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Revell 1/48th Spitfire XVI low-back ( ICM repop) is in the shops £13.99


Jon Kunac-Tabinor

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Just doing the ICM in their blue boxed release.

The only sink marks mine has are on the prop blades(no problem if you're going to use

an AM prop)and on the upper wing panels ahead of the ailerons.

There's mucho fiddling and fettling to be done(nowt like Aifix's lovely Seafer XVII)to get it

to a nice level of fitting,but surely that's all part of the modelling game.

The thing is that you know there's a superb Spit in there waiting to be let out when you've finished.

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Just doing the ICM in their blue boxed release.

The only sink marks mine has are on the prop blades(no problem if you're going to use

an AM prop)and on the upper wing panels ahead of the ailerons.

There's mucho fiddling and fettling to be done(nowt like Aifix's lovely Seafer XVII)to get it

to a nice level of fitting,but surely that's all part of the modelling game.

The thing is that you know there's a superb Spit in there waiting to be let out when you've finished.

Hi Miggers- hence my wondering, they do build in to very nice models with a bit of "just add modelling skill" . I believe later ICM boxings were less sink mark ridden. So I just wondered if Revell had popped these themselves, there might be no sink marks...

...Although from what i understand its usually the parent company that does the moulding, then the sprues are reboxed - so I'm guessing its an ICM pop after all.

Anyone know what the decal options in the Revell box are? Jenko?

edit - Bill Harpers AU-J "Dorothy II" from 421 Sqn seems to be one of them - I just looked at the box art properly- Doh!

Cheers

Jonners

Edited by Jon Kunac-Tabinor
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Jonners,

The main problem is around the top wing ailerons and the cannon bays, where there are internal supports. When the plasic has cooled from injection slight sinking has taken place. Also one or two areas around the cockpit area of the fuselage. This kit also came out under the Italeri banner as well. ( Same problems )

HTH

Dick

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Jonners,

The main problem is around the top wing ailerons and the cannon bays, where there are internal supports. When the plasic has cooled from injection slight sinking has taken place. Also one or two areas around the cockpit area of the fuselage. This kit also came out under the Italeri banner as well. ( Same problems )

HTH

Dick

Don't think this came out under the Italeri label, that was the Occidental kit.

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Hi Jonners.

Mine has certainly needed a bit of "added modelling skill"(bit of a mare in places),especially

around the aft end of the wing roots/under fuselage.

I'm going to have some fun there considering I want to do a post-war silver Spit out of it,

so maybe the blue boxing I have is an earlier release.

Dick,wasn't Italeri's a re-pop of the Occidental kit?

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Don't think this came out under the Italeri label, that was the Occidental kit.

Hi Jonners.

Mine has certainly needed a bit of "added modelling skill"(bit of a mare in places),especially

around the aft end of the wing roots/under fuselage.

I'm going to have some fun there considering I want to do a post-war silver Spit out of it,

so maybe the blue boxing I have is an earlier release.

Dick,wasn't Italeri's a re-pop of the Occidental kit?

Guys you are quite correct. I have just made an Occidental mistake....... :oops::sorry:

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In a word NO.

If you are into sink marks this is the kit for you ....................

Disagree, the Revell boxing I bought last week is moulded to a far higher quality than the ICM release I bought some years ago, its not perfect, there are a few sink-marks on the wings as mentioned but overall the moulding is worlds better than the original kits, they were shocking, I think I ended up with a bigger pile of flash than actual parts!

That said I've seen some splendid models made from these kits, they are worth persevering with and I think the Revell re-issue is a far better starting point than the original ICM boxing. Its also handy that the spare Revell decals will be pressed into use on one of my ICM kits, the original decals seem to be printed with an ink that shatters on contact with water!

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Well, after the Avon Show last weekend I picked up a job lot of Griffon Spitfire's and other bits Cheers Kev! and was told some interesting stuff.

The first ICM offerings with white plastic were quite poor on the quality side, these were addressed in the blue box issue with the grey plastic which were much better. The sprues in all the ICM kits are the same with different instructions.

