Search the Community

Hi! This was supposed to be a Free French Spitfire, using decals from the kit KP Vc "Mediteranean Theatre" box, box the kit is from. Was, because after staring for a time at single photo I found, I noticed wing roundels are smaller diameter than hull ones. My bad, staring too log is bad for quick builds. So I scrambled to quickly find color scheme for a model that was ready to paint and was urging me to be painted. Especially as this was supposed to be a quick build to check Kovozavody Vc (of which I had two boxes) in anticipation for IBG kits (or possibly Eduard? Will see). One thing I was sure - I do not want ordinary DFS scheme. I already have two and definitely there are more coming, but if I can help it, I will try. Italian scheme from Xtradecal looked promising, but turned out to be... questionable. And ordinary DFS in Italian livery will come, I guess, but later. So I finally decided to do another one from Xtradecal set - Australian A58-169, known from a few photographs. I did quick research and it turned out it is a Vc plane built at Castle Bromwich serial ES307 in autumn 42. It arrived in Australia aboard "Empire Strength" on 11th April 43. Month later it was taken by 79th Squadron as A58-169 coded UPoX (over and under score)*. On 26.6.43 plane belly landed in Milne Bay while piloted by Sgt GA Chomley and was repaired. Plane was in unit till 7th Jan 45 when it was sent to OTU and in May 46 written off. It appear on two series of photos - first dated 11.1.44 and another form July 44 with one major difference being that hull under horizontal stabilizers was painted white sometime after 11th January 44. @Olmec Head in this thread: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235088988-spitfire-vc-no79-sqn-raaf-up-x-finished/ mentions that Vokes filter unit is in aluminium, probably unpainted. I had not spotted it myself, but after this mention, it became obvious. Most probably it is remnant of that bell landing from July 43, and a very interesting feature. Model is mostly from the box, though it has propeller and spinner form IBG kit, sliding part of canopy will be IBG as well while the windscreen is Falcon vacu (as I damaged one from kit during construction). I also took seat belts from IBG PE as I will be using printed cockpits in my IBG models. The subject: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C378845?image=1 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C228129?image=1 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C378734?image=1 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C228140?image=1 And here is my rendition. I have no idea what color spinner should be so I would be very happy if maybe can help. There is some mess in camo on a few places, I hope I interpreted those smuges on photo correctly. Model was painted with Vallejo Air 71.323 BS Dark Earth overpainted later with single layer of 70.923 English Uniform. I tried 70.920 German Uniform as Foliage Green, not sure if it looks ok. I decided to paint underside with Sky Blue (Air 71.334) due to repairs, but I will keep Azure Blue (Air 71.108) in wheel wells, on uc cover insides and legs and under aft fuselage. I also pan to use spare Airfix exhausts. *By the way I also learned that unit had another UPoX roughly the same time - it arrived in September and in December crashed during landing and was not repaired. It was LZ844/A58-213. There are few photos of this plane as well, contrary to A58-169 it had it's serial applied with quite large numbers.

Evening all. Looks like the Stuka is going on hold again! Without over dramatising, this will probably be the most important build of my life. Everybody in modelling, I think, keenly felt the tragic loss of Sqn. Ldr. Mark Long in May of 2024, shortly after take off in MK356, a mk.IXe. Three weeks before, I'd taken my finished model of MK356 down to BBMF for them to auction, sell, keep, chuck in a bin. Little knowing the tragic events that were to happen a few short weeks later. Mark's widow Beth has started a trust in Mark's name to keep his memory alive and to act as his legacy. The Mark Long Trust will provide flying scholarships to disabled people and "goes live" in 2026. Their inaugural dinner and charity auction is in January and they've asked me to produce a model of BBMFs TE 311, a mk. XVIe, and the aircraft most associated with Mark, to be auctioned on the night. To say I'm honoured is an understatement. To say I'm terrified a bigger one. Terrified because 35 ground crew and 2 pilots will be poring over every detail of what I turn out and, I have a scant two months to do it. They've graciously said that whatever I can turn out would be fine but bugger that, it needs to be all singing all dancing I think, to raise as much money as possible. There's no 1:24 mk.XVIe bubble so I'm going with Tamiya's 1:32. Jadlam Models have been incredibly kind in donating the kit for free so it's all hands to the pumps. I'm doing a simple diorama based on this photo of TE 311 outside the hanger at Coningsby Bins may be included! I'm lighting it, just nav and cockpit light, adding a motor for a spinning prop and a variety of Merlin 66 sounds, startup, idle, rev and shutdown. I'm hoping I can drill out all the exhaust stubs and add a 1mm SMD in each one which will flash for 10 seconds on startup to simulate unburnt fuel flaming. To control it all , I'm having my first go at programming an Arduino nano microprocessor to do it. Aftermarket wise, a new seat, wheels and tyres, control column, from Barracuda Studios, engine upgrade stick on bits from Eduard and, for the first time ever, an IP from Yahu since Peter at Airscale doesn't do one in 1:32. I'm using his prop and engine logos though. I was hoping to make this my first foray into YouTube but I just don't think I'll have time to learn and produce something decent with only a two month window to complete. I will post as much as I can here though. It might be a bit garbled due to sleep deprivation.

