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Export Spitfires


Roland Pulfrew

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Now that RAF100 has died down a bit and my involvement has just about come to an end, I have a bit of time to do some modelling. I had hoped to do a 1/48 Mossie in overseas colours, but I don’t think I have the time, so instead a Spitfire (or 2). 

 

So my my plan is to start with an Airfix 1/72 Spitfire F 22

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and use the decals

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from an AZ Models F 22

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to make a Syrian Arab Air Force Spitfire. If time permits I will then do the AZ Models F 22 in the colours of the South Rhodesian Air Force.

 

Just to compare the 2 kits, this is the Airfix version:

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and this the AZ Models version:

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Wish me luck!!

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A little bit of progress on the cockpits.  Quite surprised by the differences between the 2 kits.  Airfix moulding is much cleaner and crisper (cockpit on the left), requiring less cleaning up than the AZ version (on the right) 

 

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but there is quite a lot of extra detail in some parts of the AZ kit, such as the compass mounted on the bottom of the instrument panel (circled in red) but then missing the head rest, which I’ve had to add (circled in green)!

 

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Maybe both are correct re headrest? My money would be on AZ rather than Airfix knowing what they’re doing!

There is no headrest on the Mk24 at Solent Sky; 22s and 24s are pretty similar.

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28 minutes ago, malpaso said:

Maybe both are correct re headrest? My money would be on AZ rather than Airfix knowing what they’re doing!

There is no headrest on the Mk24 at Solent Sky; 22s and 24s are pretty similar.

That might explain it - headrest duly removed from the AZ cockpit; too late to remove the Airfix one.

 

Quick pic of the cockpit interiors (Airfix at the top):

 

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On 8/29/2018 at 9:42 PM, Beard said:

I've always fancied doing a 22 in one of the export users markings but I'll save myself the bother by following your build.

 

 

Thank you, I hope I can do you justice 😄 But you could of course just join me in building another version. I don’t think I will ever get round to using the Egyptian Air Force markings if you would like them - I think we still have 6 weeks of the GB to go.

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Good start on the cockpits !

The two kits are indeed quite different, the AZ one was nice when issued but was afterall a short run, although a good one. The Airfix kit is IMHO a potential gem, only let down by the moulding, that while better than AZ's offering is not on par with what others do in these years. Still, I rate this a pretty good kit of a Spitfire and as the best Spit kit Airfix have offered us to date. The Airfix kit also better represents the shape of the Mk.22 IMHO, but in any case the AZ kit isn't bad at all.

In terms of detail, both have pros and cons, with the AZ panel being very nice, so much that in the past I used resin copies of this panel to improve less detailed kits... 😁

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A slight disaster with my Syrian Spit. Masked up for the camouflage but the liquid mask I used either wouldn’t come off or came off lifting the first layer of paint. No options but to get the wet’n’dry out!

 

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Also managed to remove the tail planes and gun barrels by accident 😠

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