The props on my examples all have sink marks, the rest of the kit is variable one has no sink marks the other does. When building them widen the fuselage slightly where the wings fit checking with the lower nose. If you just fill the gaps in the wing roots the lower nose will be too wide. That's no fault of the kit just a compromise made to cover as many options as possible.

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The plastic itself is much better quality, the ICM kit I have is in a white, soapy-feeling soft plastic that deforms easily, the re-release is in a harder dark-grey that seems to carry the detail better, but that might be just because its a darker grey.

The only thing thats wrong with the picture is that Revells 'ICM Spitfire XVI' is 13 quid, while the ICM 'ICM Spitfire XVI' used to available for a tenner! Hannants are listing it as out-of-stock.

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Well, after the Avon Show last weekend I picked up a job lot of Griffon Spitfire's and other bits Cheers Kev! and was told some interesting stuff.

The first ICM offerings with white plastic were quite poor on the quality side, these were addressed in the blue box issue with the grey plastic which were much better. The sprues in all the ICM kits are the same with different instructions.

The props on my examples all have sink marks, the rest of the kit is variable one has no sink marks the other does. When building them widen the fuselage slightly where the wings fit checking with the lower nose. If you just fill the gaps in the wing roots the lower nose will be too wide. That's no fault of the kit just a compromise made to cover as many options as possible.

Mine is the blue boxing with white mouldings.

All the parts are XVI-specific with no extra wing tips and such.

The firewall,IP and seat fame were all too big.

I've left the engine assembly out all together and just fitted the reduction gear

to the front nose former(it was far too fussy to fit in and the top cowling fits better with it

out too).

The wing root chord on the upper panels is bigger than the fuselage root fairings,

consequently the lower panel is also too big at the root/underfuselage joints.

(same chord as the upper panels)

The white plastc doesn't seem to really like MEK,it takes quite a soaking to get

a decent joint.

Having said that,it is easily sanded and cut.

BUT,having said all that,now the wing is fitted and well on the way to being fettled,

it certainly looks like a Spit XVI.

And as folks say,there is nothing else out there that comes close to a 1/48 two stage

Merlin like these ICM's do.

If you want Tamigawa "shakee-boxee-gettee-model" then stay away from 'em,but

it'll cost ye more and the nose will be short.

Edited by Miggers
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Come on then Jonners,get one bought and do one of your

superb WIPs with it :popcorn:

LOL - I did AU-J a few years ago using the Aeroclub Mk XVI conversion, but I've always fancied FJW-L ( that heller XVI has a lot to answer for!). So who knows.

FWIW the 3 ICM models Ive made have been a source for a wealth of Spit parts, as has been the Revell/ Hasegawa repop boxing of the IX/XVI boxing.

I always seem to do a lot of cross kitting with Spits.

Cheers - watch this space perhaps - Iv'e a Sea Hornet and Gladiator to get through first, and a Sea Vixen FAW 1

Jonners

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If you're refering to my post #16 above Jean then the lower fueslage is about 0.5mm too narrow. I think the design of the fuselage half allows it to twist slightly as it cools. The lower nose piece is the right width and, on all the ICM Spits I've heard about there is a gap where the wing meets the fuselage. Spreading the lower fuselage a bit means the lower nose fits a lot better and the wing gap reduces as a bonus. On one I'm working on at the moment I've had to relieve the front section of the wing join to let the rest slide in better, that is unusual.

The actual kit is IMHO pretty good there's a buildup here that may help, you'll probabily have to register but the text is quite helpful as it is

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/8-commonwealth-night-fighter/done-spitfire-mkviii-136-squadron-raf-burma-1944-commonwealth-gb-27265.html

and

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/8-commonwealth-night-fighter/done-1-48-icm-spitfire-mk-ix-ae-b-ian-keltie-402-sqdn-rcaf-commonwealth-gb-26812.html

A good sign generally is that the engine has been made a little undersized to fit inside the fuselage rather than the fuselage being distorted to hold a correctly sized engine.

http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2002/11/stuff_eng_barbaszynski_spitfire_xvi.htm

They really are very good kits but avoid the white plastic ones as they are pretty poor, grey is the colour to go for.

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