Spitfire FR.14E 2 Squadron, Celle, Germany, 1946 Fujimi 1/72 kit built basically from the box. Built some time ago - I would guess around the early 2000s

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight 1:72 Airfix (A50182) The BBMF is an RAF Flight dedicated to preserving the history of the RAF. The flight based at RAF Coningsby comprises one Avro Lancaster, six Supermarine Spitfires and two Hawker Hurricanes. As well as these aircraft they have a Douglas Dakota and two de Havilland Chipmunks for training. The flight take part in many airshows and flypasrts for different events each year. The Kits Here Airfix are re-boxing their excellent new tool Lancaster B.III (A08013A), Spitfire PR.XIX (A02017), and Spitfire Mk.I/Mk.IIa (A02010). Aslo included in the box is one of their black multi aircraft stand so the 3 models can be displayed together in flight. Lancaster. This is the new tool kit from 2012, the kit is a modern tooling with good detail and engraved panel lines. Spitfire PR.XIX This is the new tool kit from 2009, the kit is a modern tooling with good detail and engraved panel lines. Spitfire Mk.I/Mk.IIa This is the new tool kit from 2010, the kit is a modern tooling with good detail and engraved panel lines. Decals The sheet is a new one for this, this is produced by Cartograf so that guarantees all will be good. Markings provided are for; Lancaster - 2019 Season. Port Side AR-L Leader W505 No.460 Sqn RAAF. Stbd side finished as VN-T No.50 Sqn RAF Spitfire PR.XIX - PS915 No.81 Sqn RAF - RAF Kai Tak, Hong Kong 1951 Spitfire Mk.I/Mk.IIa - R6895 KL-B "KIWI III" F/O Deere. No.54 Sqn ARF. RAF Catterick Aug 1940 Conclusion Its great to see Airfix Airfix releasing these kits aa a set, this will make a great gift idea. Review sample courtesy of

My 3D modeling suffers from the same problem as my plastic modeling, my inability to finish one project before starting another. In that spirit, here is the Spitfire Mk.IX I started on in Blender last month. Mostly done in the hour or two I have once the kids have gone to bed and before I nod of myself. My end goal is to do some post war RNLAF machines, perhaps some Italian aircraft and then what ever catches my attention.

In August 2020, Eduard is to release in August 2020 - just in time for the 80th Anniversary of the BoB - a new tool 1/48th Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I limited kit - ref. Source: https://www.eduard.com/out/media/InfoEduard/archive/2020/info-eduard-2020-01.pdf V.P.

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.

I believe the thread hit its maximum size so was automatically locked. I have had a few PM's. If you don't like the thread don't subscribe. For those who enjoyed the melting pot...knock yourself out HERE IS THE LINK TO THE 1ST THREAD WITH LOTS OF QUESTIONS, ANSWERS and PHOTOS - START here TIP: search from Google, enter the search parameters followed by site:www.britmodeller.com

Source: https://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=95280&sid=32a235310751239a0408b0cc9ec42ec9&start=49425#p2728064 Eduard - 1/32 - North American P-51B/C Mustang - thread V.P.

