1/48 Spitfire kit recommendations please

[Andy J]

Hi everyone I woke up this morning with an urge to build a 1/48 Spitfire which is strange for me as I usually build 1/24 car kits 🤔. So could anyone recommend a decent kit for me to build please im not looking for a kit that needs loads of extra work an oob build would suit me fine. As for which version or era well again I'm not to concerned all I'm looking for is a straight forward and enjoyable build 🙂👍

[bigfoot]

For a great out of the box build I would go with the Tamiya mki (the version from a couple of years ago, not old one), typical Tamiya quality and nice extras in the box.

[Andy J]

8 minutes ago, bigfoot said:

For a great out of the box build I would go with the Tamiya mki (the version from a couple of years ago, not old one), typical Tamiya quality and nice extras in the box.

Thanks for the advice much appreciated 👍 

[tank152]

Personally i'd go with one of the Eduard ProfiPack ones. Everything in the box including masks for the canopy and harnesses.

[Andy J]

1 minute ago, tank152 said:

Personally i'd go with one of the Eduard ProfiPack ones. Everything in the box including masks for the canopy.

Thanks for the reply I will take a look at these kits as well 🙂👍

[tank152]

They include a small fret of photo etch, which is what the harnesses are, as long as you're comfortable working with it you'll be fine.

[tank152]

Take a look at their website to give you some idea, you can even down load the instructions. 

https://www.eduard.com/index.php?lang=1&currency=0&mnid=&anid=&listtype=search&searchparam=1%2F48+Spitfire+&cl=search&tpl=&fnc=executefilter&attrfilter[]=&attrfilter[15]=Profipack

 

[Phoenix44]

I would vote for any of the Eduard Profipack kits too. The Tamiya Mk.I is very nice but something about it isn't quite there for me as a Spitfire. 

[Andy J]

25 minutes ago, tank152 said:

Take a look at their website to give you some idea, you can even down load the instructions. 

https://www.eduard.com/index.php?lang=1&currency=0&mnid=&anid=&listtype=search&searchparam=1%2F48+Spitfire+&cl=search&tpl=&fnc=executefilter&attrfilter[]=&attrfilter[15]=Profipack

 

Thanks for the link being able to download the instructions is a big help and I think I've found a candidate which will suit me fine 

 

 

I'm not great with photo etch parts tbh but there aren't that many so atm I'm considering the kit above. Thanks for the info 👍 

[Andy J]

7 minutes ago, Phoenix44 said:

I would vote for any of the Eduard Profipack kits too. The Tamiya Mk.I is very nice but something about it isn't quite there for me as a Spitfire. 

Thanks for the reply tbh both the Tamiya kit and the Eduard kit look very good to me but that means nothing really as my aircraft kit knowledge is pretty much non existent. The idea of the thread was to avoid buying an awful kit which might spoil the enjoyment for me but I now have a couple of choices and if I can't make my mind up....well....I guess I'll have to buy both 😉👍

[junglierating]

Quite like the airfix mk1....😀

[Wince]

39 minutes ago, junglierating said:

Quite like the airfix mk1....😀

Looks good but the design of undercarriage legs looks weak to me. View based on looking at kit parts btw! The revell looks cheap and cheerful but unsure if it is the same horror I built 20 odd years ago......

[bootneck]

This one by Airfix has my interest.

 

Mike

[Andy J]

7 minutes ago, bootneck said:

This one by Airfix has my interest.

 

Mike

Thanks Mike I see that this kit has been reviewed on BM and does seem to be an excellent option. At this rate I'll have a squadron of Spitfires to build 🙄. Decisions....decisions 🤔👍

[bootneck]

Let me be the first, of many, to say.........  build them all!! 

 

Mike

[Andy J]

5 minutes ago, bootneck said:

Let me be the first, of many, to say.........  build them all!! 

