Eduard Spitfire IX Resin Updates - 1:48 Brassin

[Mike]

Spitfire IX Resin Updates
1:48 Eduard Brassin

Eduard's new Spitfire is a superb model, with leading edge moulding and unmatched detail in this scale. Eduard have also released a gaggle of update sets to further improve on the detail in the kit, some of which have already arrived in the usual Brassin branded clamshell package, others are due soon and the rest are below:

Spitfire Exhaust Stacks Rounded (648121)

Styrene moulding is usually a good guarantee that your exhaust stacks will be moulded as a single part and that the pipes won't be hollow. With this set of resin pipes however, the pipes are both individually cast and hollow tipped, adding greater realism to your model in a very prominent place. In addition, you get backing plates for the inside of your model's exhaust area that gives a good impression of the engine within the cowling, with six mating slots for the stacks.

Spitfire Undercarriage Legs (648124)

This is another of Eduard's new Brassin gear leg sets that are cast in bronze (Bronzin?) for detail and strength. If you're loading up your Spit with plenty of aftermarket the extra strength might come in handy, but the added detail has to be a bonus. The legs are well cast in bronze, with just a fine seamline on opposing sides. The rear of the leg has been flattened slightly to accommodate the resin gear covers and give the impression that the cover is even thinner than it is, while the detail includes some hoses as well as some very nice bolt detail on the wheel end. The bay covers are nicely bulged, and have absolutely tons of detail moulded in, including brake hosing that is cleated to the rear edge of the leg.

For those of you that might have raised their eyebrows at the price of the first set for the Mig-21, you'll be pleased to know that the cost has reduced substantially for this release, to a shade over £12 at list price in the UK. I hope to see more of these sets reaching the stores soon, knocking white-metal into a poor second place.

Spitfire Gun bay (648113)

The Mark IX went through a number of wing-types, and the C and E wings had different cannon arrangements, resulting in different blisters on the upper wing to accommodate the breech of the 20mm Oerlikon cannons. The set includes parts sufficient to open only the port gun bay, which is a bit of a shame, as it could result in a lot of samey Spitfire models with the same configuration. I have no news regarding a starboard wing set at this time.

To install the set you will need to remove the bay panels from the upper surface of the port wing, whether it be the early C, the late C or the E. The bay is the same for each wing, and the majority of it is a single piece of resin on a chunky casting block. You'll not need to break out the big saw however, as the casting block is attached by very fine gates, and when you have completed the removal, you will have a framework to which you attach one of two PE floors depending on which wing you are using. For the E-type, you need to open up one hole and remove two small blocks from the frame, and for the C-type, two holes. There is an additional PE frame added to the front of the gun bay, and either one or two resin parts plus two or one lines of ammo respectively. In the E-wing the cannon and machine gun are added along with bracket and bracing struts, while the single cannon bearing C-wing has the cannon, a shorter strut and come hosing behind the cannon to add. Both bays have PE bracing struts placed behind the cannons, and then it is a case of adding more bracing to the correct bulged bay door and deciding where to place them. Of course the instructions describe the process separately for the C or E wing, and you'll need to do plenty of painting as you go along, but the results should be very nice once done, and add an additional area of focus to your model once complete.

Spitfire 500lb Bomb Set (648109)

The Mark IX's load carrying capability was good, so it was only a matter of time before it was fitted with bombs to assist with the ground war. This set includes the 500lb bomb plus the custom rack that was designed to fit the underside mounting points for the slipper tank. Consisting mostly of resin parts, but with a small PE fret and decal sheet for the bomb stencils, it is fairly simple to construct. The bomb body is separate from the tapered rear, so each part must be cut square and glued together, with separate resin fins that slot into grooves on the tapered part. A tiny PE spinner is glued to the rear, and a PE collar fixed to the nose, with a resin detonator trapping it against the bomb body. The rack is made of two parts - a Y-shaped adapter for the fuselage, and a girder-like rack that joins the bomb to the adapter. The whole assembly is then mated to the fuselage with mating surfaces marked on the final diagram. A painting and decaling diagram shows the main colours and the positioning of the red and green (?) stripes on the nose, plus the stencil on the body, completing what is a very nice set.

Spitfire Drop Tank (648108)

A cylindrical drop-tank with tapered ends was used to extend the range of the Spitfire, which was originally designed as a point-defence fighter, and could be jettisoned when needed to clean up the airframe for combat. The set includes three resin parts, a small PE fret, and should be simple to put together. The rear of the tank is separate, so you need to cut them both square for a good join, and then the rack is a combination of a resin rail and PE stabilising struts, which must be folded up to shape, as per a scrap 1:1 diagram. A small hole is drilled in the underside of the lower wing from the inside (already marked on the part), and the assembly is attached with the struts forward.

Spitfire 90 Gal Slipper Tank (648116)

These aerodynamically shaped tanks fitted directly to the underside of the Spit between the wheels, with a cut-out at the front to accommodate the chin intake. Only one piece of resin is needed, and four small PE parts on a little fret, which are part of the attachment mechanism. The tank is attached as the rear to its casting block, and you should take care when removing it to avoid damaging the trailing edge. Two brackets attach to raised sections at the rear with their folded ends overhanging the resin, and these latch onto a pair of hooks that are glued to the rear of the fuselage. The tank itself is glued along its contact surface to give the required strength, and if you are modelling it installed, you can attach it before painting. If you are modelling it removed, Eduard have moulded full detail into the hidden surface to assist, meaning it can be left at any orientation without showing any blank spots, which is great if you intend to leave it lying around in a diorama.

Conclusion
You can go truly mad with the Eduard IX, adding set after set to the basic (and it's hardly that!) kit, or you can add one or two sets to satisfy your need for additional detail. The choice is yours, but it is all so well done and so tempting that it's hard to decide what to use where.

If you'd like to see the instructions, pricing and additional pictures, just click on the Buy It Now buttons, which will take you to Eduard's site.

Review sample courtesy of

[vandy1]

Defintely woth looking at. I just picked up the engine set in the big H at Colindale - wow!

Cheers

DSJ

[Julien]

Those exhausts do look very nice.

Julien