Hi mates, here is my latest project, the Spitfire Mk. I as seen in summer of 1938. This started out as an out-of-the-box build, but of course that didn't last long. Project: Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I Kit: Airfix Supermarine Spitfire Mk. I/IIa (kit number A02010) Scale: 1:72 (The One True Scale) Decals: From the kit, representing 19(F) Squadron at Duxford in August of 1938 Photoetch: Eduard Interior Set No. SS400 Vacuform: Falcon Spitfire Canopy Set Paint: Gunze H72 Dark Earth, H73 Dark Green, H309 FS34079, H47 Red Brown, H90 Clear Red, H91 Clear Yellow, H93 Clear Blue, H94 Clear Green; Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black; Testors 2062 RAF Interior Green,1149 Flat Black, 1168 Flat White; Alclad 101 Aluminum, 104 Pale Burnt Metal, 115 Stainless Steel, 314 Klear Kote Flat Weathering: Some post shading to simulate paint fading, but generally not much weathering as the aircraft was new during this time period. I applied a burnt umber panel line wash to the camouflaged areas, light gray to the white underside, and black to the night underside. Improvements/Corrections Applied the Eduard PE set to the cockpit. Cut open the kit canopy, and used the windscreen and rear canopy. For the sliding canopy, I used a section of a Falcon vacuform. Camouflage pattern was hand masked (not a template). Shortened the HF mast to represent correct height of 68cm. Added antenna with 0.005" diameter Nitinol wire. Build thread: Link All told, I liked this kit a lot. Only a couple of points of discussion during the build, one of course was the panel lines. I partially filled them with Alclad grey primer, and I think that helped a lot. It's not so much that they're too wide, it's that they're very deep. Which in some respects is good, as you won't lose them during sanding. The panel line wash that I applied made them stand out a bit more, but I think it adds some interest. More discussion in the build thread... The other point was the markings, specifically the wing roundels. I could find no photos that show WZ-T with the roundel placement shown by Airfix. The directive in place at that time specified upper wing roundels on both wings, and most photos (but not all) of 19 Squadron Spitfires at that time show both. I chose to model WZ-T that way, partly to be in compliance with the directive, and partly to appease my sense that Spitfires should have roundels on both wings. Again, more discussion in the build thread... So on with the pictures! EDIT - I really should have used a different seat. This one is about 5 scale inches thick! Enjoy the photos! It's a great little kit and I had a great time building it. It took longer than it should have, but the project was interrupted by my ninth back surgery. It is so much fun getting old! Cheers, Bill

I've been doing a lot of traveling with work this year, seriously curtailing my already slow building pace. A perfect storm is upon me this September, with back to back trips to the US followed by China. The day before I left I had the bright idea of grabbing a starter set and seeing if I could squeeze enough tools into the suitcase to do some modelling while I'm away. I've now been in Louisiana for a week, mostly over the jet lag. It's the weekend, so I'm anticipating some free time. Took the opportunity of an hour or so before dinner to get started. This build won't win any prizes, I haven't packed any filler ( might regret that!) and I've only got the paints in the box. But it's going to help kill some time and means I don't have to spend all my time just reading about modelling 😁 Here we are after an hour or so. There's no cockpit detail in the starter set, so it's straight into major assembly, which is a nice change. Gone together nicely, ideally I'd fill a couple of bits but hey ho, we'll just go with it 🤷‍♂️ That's it for now, stay tuned! Al

Thought I’d share some pictures of one of my favourite builds, completed a couple of years ago. Airfix’s new-tooled 1/24 Spitfire was the subject, built mostly out of the box, with the exception of some HGW fabric seatbelts, Eduard 3D printed resin exhausts and a mask set from Montex. Painted with AK, MRP, SMS and Gunze paints and finished in a North Africa Scheme. This was actually built as a dual build of the same kit, over a period of about 6 months, a photo of its companion is at the bottom.

Airfix is to release in Spring 2025 a 1/48th Supermarine Spitfire Tr.9 kit - ref. A05143 Sources: https://uk.airfix.com/products/supermarine-spitfire-tr9-a05143 https://www.facebook.com/officialairfix/posts/pfbid025p67UbcHsaGw31NDoe757dbq3zNoCCjaBeD3xiQDTzuaV8uEVZgyzCLcr7R7SJg5l Introducing the NEW MOULD 1:48 scale Supermarine Spitfire Tr.9! Arguably the most famous fighting aeroplane in history, with over 20,000 aircraft eventually produced, the Spitfire Tr.9 is a two-seater trainer aircraft. This highly detailed kit includes: • 128 parts • Two scheme options • Unique subject not previously available in injection moulded kit form • Fine rivet detail and slide moulded engine cowling • Specific post-war wing parts • Both canopies can be posed closed or open to reveal the detail in both cockpits • Decal options for an Irish Air Corps Spitfire Tr.9 and a famous post-war camouflage scheme Test build Schemes V.P.

