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Airfix Spitfire Vc


fishplanebeer

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This should perhaps be in the review section but as I'm not sufficiently expert in analysing new kits to pass such judgement I do have some first impressions now that I have just received my example (via E-Bay as surprisingly still not in stock yet with the big H.

 

I haven't done any comparisons against scale plans or tried to fit any of the parts but my first impression is that the panel lines are far more restrained than with previous Airfix Spitfire kits in this scale and far more akin to those seen on AZ, KP, Eduard etc.. In addition it features the following which look pretty good too:

 

  • Closed and 3 -part open canopy option
  • Choice of upper wing halves to model with either standard or clipped wings - nice!
  • Option to fit either the standard or Vokes air filter
  • Nicely detailed pilot tub which is fitted as a separate unit instead of raised details on the fuselage halves
  • New attachment method for the tail planes which should avoid any gaps with the rear fuselage
  • Choice of exhaust manifolds and props/spinner

 

I'm sure someone will examine in detail and perhaps uncover some issues but on the face of it I'm well impressed and now considering exactly which aircraft to model given the various options provided with the kit. Let's just hope this is the new way forward for all future Airfix releases in this scale.

 

Regards

Colin.

 

 

 

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I hope Airfix send a review copy to the Moderator - maybe they already have - leading to a review on this website.

Here the pictures of the parts and decals are by far the best of anything seen anywhere on the internet, even postings by Airfix themselves.

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3 hours ago, fishplanebeer said:

This should perhaps be in the review section but as I'm not sufficiently expert in analysing new kits to pass such judgement I do have some first impressions now that I have just received my example (via E-Bay as surprisingly still not in stock yet with the big H.

 

I haven't done any comparisons against scale plans or tried to fit any of the parts but my first impression is that the panel lines are far more restrained than with previous Airfix Spitfire kits in this scale and far more akin to those seen on AZ, KP, Eduard etc.. In addition it features the following which look pretty good too:

 

  • Closed and 3 -part open canopy option
  • Choice of upper wing halves to model with either standard or clipped wings - nice!
  • Option to fit either the standard or Vokes air filter
  • Nicely detailed pilot tub which is fitted as a separate unit instead of raised details on the fuselage halves
  • New attachment method for the tail planes which should avoid any gaps with the rear fuselage
  • Choice of exhaust manifolds and props/spinner

 

I'm sure someone will examine in detail and perhaps uncover some issues but on the face of it I'm well impressed and now considering exactly which aircraft to model given the various options provided with the kit. Let's just hope this is the new way forward for all future Airfix releases in this scale.

 

Regards

Colin.

 

 

 

Nice but for the uninitiated such as myself, what is the scale and model #?

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I also had the kit on back-order with Hannants but cancelled and ordered off E-Bay instead when it became obvious it is now widely available. It cost a wee bit more but postage was free so in the end it actually worked out cheaper as well.

 

Regards

Colin.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Although this kit is one for later this year I have read that the open blown canopy section provided is wrong so wondered what the issue is, is it that it doesn't fit correctly or is it the wrong shape?

 

I'm not too clever when it comes to using vacuum canopies (have tried but can never cut them out terribly well or avoid multiple finger plasters) so if it is a major show stopper, and if so are there alternative ways to correct I wonder? I also read that the exhausts may protrude out too far so would it be worth investing in the Eduard replacements to correct as I'm sure I have spares from other Spitfire kits?

 

Regards

Colin.

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I don't have mine yet, hopefully later this afternoon, but the problem with the canopy in the open position is that it is impossible to mould a canopy that is the right size and which fit onto the rear fuselage.  The mouldings will always have to be too thick.  Either the canopy appears plonked on top of the fuselage distant from the rails,, or it has to be moulded oversize.  It appears from the photos that Airfix have taken the letter route.  A vac form canopy can provide a near scale thickness that looks much more convincing.  If you have problems with them, so did we all at first, but it is just a matter of sharp tools and care.

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I have nearly finish my first one, I have change the wheels ,spare from KP or Tamiya, wheels door spare from Eduard Mk VIII. Shortened the exhaust tube to fit better near the fuselage.

Make a hole on the right place for the fuselage tank and put a .50 from Eduard Mk VIII for the cap.

Paint in Sky blue underside, dark grey nearly all the aircraft and very dark grey the engine and the spinner, for a Malta plane.

 

Alain

 

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3 hours ago, fishplanebeer said:

I'm not too clever when it comes to using vacuum canopies (have tried but can never cut them out terribly well or avoid multiple finger plasters)

 

Do not attempt to do this with a knife.