 

Mike

Yep that seems a sensible idea.....and as I'm a sensible person I probably will 🙂👍

[junglierating]

39 minutes ago, Wince said:

Looks good but the design of undercarriage legs looks weak to me. View based on looking at kit parts btw! The revell looks cheap and cheerful but unsure if it is the same horror I built 20 odd years ago......

No you are right its a weak method of attachment ....

[rob Lyttle]

I did the Eduard kit of the MK.VIII (or some other combination of roman letters.... IX?? 

Anyway it was a good build. The clearances are very tight, everything has to be just so, especially the cockpit assembly inside. 

But a great kit 

[tank152]

13 minutes ago, Andy J said:

Yep that seems a sensible idea.....and as I'm a sensible person I probably will 🙂👍

Can I say, that you're treading a very dangerous path here. I say this as a ex car builder myself, although I built 1/43 ones. I too fancied building a Spitfire, which lead on to a Fw190 which lead on to a Bf109 and so on....... 

Notice I also say "ex" car builder!  A few years on and I now have a healthy stash of both aircraft and car kits. 😀

By the looks of things you'll be on your way building up a stash before you've even built your first. 🙂

[Troy Smith]

28 minutes ago, Wince said:

The revell looks cheap and cheerful but unsure if it is the same horror I built 20 odd years ago......

AFAIK,  the Revell kit, sold as a MK.II, (it is really a Mk.I)  is a rebox of the 1978 era kit.   While surprisingly good in main shapes,  lack of gull wing and raised panel lines and poor wheel, exhaust and basic cockpit detail  make it pretty obsolete now.

 

32 minutes ago, Andy J said:

Thanks Mike I see that this kit has been reviewed on BM and does seem to be an excellent option.

But presently unavailable,  and tends to be expensive as a result.

 

1 hour ago, Andy J said:

I'm not great with photo etch parts tbh but there aren't that many so atm I'm considering the kit above.

the weekend boxings have  no add ons,  used to available pretty cheaply as well.

[Paramedic]

I have built a couple and enjoyed the Tamiya ones (old I and Vb) along with the Eduard (IX) the most. The older Tamiya kits build nicely but might have some accuracy issues? Or so I have heard, here. But there is nothing wrong with the fit!

The Eduard Mk IX was really nice! More parts, more smaller parts.. But as long as you take care and check the instructions you should be fine.

 

Built a Special Hobby vc too. Not bad, but harder than the ones above. Airfix XII was pretty nice too but a little more chunky and less fine surface details - but it build intoa  brutla looking griffon Spit!

[jackroadkill]

As per the quote in my signature, the ICM kits are not for the faint-hearted!

[tank152]

Weekend Spitfires. 

https://www.eduard.com/index.php?lang=1&currency=0&mnid=&anid=&listtype=search&searchparam=Spitfire+&cl=search&tpl=&fnc=executefilter&attrfilter[]=&attrfilter[15]=Weekend+edition

If you purchase the Mk IX that is one of the latest Weekend boxings where you get 4 marking options rather than the normal 2. If you go down the Weekend route then you'll need to purchase the harnesses on top of the kit if you want to model your kit with them, you'll also need to purchase the masks for the canopy unless you're up for masking your self.  But by the time you've bought those you may as well have purchased the ProfiPack.

[Wince]

30 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

AFAIK,  the Revell kit, sold as a MK.II, (it is really a Mk.I)  is a rebox of the 1978 era kit.   While surprisingly good in main shapes,  lack of gull wing and raised panel lines and poor wheel, exhaust and basic cockpit detail  make it pretty obsolete now.

 

But presently unavailable,  and tends to be expensive as a result.

 

the weekend boxings have  no add ons,  used to available pretty cheaply as well.

Hello Troy! I’ve missed your encyclopaedia knowledge on everything whilst I’ve not been on here. 

 

Looking at my airfix mk1 it does look good but the tamiya looks better. But you always think that the grass is always greener! 

[Paramedic]

1 hour ago, jackroadkill said:

As per the quote in my signature, the ICM kits are not for the faint-hearted!

 

lol, is it that bad.. makes me tempted..