I’m quite looking forward to this… I’ve wanted to have a crack at this one for a while, and what better way to de-109 my bench than with a Spitfire? Cheers.

Morning all, Another trip down memory lane with this one - here's the classic 1/24th scale Airfix Spitfire MkIa built for the 'Spitfires' group build over on Large Scale Planes. A couple of years ago I built the equally classic 1/24 Me-109E here and really enjoyed it, so having had this in the stash for many years I thought it was time it had some attention... I hade a few simple enhancements to the basic kit, which is very much a product of its time. I decided to build this as the beautiful MkIa that resides at Duxford as an airworthy warbird and therefore tried to keep my model as immaculate as the real thing. N3200 was famously shot down (after claiming a Stuka) during the evacuation of Dunkirk and buried on the sands over time at Sangatte, near Calais. Pilot Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Stevenson spent the remainder of the war as a POW. The remnants of the airframe were recovered in 1986 and in early 2007 restoration began to airworthy condition - it still resides at Duxford to this day wearing its 19 Squadron codes and has been restored to look exactly as it did when lost on 26th May 1940. I made some simple additions to the cockpit in the form of Milliput seat cushions, some Airscale bezels for the instrument panel, some Eduard belts and a bit of copper wire for the bits visible in the 'pit: The ailerons are designed to move on the kit, but this leaves unsightly gaps so I added some plastic card laminates to the forward parts of each which improves things considerably: I also boxed in the hollow wheel bays using plastic card: I decided to keep the cowlings on as the engine would need a huge amount of work to bring it up to today's standards, and I wanted to get it built within the GB timeframe! It was painted with Xtracolor enamels and I sourced some decals for Buchon Models which were excellent - those familiar with this machine will spot that the port side camo pattern is wrong as I blindly followed the Buchon painting guide but ion fact N3200 has an earlier scheme. By the time I realised the decals were on and it was too late - for those with the same decal set, beware! Anyway, that aside, I'm pleased with how it's come out and despite its basic nature and age, this kit still builds into an impressive representation of an early Spitfire and, above all, is great fun to build! I have the Hurricane lined up next - I'm slowly working my way through these oldies and if you have one in your stash, they are well worth the effort. Cheers, Tom

Back in 2023 I started on some Spitfire's First is the Spitfire Mk.XIX. As usual the build stalled but I have now decided to finish them. One problem that helped to kill the build was the PRU-blue. I brought out the Humbrol 124 that I had used on my old Frog kit ages ago but it had gone bad, it had turned into a completely different shade than before. Luckily I had an unopened tin but it had gone bad as well. I have now got a PRU-blue from another manufacturer so I hope that I now is ready to paint it. Spitfire PR Mk.X For some reason I decided that I wanted a pink Spitfire when I saw this box at the store so I bought it. But then I learned that the Mk.X wasn't pink so the buy was a failure. Well I am building it and it will be blue as I now have paint. Spitfire Mk.IXe I also had a MK.IXe from KP started. It is also ready for paint. I nicked the bomb racks from an Eduard kit for this. Spitfire Mk.Ia Finally there was a Mk.Ia from Tamiya. This is how far the build came before it stalled in November 2023. It was nice to build a kit where one didn't have to guess the placements of the parts for the landing gear. Spitfire prototype Time to mess up another kit. I got inspired so I wanted the prototype to. Starting with a cheap Hasegawa kit I can afford a failure. Scribing new panels was first on my "to do list". I've read that the rudder areas were metal, not fabric so I need to sand down the fabric pattern . Then I needed a new seat. Just to make things harder I decided to add a part of the bottom wing from the old Airfix Mk.Vc that also had the Vb wing in the box. I took a propeller from a Heller Messerschmitt Bf109B. Cut the spinner off and added a spinner from an unknown Spitfire kit. I think that it got the "clumsy" look of the propeller seen on pictures of the real thing. The large cooler has been converted and I found a resin air intake that I added under the nose. Now let's add some color to it. Spitfire Mk.24 As I started on the prototype I might just as well build the final version too. I started by filling the radio hatch and scribe a new one in a different position. There are some small visible differences between the Mk.22 and 24. I rebuilt the "head guard" and added the fuel filling tube so I'm ready to close up the cockpit.Then the build died The short guns in the Mk.22 kit was used for the long Mk.24 guns and the long guns in the kit was cut down and used for the short Mk.24 guns. Did that make any sense? Next stop: Paintbox.

