Britflyer Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 As something of a Coronavirus lockdown special effort, I recently did something I’ve been thinking about attempting for months: A Mk.XIV high-back conversion kit bash. I built this Mk.XIVe high-backed Spitfire in 1/48 scale using Eduard’s Mk.VIII kit as the base fuselage, Airfix’s new FR Mk.XIV bubble-top kit for the Griffon engine, tail and radiators, and Eduard’s Mk.XVI bubble top kit for an ‘e’ wing to complete Spitfire MN-F (tail number RB169) as flown by 350 Squadron, RAF from October 1944. Decals were from Xtradecal and the Mk.VIII and Mk.XIV kits. This was a really in depth effort and I’m really not confident with filler, putty and rescribing but was surprised and delighted by how nice she looks in the end result! I’ve wanted to do a Griffon Spitfire for ages but wanted a proper wartime bird that saw large scale service and don’t really like the bubble-canopy and cut down fuselage look of Airfix’s fighter-reconaissance Mk.XIV. There are some older Mk.XIV kits out there (e.g Academy) but they are extremely inaccurate shape-wise so I didn’t want to go for any of them. The Eduard Spitfires are the best out there in terms of shape and surface detail (at least in my opinion) in 1/48 scale – hence the approach chosen here to use as much Eduard plastic as possible and take what parts I needed from the Airfix FR Mk.XIV bubble canopy kit. For those wondering about the wastefulness implied – the Mk.XVI kit comes with two different ‘e’ wing sprues representing early and late modifications so I was able to take one for this project and will still be able to build the Mk.XVI in full later on. 29 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve27752 Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Nicely done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 You`ve done an excellent job,..... it looks superb. I did a similar job a few years ago using the Airfix PR.19 with some parts from an ICM Spitfire IX kit..... before your base kits were available. Your`s looks much better than mine! Cheers Tony 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Smashing. My favorite Mk of the Spit. Cheers Collin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMCS Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Fantastic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SAT69 Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Your kit bash came out very well. Plastic work looks very good and the paint job is superb! That's one you can definitely be proud of! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldy Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 Very nicely done. Been looking at that myself. Great result! Cheers Malcolm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bell209 Posted April 29, 2020 Share Posted April 29, 2020 An expensive way of doing it but the result is excellent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vlad Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Excellent build and a huge thumbs up from me for the imaginative kitbash. Always great to see people doing something different and your finish really does this graceful subject justice! I'm also a big fan of high back Griffons and did an Airfix PR XIX + Mk IXc to get one in 1/72 (before the Sword releases). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Very nicely done, that's excellent 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britflyer Posted April 30, 2020 Author Share Posted April 30, 2020 Thanks for the lovely comments all - has really made my day! 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keith in the uk Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Just now, Britflyer said: Thanks for the lovely comments all - has really made my day! 🙂 And so it should , she s a beauty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickydicky210 Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Stunning Spitfire, well worth the effort 🥇 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsprop Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Stunning! Great work on the weathering too. Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Very convincing Mk XIV! Kind regards, Joachim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djos Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Very successful conversion, final result is fantastic Regards Djordje 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 That's a great looking Spitfire. Well done.👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob K. Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Love the Griffon engined Mk XIV high back. Your build looks just right! Amazing work 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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