1/32 Spitfire IX - PCM vs Revell?

[k5054nz]

Hi team,

I have a long-stalled Pacific Coast Models 1/32 Spitfire Mk.IXe being built as a C and I'm wondering if it's worth persevering through the fit issues (particularly the cannon bay covers) or caving and getting the newer (and cheap) Revell kit.

 

Are there any parts of the the Revell IX that are superior, eg propeller shape?

 

I'd be grateful for any advice.

[JohnT]

I’ve not compared the two so can’t comment directly but if you are willing to go down the route of buying a Revell kit anyway why not do the Revell build while working on the more difficult PCM one using the experience as an opportunity to improve your skill set?  If it doesn’t work out then nothing lost as you still have the Revell one.    

[gingerbob]

Then after you've suffered through those two, get a Tamiya and realize what you've been missing!

[spitfire]

I'm currently building a PCM Spitfire IXc ad will be posting a build thread on it when I get round to it, I've just completed two other PCM kits (Hurricane and Tempest) threads for both are here on Britmodeeller and will give you a flavour of what the kits are like are like.

They are very challenging to build, but you do get a nice result in the end.

I haven't built the Revell IX but have built the I/II and it was a nice build certainly easier that the PCM kit however I think that the PCM kit is more accurate.

I do like Spitfires and have a pair of Revell IX's and a Tamiya IX in the stash, and eventually will build them all, if I live long enough.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[k5054nz]

Thank you very much all, I really appreciate it!

9 hours ago, gingerbob said:

Then after you've suffered through those two, get a Tamiya and realize what you've been missing!

Unfortunately I'm well aware of what I'm missing - my wife bought me the Mossie as a Christmas gift and it was such a dream to build, when I first saw the Tamiya Mk.IX I shelved the PCM kit in frustration! However at the moment we don't have the disposable income so I figured why not finish the PCM ☺️ And I'll need to get an F-51D (or the P-5D and somehow get the F sprues) for another project anyway...

[gingerbob]

I applaud the intention of finishing the PCM kit.  That was a partially tongue-in-cheek comment, or at least an intentionally flippant one.  Here's a more serious one:

 

the Revell kit is very different in "style", which makes me wonder how well the two would get along.  I've seen one built up and it looked pretty good, but I sure wasn't impressed with the naked parts on the sprues, so much so that I've hardly given them a second glance after the first inspection (especially since I'd already been over the "Mk.II" from whence the tooling evolved into the IX kit).  I've seen the PCM IX, and have a copy of the XIV (because, y'know, XIV!)  And, well, I don't want to rub it in by mentioning Tamiyas.

 

bob

 

p.s. I can't really remember what the Revell's prop looks like.  The one in the II was horrid.

Edited March 4, 2022 by gingerbob

[johnny akes]

I can’t comment on the PCM kit but I built the Revell IX quite soon after it first appeared. I don’t remember there being any particular issues and to my mind FWIW it builds into a decent looking model which outwardly at least, compares favourably with Tamiya’s. That’s not to say of course that it matches the latter’s quality, but once they are both on the shelf the casual observer probably wouldn’t know the difference (or care, if my family is typical).