Enjoyed visiting the forum for the last 2 years, but no bench time. Got enthusiasm back and purchased the Airfix BOBMF 3 model set. Results are a bit rough and ready with visible gaps and seams, but at least I'm back in the game. First time using AK Interactive paint pens for some items. 424 Squadron RCAF Lanc - RF128 QV-B "Victorious virgin". This Lanc survived the war, which is a nice thought when building one of these. The Airfix Lanc lacks the necessary starboard cabin vent and larger astrodome. I didn't scratch the necessary 3 spine-mounted whip aerials either, just to mention my presentation lacks strict accuracy. Paints included in the set used were for the upper camo, plus below went for Tamiya XF69 Nato black. QV-B decals are aftermarket. Exhausts: used 2 AK interactive paint pens Aluminium and then 'chipping colour' Quinta cockpit set. Cockpits are my favourite part of builds before final paint, so I like to add detail where possible. Cockpit mainly painted with AK Interactive paint pen colour set...RAF interior grey/green and rubber black, plus Japanese navy emerald green for the seats. Exhaust weathering was airbrushed Tamiya XF19 sky grey over a previous layer of XF69 nato black, both paints were diluted with two thirds thinner. AK Interactive paint pens used on the undercarriage legs (RLM76☺️, rubber black and aluminium) . Paint pens used on the tyres: rubber black, and flat black for the hub. Photo below.... Propellers, spinners and the front air intake assembly are Citadel black primer only (with Revell yellow tips). These 4 assemblies were only added after the rest of the model was painted and decalled. The bomb bay doors were tricky. First attempt saw daylight between the doors and fuselage. 3 later attempts to re-stick the doors with no gaps failed. In desperation I resorted to double-sided sticky tape. The bomb aimers window surround is the paint mask stuck on (the bit you are supposed to remove to add paint! Quite pleased with that idea. Likewise, the Z rings are 2 of the under fuselage ID light masks! Spine access hatch windows shown below are Spitfire wheel hub masks, stuck on. Port wing cabin heating intake blocked off. Due to my process errors, the paint masks didn't match up between the fuselage and wings at the front. A lesson for the next time. Spitfire Mk IIa from the box. This is Spitfire IIa, P7350. Built Castle Bromwich Aircraft Factory July 1940 Survived the war and is now flying with Battle of Britain Memorial Flight as KL-B Kiwi III I tried out the AK Interactive paint pens on the exhausts. 'Aluminium' first then 'chipping colour'. Happy with the result for a few seconds of effort on each stub. Finally, given a rub with pencil graphite. What do you think of the result? Spitfire S-31 (mk19) Swedish Air Force 1955 1 Division, Flottilj Didn't fancy the in-box option for this one, so did a quick trawl on Hannants for a PRU blue option from Model Alliance. Its ExtraColour PRU blue including the propeller backplate. This would look amazing in 1/32 scale. Thanks for looking at my stuff, as always

I'm about to embark on a journey I have not been in a very long time. My last attempt at any kind of a flying thingy was in late 90's and I've never done anything bigger than 1/48, so this will be the first time I dip my toes in big boys plane club. Why Spitfire you may ask? Two reasons really. Firstly I have received this kit as a freebie with another purchase, so it cost me nothing which makes it a great kit to test my skills. Secondly, it is a subject that's probably been done to death, so there is a lot of information available here on BM and on other forums. It will also be easy for me to find someone who had done this kit and compare the results. One important thing however that I would like to put it out there as a disclaimer is that I will not be looking for a full historical accuracy. Not on this attempt at least. So I'm not bothered if the body is a couple of mm too wide, if some of the features do not match the version, or if it has the 'wrong' type of rivets, etc. I know that some here may take my approach as heresy, but with all the respect I do not care about it. This project is for me to get more familiar in building process and improve my skills rather than going down the rabbit hole with the rivet count and other features. If I do something wrong in terms of assembly, weathering and maybe colour choice, please tell me, as I'm here to learn and improve. But please do not list the physical inaccuracies. I've see the BM threads about them, so I'm fully aware, but not interested in fixing them on this project. Finally the kit itself. Looks quite decent although there is a bit of flash on some of the parts, so I don't expect it to be a walk in the park assembly like for example Tamiya. The only downside to this particular kit is that I'm missing the decal sheet. Good reason to shop around to find a suitable one. This however may delay cockpit assembly, as I think there was one decal with the instrument panel. I'm considering to try to freehand it or buy a ready made one, like the one from Yahu models. Not sure which one yet. Enough rambling, time to get on with the job.

