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1/48 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I to Mk.V by Eduard - Mk.I/Ia/IIa/IIb/Vb/Vc released


Homebee

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In August 2020, Eduard is to release in August 2020 - just in time for the 80th Anniversary of the BoB - a new tool 1/48th Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I limited kit - ref.

Source: https://www.eduard.com/out/media/InfoEduard/archive/2020/info-eduard-2020-01.pdf

 

Quote

(...) To bude barevná a díky tématu atraktivní záležitost, uvedená na trh na IPMS USA v San Marcos v Texasu. Na stejné akci chceme oficiálně představit a pokud možno i uvést na trh Spitfira Mk.I v měřítku 1/48. Pokud se nám to povede, bude Spitfire Mk.I uveden podobně jako loni Mustang v podobě poměrně zajímavě koncipované stavebnice řady Limited Edition.(...)

(...) This will be a colourful and attractive theme, and will premiere at the IPMS USA Nationals in San Marcos in Texas. At the same event, we are hoping to introduce our new Spitfire Mk.I in 1:48th. If we can make this in time, the release will echo last year’s release of the P-51, in the shape of a very interesting Limited Edition initial release. (...)

 

V.P.

 

Matt-Memory2.jpg

Edited by Homebee
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Nice that it's now not long, though I'm wait for the Vc which hopefully won't be to far behind, though Tamiya might beat them to it. I guess the chance of that mk.XI they mentioned a few years is slim now.

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Great news, not unexpected but good to see the first of the early Spitfires coming this year from Eduard

If they do on these the same kind of work they did on the Mk.IX/VIII/XVI, and I don't doubt they will, Spitfire enthusiasts will be very busy in the next few years

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47 minutes ago, Richard123 said:

Awful news, another Merlin powered Spitfire. Why not a decent Griffon powered machine!

 

Because Eduard clearly said in the past that they plan to cover the big classics, and when it comes to Spitfires a Mk.I is a much better known variant than any of the Griffon engined ones.

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Maybe they will do that Mk.XI yet. I'd very much like them to. Maybe they'll also get a selection of Griffon-engined machines out in years to come. Maybe they'll not make a mess of the upper cowling and then try to sell us extra resin bits to replace something that should have been correct in the first place (this, however, I doubt and yes I'm being cynical but that's a product of previous recent experience) Maybe they get the rivets correct; flush and smooth where appropriate and dome headed where required. Maybe, just maybe, they'll make a good job of rendering the overlapping skin panels rather than using engraved lines. Maybe all these things and more will happen, maybe not, we'll find out in due course but if they want to produce a world-beating Spitfire kit in the middle of an already saturated market they better come up with a good set of unique selling points. Time will tell.

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Really looking forward to this. As said above though, let's hope for a single piece cowling. Having just done a IX I was astonished at how such a sublime kit could be marred by that cowling.

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10 hours ago, Col. said:

Maybe they will do that Mk.XI yet. I'd very much like them to. Maybe they'll also get a selection of Griffon-engined machines out in years to come. Maybe they'll not make a mess of the upper cowling and then try to sell us extra resin bits to replace something that should have been correct in the first place (this, however, I doubt and yes I'm being cynical but that's a product of previous recent experience) Maybe they get the rivets correct; flush and smooth where appropriate and dome headed where required. Maybe, just maybe, they'll make a good job of rendering the overlapping skin panels rather than using engraved lines. Maybe all these things and more will happen, maybe not, we'll find out in due course but if they want to produce a world-beating Spitfire kit in the middle of an already saturated market they better come up with a good set of unique selling points. Time will tell.

 

IMHO Eduard simply need to carry on with what they offered in their Mk.IX line to have a world-beating Mk.I kit.

In comparison with their competitors, that are mainly the Airfix and Tamiya kits, Eduard will likely be behind Tamiya in terms of engineering, fit and mould finesse (but not ny much), but likely ahead in terms of details and attention to all the various subvariants. At what will likely be a much lower price.

Compared to Airfix, I'd expect the Eduard kit to be superior in mould finesse and engineering, maybe even fit. All at a similar price when comparing like with like (that is the Eduard weekend editions with the standard Airfix box).  Actually the price could even be lower as the 2020 rebox of the Airfix Mk.I shows an RRP pf £22.99 while the Eduard Spit IX generally sells for £17-18.

Based with my experience with the Eduard Spit IX and a number of Airfix kits, I would have no doubt to choose the Czech one. Comparing to Tamiya, I'd probably still buy the Eduard kit knowing that I would trade off the ease of build for other features.

 

 

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I agree the new Tamiya one is the cream of the crop if you can afford it. and likely to remain so. One big advantage the Eduard kit will have over the otherwise very nice Airfix kit is the own-goal of the undercarriage attachments on the Airfix. 

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And maybe worth considering a better way of representing dzus fasteners than far from reality proudly protruding above the surface..... "Old" Tamiya Spitfire I/V showed the right way in this respect imho.

Edited by Wojtek2
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5 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

All at a similar price when comparing like with like (that is the Eduard weekend editions with the standard Airfix box).  

That doesn't jig with the Limited Edition release statement. I don't expect a weekend edition for the first 18-24 months of the mould's existence if they want to milk it.

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1 hour ago, alt-92 said:

That doesn't jig with the Limited Edition release statement. I don't expect a weekend edition for the first 18-24 months of the mould's existence if they want to milk it.

 

The initial release may be a limited one but I'd expect the Profipack boxes to come not too long after this. A Profipack is more expensive than an Airfix kit but when the accessories are considered, it is not by much. That if the Mk.I will have the same price of the Mk.IXs, that today retail for £28-30 but include PE parts, masks and generally 5 decal options.

