to anyone! It started out because I thought that it might be easier to sell the concept of a pink Spitfire to my other half, as my two small girls might be intrigued by it. Then I did some more research and found out that PRU pink was in fact very, very pale - almost white in fact - but I'd already latched onto the idea so bought it anyway! I'll be doing it as the well-known MK716 - I know loads of other models have been made of it, but I don't own one so I'm not that fussed that it's not uncommon A very minor bit of research shows it to have had some bleed-through of the stripes through the paint once it was overpainted again with pink later in 1944, so I might try to replicate that. The photos here also show it to be relatively mucky with some staining around the ejector ports as well as exhaust staining, so I'll try and replicate that too. It's planned to be another straight out of the box build, although I've got a couple of resin RAF pilots to hand (visible top left) and might use one of those...

Here is my entry for the group build, which is a Spitfire PR Mk XI, thought to be EN685. This aircraft was captured by the Germans and operated by 'Zirkus Rosarius' whose role was ro display captured allied aircraft to Luftwaffe units. The base kit is Hasegawa's Spitfire Mk IXc: I will dress up the cockpit with an Eduard cockpit Zoom set and will use the Aero Club Fuselage correction kit . To convert the Mk IX to the Mk XI I will be using the Airwaves conversion kit and and the Cutting Edge Zircus Rosarius Special Missions Part 3. (I have already built the Hawker Typhoon and the P-51B Mustang): Let the build commence!