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Airfix 1/48th Spitfire PRXIX


Dave Fleming

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I'm thinking XIVc highback with a c wing or with the ICM/Revell XVI

a lowback XIVe/FR.XIVe with either standard or clipped tips Rick.

Your talking dirty again !!!!! :bouncy:

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Looking at it, I can certainly see a design lineage shared with the Mk XII as the parts geometry looks very similar (especially the separate ailerons, rudder and elevators.

I like this choice as it means in my case, I could potentially kitbash a Mk XIVc using bits from both kits to do one. But what I really like, a kitbash with a donor Mk IX (not necessarily the Airfix one, although if one wanted to deal with a thick wing a wing swap is possible to do a XIVc/e as well) to do a Mk X or Mk XI if one gets a little creative as to where to get the sub-assemblies from and uses Milliput to deepen the chin. Only stumbling block I see to a XIVc kitbash is the cabin pressurization intake is molded to the left fuselage half. Granted it is correct for a Mk XIX, but if it were molded separately (with flashed over holes indicating where it goes), it would have made it easy to flop it over to the right fuselage half to make such a kitbash a little easier potentially.

Having a proper PR wing in styrene I am certainly rejoicing over though as it opens up quite a few possibilities. Looks like I shall have to get at least two of these kits then. :thumbsup:

I had a chat with one of the guys behind the stand. They used the CAD for the MkXII as the basis, correcting one or two general incorrections along the way. It's an all new mould; the costs of modifying an existing mould are not worth it, so he was saying.

And it is due for release in January, apparently. All I know is that the first one that comes into the shop is mine. Mine, I tell you! Mine!

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All I know is that the first one that comes into the shop is mine. Mine, I tell you! Mine!

Well...we'll see about that now won't we? :boxing: looks a great kit

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For the THUM flight you could check with the Met Office library/archives to see what modification (additions and/or removals) may have been made to enable Met observations to be made. Seem to recall an article in Flypast on flying for the THUM Flight a few years ago. Isn't the THUM flight the basis for a least one of the BBMF Spitfires survival? Cheers Chris

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Agreed mate! And the ICM is a good kit (I have done one) but it's the Mk XI I want not the IX! :D

There you go then,Airfix XIX/bowserwing/undercart with the ICM IX fuse,pointy rudder,radiators

and long carb intake.

ICM c wing/undercart with the Airfix XIX fuse/radiators(and some scribing in)and there's your

XIVc highback.

The only other bits you'd have to find is a spare retractable tailwheel and doors.

Two different 1/48th Spits and some spares for not a lot of lolly.

Every egg a bird mate :winkgrin:

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This is very good news ! Not unexpected in a sense, as IIRC someone in Airfix had said they planned on doing most variants in both 1/48 and 1/72. Now a nice thing to do would be to scale down this kit and replace the inaccurate 1/72 kit... but for now I'm happy enough to see a new 1/48 kit.

Of course the crosskitting possibilities are plenty and building a PR.XI or a XIV becomes easy and not too expensive by using parts from the ICM kits while the 21can be done with parts from the airfix 22/24.

I'm not sure however if I'd bother much with these conversions: new versions might appear from Airfix before I manage to finish any of these !!!

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Hey..... It's not long now to the Airfix release info for next year. Why not wait and see if they bring out a Mk 14.

It would save a lot of hassle.

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I'm thinking XIVc highback with a c wing or with the ICM/Revell XVI

a lowback XIVe/FR.XIVe with either standard or clipped tips Rick.

Oh yes! Or, Airfix MKIX with Airfix MKXIX = PL965!!! May favoritess Spit EVER!

The possibilities are endless, almost.

Rick.

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The Spitfire is an iconic aeroplane, a wonderful and very special one, and I wish I'd been able to fly one just once. I used to know a former Seafire pilot, became chief carrier-deck landing instructor for the RNZN, great bloke, died a few years ago. He also told me once about flying fighter cover for one of the earliest bombing raids against Tirpitz - he said they really thought they were going to be bounced by hundreds of Messerschmidts... I've read lots of WW2 pilot memoirs including (naturally) many by former Spit pilots.