Go to any mainstream supermarket and for a few quid you can buy a pair of extremely sharp, small, nail scissors. Buy one of each type, straight and curved. You will never again have a problem with getting vac-form canopies off their sheet.

 

Exhausts: I assume you've seen Tony O'Toole's builds - just do a little minor trim if you really want to. Replacement exhausts are not needed.

Edited by Work In Progress
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Many thanks for the tip as I've always tried using very sharp blades to remove the canopies but with unsatisfactory results and bloodied finger tips.

 

The ones I've bought before are the ones from Falcon and Squadron but I note that Rob Taurus also do single vacuum canopies as well, and Hannants have them in stock for the Spitfire V, but never tried them so are they worth considering?

 

Regards

Colin.

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Rob Taurus canopies are very nice, so I would sure consider them, I have a few and I'm happy with them.

However the problem with vacform canopies (or any other aftermarket replacement item for that matter) is that they are designed to fit a certain kit. At the moment nobody will be able to tell if a certain canopy will work on this kit unless he already tried to use it. As I mentioned in a comment in one of Tony's builds, the width of the canopy in 1/72 Spitfire kits in particular varies wildly, I've measured differences of 2 mm and above... all for a part that is roughly 8 mm wide. When I tried to replace the awful canopy in Revell's recent 1/72 Spit MkII in the end I could not find any canopy that could be used on that kit as they were all too wide or too narrow. In the end I had to try and modify the part from the kit to make it look somewhat better...

Now in this case since you' be having the canopy open things are easier as a slightly too large canopy may be put in place without the thing becoming too noticeable, still finding a decent fitting canopy can be a problem

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Many thanks for the feedback, as the Rob Taurus ones are quite cheap I think I'll buy a couple of them, along with the nail scissors, and see how the hood compares and sits as my plan is to have the canopy open. Although they are for the Tamiya Vb they should work OK I think as the vacuum plastic is usually quite pliable and can probably be bent/shaped a little to fit.

 

I understand that an open canopy section has to be slightly larger in scale to allow it to sit/slide over the fuselage so will naturally look wrong if used to build a closed canopy however based upon my limited experience of just one kit so far, the SH Kittyhawk, it is possible for manufacturers to produce both a closed and open section that both work well. It just seems from the comments on the new Airfix Vc that Airfix have not quite managed to pull off this trick in the same way that SH have.

 

Regards

Colin.

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Thanks for this, however as I only intend to use the hood part and use the kit parts for the windscreen and rear section then it should (hopefully) be OK as it should be the blown type as opposed to the flat sided version on the Mk1 and 2. I then just need to carefully pare the edges of the windscreen section a little to make it appear a little thinner to match the hood.

 

Regards

Colin.

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@fishplanebeer

Colin,

 

What Giorgio said about the Rob Taurus canopies is right on the money; plus the plastic used in their canopies is a little thicker than the ones done by other aftermarket  suppliers, so you have more surface area for gluing and filling, if necessary, which can be a real challenge with some very thin vacuformed transparencies. The ones I have used have been excellent and easy to trim from their mold sheets.

Mike

 

Filling the inside of the transparency with modeling plaster or better yet, dental stone used to make impressions, will give you a solid base for trimming, masking, and painting. I get a small tub of stone from my dentist and that is  enough to do many transparencies. It is much denser and finer than plaster of Paris, and doesn't give off heat when hardening like plaster does. Also, it makes a great master for vacuforming transparencies.

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Many thanks for the advice and tip on how best to prepare these canopies. Have just ordered 3 from Hannants, for my Vc Spitfire, and the IIa Spitfire which is next on my to-do list, plus a spare just in case! Good to hear that they are less flimsy than the Falcon/Squadron ones I tried before which I found very easy to damage whilst in the process of removing and cutting my fingers.

 

Regards

Colin.

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On 1/7/2021 at 5:48 AM, Giorgio N said:

Rob Taurus canopies are very nice, so I would sure consider them, I have a few and I'm happy with them.

However the problem with vacform canopies (or any other aftermarket replacement item for that matter) is that they are designed to fit a certain kit. At the moment nobody will be able to tell if a certain canopy will work on this kit unless he already tried to use it. As I mentioned in a comment in one of Tony's builds, the width of the canopy in 1/72 Spitfire kits in particular varies wildly, I've measured differences of 2 mm and above... all for a part that is roughly 8 mm wide....

FWIW, I measured the Tamiya and Airfix canopies, both width and length of what would be their sliding portion of the molded in closed position canopies at the bottom where it would fit on the sill

Airfix: 8.9mm W x  7.75mm L

Tamiya 7.55mm W x 7.45mm L

 

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