It may very well be that most boxes will follow in 2021, personally unless I had to absolutely build a 1/48 Spitfire this year I would wait for theirs but then I have become very picky when it comes to Spitfires..

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Well, in any case it's left me with a bit of a quandary.

Do I finish the 2007 Airfix Mk.I/Ia/II 1:48 Spit, finally get the Airfix 2014/5 Mk.I tool that's been repop'ed (missed the first release) or wait for the Eduard? Considering I have the 2018 Tamiya as well....

 

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If Eduard can let you build a pre war flat canopy, 2 bladed early, early ww2 up to a post BoB with pilot armour and prop boss options straight out of the box, they will have a massive winner on their hands.

 

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5 minutes ago, Phas3e said:

If Eduard can let you build a pre war flat canopy, 2 bladed early, early ww2 up to a post BoB with pilot armour and prop boss options straight out of the box, they will have a massive winner on their hands.

 

Even better if they give you the option to do both this and a BoB Spitfire like Airfix did. Anticipation of Eduard's early Spitfires is the key reason for my holding off on Tamiya's. I've found Eduard's kits to be outstanding and really look forward to these.

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I should have done the same in hindsight, i got the Tamiya one (admittedly cheap) on release with eduards etch for the pilot armour but probably wont get round to building it until after Eduard have theirs out.

 

Ah well, I will wait for the MkVb release.

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21 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

 

Because Eduard clearly said in the past that they plan to cover the big classics, and when it comes to Spitfires a Mk.I is a much better known variant than any of the Griffon engined ones.

Sorry, but that doesn't really wash with me. If you apply the same logic to the 109 then there should be very few F or G model kits available but there are. The late model Spitfires have been very poorly served by the larger manufacturers, particularly the Griffon powered machines, and with a couple of exceptions from Airfix aren't really state of the art.

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Don't over-egg it.  The equivalent of the 109 F and G are the Spitfire Mk.V and Mk.IX.  Plenty of kits of those, methinks?  You have to go the the G-10 and the K to get an equivalent of the Mk.XIV.  With perhaps the G-6/AS matching the handful of Mk.XIIs.  

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I think a Eduard make most detailed Mk. I ever… After War config, BoF config, BoB config…. And initial L.E. was a after release as be Chatanooga Cho-Cho…. probably another different (sub)version which was released later (In E-Day 2019 was released first Mustang P-51D-5 Filetless - but in Chatanooga was Mustang with fin ( is in L.E. Royal Class) - officialy non limited P.P. with fin version Mustang isn´t released yet. (Chatanooga and R.C are L.E.). Probably first after relesed box was in the same style . 

 

Griffon powered Spit probably haven´t big bussiness potential… Do you think - on home market you can sold many pieces - Czech Republic is model kit superpower and probably coming another "Naši se vracejí" (Our boys going home")L..E. with big decal sheet for Czechoslovakian Spitfires. And Mk. IX was most numerous Spitfire and Mk. I is most famous version - because BoB… In near future coming with high probability  Mk.V - super camos offer and later Hurricane and P-40 respective P-36 or Hawk.… Because Eduard make all Bf 109 from Emil to Kürfurst - maybe in very late future make Griffon Spit. But in last year released Griffon powered Airfix, no ? And then have a whole range or G.P.S. (without Mk. XXI) - but offer Korean War Seafire Mk. 47, Mk. 22 and WW II period Mk. XII and XIV.... 

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22 hours ago, Col. said:

Maybe they will do that Mk.XI yet. I'd very much like them to.

I second that notion.

 

However, I have their Mk.VIII and all the necessary  conversion parts to do a Mk.XI - which is much more fun than building a model straight from the box.

 

Nils

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11 hours ago, Richard123 said:

Sorry, but that doesn't really wash with me. If you apply the same logic to the 109 then there should be very few F or G model kits available but there are. The late model Spitfires have been very poorly served by the larger manufacturers, particularly the Griffon powered machines, and with a couple of exceptions from Airfix aren't really state of the art.

 

Come on, you can't compare the 109F and G with the Griffon engined Spitfires... the F and even more the G formed the bulk of the Luftwaffe force during the central and late years of the war (of course together with the various Fw.190 variants). The various Griffon engined Spit variants never even replaced the Mk.IX and VIII as main RAF fighters until well after the war.

Little more of 2,000 Griffon engined Spitfires of all variants were built, a large part after the war. These account for roughly 10% of all Spitfire production and less than 10% of the production of the various Bf.109G subvariants.. Yes, there were more Bf.109G produced than all Spitfire marks put together !

As Graham rightly pointed out, the equivalent of the Spitfire XIV would be the 109K, and there have been much less kits made of this variant than of the E, F and non AS G. Actually some G subvariants had never appeared in model form until very recently, due to how little known they were. But E, F and G were the equivalent of the Spitfire I/II, V and IX/VIII, and all these variants of both fighters have been available as kits in large numbers since they are the best known and really were also the most important in WW2

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I for one will be in line to buy a bunch of these if they get it right. The Battle of Britain remains a passion for me and in my opinion we are yet to get a great Mk I in 1/48.

 

The most recent Airfix kit has issues with the undercarriage, and the panel lines are still on the heavy side to me. The most recent Tamiya kit comes close but they got lazy with the covering on the upper fuel tank in front of the cockpit - a strip of tape? Seriously? It strikes me as a detail they missed until after they had the kit ready to go, then had to come up with a last minute option.

 

That said, NONE of the above kits capture the true essence of the early Spitfire fuselages. From around the cockpit back It has overlapping panels with raised and flush rivets. Special Hobby did a good job with the overlapping panels on their kits. Hopefully this is an area Eduard can capture, as well as all the detail changes from first production to end of BoB aircraft. If they do, I for one will be a very happy camper and my wallet will be a lot lighter.

 

PR

 

 

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