But some of the stuff here about yet another Spitfire kit borders on the pathological - a bit worrying! There are lots of types I'd be far more interested in seeing produced as 1/48 kits; but the fascination with the Spit goes on - and on, and on....

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The Spitfire is an iconic aeroplane, a wonderful and very special one, and I wish I'd been able to fly one just once. I used to know a former Seafire pilot, became chief carrier-deck landing instructor for the RNZN, great bloke, died a few years ago. He also told me once about flying fighter cover for one of the earliest bombing raids against Tirpitz - he said they really thought they were going to be bounced by hundreds of Messerschmidts... I've read lots of WW2 pilot memoirs including (naturally) many by former Spit pilots.

But some of the stuff here about yet another Spitfire kit borders on the pathological - a bit worrying! There are lots of types I'd be far more interested in seeing produced as 1/48 kits; but the fascination with the Spit goes on - and on, and on....

The problem for Spitfire fans is that while there are a lot of Spitfire kits on the market, the number of GOOD spitfire kits is not really high !

Because it's such an iconic subject, most companies have one in their catalogue but not all of them have done all the homework right so every time a new Spitfire is announced all the enthusiasts hope for a better kit of the subject.

It should also be mentioned that some very important versions have not been served very well. This is for example the very first time the XIX has been kitted in 1/48 in plastic !

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The problem for Spitfire fans is that while there are a lot of Spitfire kits on the market, the number of GOOD spitfire kits is not really high !

Because it's such an iconic subject, most companies have one in their catalogue but not all of them have done all the homework right so every time a new Spitfire is announced all the enthusiasts hope for a better kit of the subject.

It should also be mentioned that some very important versions have not been served very well. This is for example the very first time the XIX has been kitted in 1/48 in plastic !

I think you've hit the nail on the head there Giorgio!

I couldn't quite sum up my fascination with Spitfires but you've cleared that up for me now, thanks!

Rick.

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The problem for Spitfire fans is that while there are a lot of Spitfire kits on the market, the number of GOOD spitfire kits is not really high !

Because it's such an iconic subject, most companies have one in their catalogue but not all of them have done all the homework right so every time a new Spitfire is announced all the enthusiasts hope for a better kit of the subject.

It should also be mentioned that some very important versions have not been served very well. This is for example the very first time the XIX has been kitted in 1/48 in plastic !

I think you've hit the nail on the head there Giorgio!

I couldn't quite sum up my fascination with Spitfires but you've cleared that up for me now, thanks!

Rick.

Plus........BIG plus ....... there are so many colour schemes........ something to suit everyone

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Agreed mate! And the ICM is a good kit (I have done one) but it's the Mk XI I want not the IX! :D

Well then, just lop off the trailing 'X'.

There you go then...

The only other bits you'd have to find is a spare retractable tailwheel and doors.

Some ICM boxings will give you both tailwheel styles (or just get a VII/VIII instead of a IX), but there's still the deep chin to deal with. I've already got one in parts-stores, so no problem for me, fortunately- I don't fancy myself a sculptor.

I had a chat with one of the guys behind the stand. They used the CAD for the MkXII as the basis, correcting one or two general incorrections along the way. It's an all new mould; the costs of modifying an existing mould are not worth it, so he was saying.

I do hope one of those corrections is the height of the fuselage, then. Not that I won't buy one or a few regardless, but while they're tickling the numbers would be the perfect time to address that.

But some of the stuff here about yet another Spitfire kit borders on the pathological - a bit worrying! There are lots of types I'd be far more interested in seeing produced as 1/48 kits; but the fascination with the Spit goes on - and on, and on....

The problem being? Just because they're doing yet another Spitfire (hooray!) doesn't mean there aren't other things also coming out in 48th. 109s, for instance...

bob

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...Just because they're doing yet another Spitfire (hooray!) doesn't mean there aren't other things also coming out in 48th. 109s, for instance...

:lol:

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