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Revell (ICM) Spitfire XVI 1/48


Jon Bryon

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Posting in the WWII forum feels like entering very foreign ground that makes me nervous, lest I betray my complete ignorance...but is the 1/48 Revell/ICM Spitfire XVI a relatively accurate kit? I am very interested in the Royal Auxiliary Air Force markings, and at £12.99 it seems good value. I know there are some QC issues with ICM; I don't mind that, but simply would like to know how it stacks up against other options for an XVI.

I've done some searching on the forum, but haven't found anything very detailed.

Many thanks

Jon

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ICM are the best "Long Merlin" series on the market. I suspect that will not hold true after April when Eduard release their IX, but we'll see. I've built some ICM IXs and have a few more in the stash; I don't have a XVI, but no reason to suspect it's any different from the VII/VIII/IX in respect of quality, accuracy, etc.

QC issues were rampant in the first boxings of the IX, but many such as excess sink marks seem to have been sorted out with the later releases. I wouldn't bother with the engine, unless you particularly want to show it, and you need to thin the firewall or you will have problems fitting the wing root.

The spine on the hi-backs has a bit of an odd cross-section, but that won't apply to the lo-back XVI of course.

Nothing wrong with the ICM kits that a few modelling skills and perhaps some aftermarket can't overcome.

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What Mike says, except that I would say he's adopting typically modest British understatement about the advisability of not bothering with the engine. The engine is wrong anyway - it's a single-stage supercharged version, rather than a 60-series.

The rest of the kit is really good.

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Thanks guys; I shall look out for one. I'm not interested in the engine, so shan't worry about that.

No doubt I'll get an Eduard IX when it's released, but I imagine it will be significantly more expensive than this Revell kit, so getting both sounds like the best idea to me!

Cheers

Jon

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Thanks guys; I shall look out for one. I'm not interested in the engine, so shan't worry about that.

No doubt I'll get an Eduard IX when it's released, but I imagine it will be significantly more expensive than this Revell kit, so getting both sounds like the best idea to me!

Cheers

Jon

Not necessarily: the standard boxes with the PE parts will be more expensive for sure, but the weekend edition boxes that will follow are likely to be priced similarly. The Fw.190D weekend edition can be found around £12 so I'd expect the Spitfire will sell for a similar figure.

Still, buying both is the right way to go: one can never have too many Spitfires ! :D

Edited by Giorgio N
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It is not a bad Merlin, but it is not the right Merlin - it's missing the extra supercharger stage at the back. Rumour has it they copied something restored with a post-war 500-series transport block engine (which, to be honest, any right-minded pilot would prefer in the modern world, it being vastly more reliable than the wartime stuff, and the second stage of the supercharging being wholly academic when the Permit won't allow you to go over 10,000 feet anyway).

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Well finding out the engine is wrong fixes a dilemma for me when I revisit my revell boxing that's currently sitting on my shelf of doom after the carpet monster ate on of the tiny fuel-rail attachments! :lol:

The only thing I noticed while dry fitting the kit a little while ago was gaps around the wing root area that will need some filling/work and that without a certain amount of support around the front fuselage getting the panels to line up could be tricky but nothing that was insurmountable without a bit of work. :)

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Thanks guys; I shall look out for one. I'm not interested in the engine, so shan't worry about that.

No doubt I'll get an Eduard IX when it's released, but I imagine it will be significantly more expensive than this Revell kit, so getting both sounds like the best idea to me!

Cheers

Jon

Hi Jon.

I built the ICM XVI some years ago and was very pleased with the result. If anything it's more accurate than their regular Mk. IX kit because the pinched spine aft of the cockpit is not an issue.

As for the engine, my advice is not to discard it, but to use just enough of it (the basic block, manifolds and forward pieces) to allow attaching the exhaust stacks and the propeller shaft. This assembly can then be "hung" inside the fuselage by the exhausts and won't even need cement.

Have fun,

Pip

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The ICM/Revell kit is the best out there. The Occidental/Italeri kit, while better than their Mk IX, suffers from a very questionable nose profile, which does not effect the Revell version. Make sure you test fit the cockpit and don't let the width cause the fuselage to expand and effect the wing dihedral. Other than that it turns into a great replica, but it is not a Tamiya type of build.

Cheers

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Good man.

I've got the ICM XVI about 95% done and confirm it builds into an extremely nice looking Spit.

It's certainly no Tamigawa shakee-bakee,it's a modellers kit,it needs fettle/fit and thought,but

it will reward you handsomely for your work.

I found this article to be of great help:

http://www.hyperscale.com/features/2000/spitfireixconstructionrs_1.htm

Although it's for the IX,a lot applies to the XVI too.

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The Revell/ICM XVI avoids the major failing of the ICM VIII/IX, the too-pointy spine, as it's a low-back fuselage. Aside from that it's an excellent kit although certainly fiddly to build and suffering from some annoying sink marks (most annoyingly on the prop blades and slightly short shot rear trailing edges at the wing root).

The Eduard will be a better kit, if only because it doesn't use inserts for the cannon bulges (instead Eduard is tooling separate wings for early/late/e), but the ICM is very good and the Revell decal sheet is well worth the premium over the ICM boxing.

Edited by Adam Maas
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The one thing I can't understand is why the control column has a square handgrip not a round one.

I've built one Mk XVI and one Mk VII so far,and have just acquired another Mk XVI which will be going on the bench in the very near future.

I like these kits,they need a bit of work but they are well worth the effort and are,in their own way,a pleasure.

y4mW3-jphErOIUS_Y7fjBXQB2depb7_QxGIk4uKP

Enjoy your build,I did mine.

Edited by Alex Gordon
Replace Photobucket URL.
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I've build an Mk.IX from ICM. they are very good kits. Only i disliked the quality of the plastics, still so far away from japanese model kits imho.

It is a very good value for money anyway. U will enjoy surely it .

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I've build an Mk.IX from ICM. they are very good kits. Only i disliked the quality of the plastics, still so far away from japanese model kits imho.

It is a very good value for money anyway. U will enjoy surely it .

Must say that the same can be said for most non japanese manufacturers unfortunately. On the Spitfire though, ICM has got the shape better than hasegawa and for this reason alone I'm happy with these kits. I can understand however how for many the hasegawa spitfire would be a better choice, or at least it was before the prices of anything from japan rocketed.

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suspect this is due to the fact too many company (as revell and italeri..) work with recycled plastics...

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