Compare and Contrast #2. Airfix Spitfire Vc. Old and new boxings

[Properjob56]

Going thru my stash I found I had the 2 kits Airfix have done of the Spitfire Vc. The first is based on the 1975 Vb, well regarded in its day, which added a sprue with a -c wing and armament in a 2005 reissue. The second is the 2020 boxing, a new mould specific to the -c. I thought it would be interesting to see how things had changed over 45 years.

 

The kits were built mainly OOB. Eduard RAF seat belts were used in the 2020 boxing and Tamiya tape cut to length used to portray the harness in the 1975 kit. I also made up a joystick from scrap plastic and wire for the latter. As I don't have non clouding superglue I had to leave off the prominent rear view canopy mirror, neither boxing providing it anyway. I also assumed VHF radios were fitted to both so no aerial wire was needed. (My references say VHF was installed from late 1940 and the aircraft depicted were from 1943. I could see no wire in contemporary photos but noted some colour profiles on the Web did show it )

Decals were the options in the 2020 boxing as the older kits decals were very matt and less precise. (They also had a tendency to break up as I found when I used them for the stencilling of one of the options). For reference, the older kit had decals not only for a South African machine but also for an Australian, rather than an American, one

Paints for the camouflage colours were Xtracrylix with Promodeller Sand Wash and Tamiya Weathering Powders also used.

 

The initial photos are of the boxes and instructions for each showing the differences in parts and construction.

 

Thoughts:

The major difference is the level of internal detail. The older kit has no instrument panel in the cockpit, no decals for the instruments, no seat worth the name, no joystick and a pilot figure to hide their absence. The newer kit has all that missing detail and more. Proper bulkheads and gas cylinders for example. Indeed, it was so good this is the first kit I have ever made that has the canopy open to show off the interior.

The moulding quality in the older kit varies from subdued, save for some strangely exaggerated rivets around the engine, to Matchbox like trenches in the -c sprue .

The newer kit has options for spinner shape, prop blades, fuel tank, exhausts, oil cooler, canopy open, clipped wings and armament. The older one just has the wings and armament options.

Despite all this, the choice was not as clear cut as may be supposed. The older kit was easier to build, seemingly accurate in outline and some parts just looked better. The 'sit' of the aircraft on the ground is, to my eyes, better captured in the older version for example..... Oh, who am I kidding, get the new one!

 

[Winenut]

Well done!

 

Great idea to build the two and see the difference

 

Despite a comparative lack of detail in areas the old kits still build up really well..... as you have proved!

[kapam]

Interesting comparison - they both turned out quite well.👍

I had the older tooling and decided to let my daughter build it (hey, she asked and I was happy to do it).

I'm definitely going to queue for the new-tool as soon as it turns up in the shops!

[BerndM]

Very nice work and interesting to build the new and the old one side by side.

 

[Max Headroom]

Thanks for this. I still have a semi built old Vc in my AMARC and I can’t believe the thickness of the trailing edges. Got to be a scale foot! The other thing I disliked was the very weird ‘new’ canopy.

 

Great builds and finish btw 👍

 

Trevor

[Graham Boak]

Not just the trailing edges but the entire wing is too thick.  They took their Mk.Vb, which was ok with a few flaws, and added another big one.  You can thin it down, better if you haven't glued the wing together yet, and then it can look a lot better.  Mine has actually been hauled out from the "unfinished" boxes on the principle that I should finish it before moving on to the new one.

[Properjob56]

2 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Not just the trailing edges but the entire wing is too thick.  They took their Mk.Vb, which was ok with a few flaws, and added another big one.  You can thin it down, better if you haven't glued the wing together yet, and then it can look a lot better.  Mine has actually been hauled out from the "unfinished" boxes on the principle that I should finish it before moving on to the new one.

Indeed, and the other issue commonly raised, are the trenches Airfix scribed into the wing of the old kit. When you take the sprue out of the box the wing does look pretty bad and yet, as you can see, once made, these problems look a lot less significant. It’s not fit for competition but perfectly adequate for home display.

[Properjob56]

From one of the photos that didn’t make the cut, a better comparison of wing thickness between the two boxing’s

[Max Headroom]

16 minutes ago, Properjob56 said:

From one of the photos that didn’t make the cut, a better comparison of wing thickness between the two boxing’s

Oof! Is that a Hurricane wing?

 

Trevor

[Spitfire 123]

Awesome builds, I think I might have to get the new one to add to my stash. 👍

Riley

[bigbadbadge]

I like this, the comparison build, a great idea.   They do both look good. 

Cracking job.

Chris

[Properjob56]

For those interested I found some photos of the undersides as well,