I've got to that stage in life where a combination of maturity and personal circumstances means I can indulge my modelling interests better than when I was young. Almost by accident, I have embarked on a task to build the entire Spitfire range from the S.6B through to the Attacker (and indeed the Swift - bit of a stretch), all in 1/48 scale. I am presently building model number 29 (Eduard Spitfire VIII, converted to the XIVc, courtesy of the excellent Laminar Flow Design conversion) and this year, I have completed four models that would like to display here. Spitfire VII I hate to say it, but most Spitfire VII models are wrong. Some are beautifully executed but as the base models are often incorrect, the Mk.VII's subtle differences are often missed. Here are the principal features: Cockpit pressure bulkhead. No cockpit access door. Deeper fixed portion of the canopy. Externally mounted sliding canopy. Pressurisation intake and accessory drive bulge on starboard engine cowling. No tropical filter. There are other details: the VII was effectively an early VIII, so it included the wing tanks but even now I am slightly unsure as to the use of the downward-facing identification lights. My model was based on the Eduard Mk.VIII with the following changes: 3D-printed rear pressure bulkhead. Larger fixed canopy using a spare from the Airfix XIX, involving trimming down of the fuselage to accommodate. External brackets to hold sliding canopy. Underside cowl and intake from an early Mk.IX model. Sealed cockpit door. Initially, I added the extended wingtips but, eventually, I used the standard wingtips as most Mk.VIIs were retrofitted with them during 1944. The roundels and squadron codes are masked and painted but I cheated with decals for the stencils and serials. Unfortunately, I have managed to associate the wrong serial number with aircraft code and so one day I'll try to fix that. One problem I did face was the primer. For several years I have used Halford's primer but the formulation has been changed and adhesion became a real problem. I have migrated to Tamiya but this model needed countless patching and respraying to complete the job. In the meantime, please do note the deeper fixed portion of the canopy and different rails for the sliding canopy. Here is the cockpit assembly, incorporating the 3D-printed pressure bulkhead. Spitfire PR.1a After the Mk. VII, this was a little light relief. Having realised that the original PR.1 was a bit of a rabbit hole, then the second, N3117 looked a doddle. And it was. This was a very straightforward conversion. Based on the Eduard Mk.1, the only real changes was the addition of camera ports in the wings and an excellent Aires bulged canopy. The roundels were OOB but I did print the serials. Spitfire PR.7 (PR Type 'G') No relation of the F.VII, the PR.7 was a low-level, armed, PR derivative of the Mk.1, although with a Merlin 45, it was probably closer to a Mk.V. This was another Eduard Mk.1, enhanced with a combination of Aires PE and resin parts and the Aires decals. The paint job was MRP's excellent PRU Pink with beats Vallejo's 'Barbie' version. It worked because showing this to a non-enthusiast friend, he asked me why it was white. A good sign. I'm a particular fan of this one. Spitfire LF.Vb And finally, I wanted to go a little overboard with the weathering. Using Eduard's LF.Vb D-Day edition, I built it nearly OOB but wanted to reflect this was a three-year-old airframe: "Clipped, Cropped and Clapped"! Using MRP airbrushed paints, I started with silver, then primer green, then the camouflage. Between each coat, I added a layer of AK chipping fluid. Once the camouflage was completed, I started on the invasion stripes: they were hand-painted using good old Humbrol acrylics. I did mask the stripes but for some, I took the masking tape and tore it against a straight edge, so it was straight but not razor-sharp. Removing all the masking caused all sorts of bits of paint and depths to be removed randomly and I liked the effect. After coating with Matt varnish, I then applied Tamiya weathering powders and there we have it! I hope you have enjoyed these. It's been fun! Neil