Airfix 1/48 Spitfire lineup - XIV vs XIX.

[Zack]

Dear all, 

With the recent posts in Work in progress related to the Spitfire XIV I have a question regarding to the differences between the XIV and the XIX.

Several builders have commented that they would want to build a high back XIV. 

Now to my question:

Could this be done by combining the armed wing from the XIV with the fuselage of the XIX? 

Or are there other structural differences? 

 

Hope this question is not so daft that the expertis get offended - I am only just re-starting my Supermarine Spitfire journey. 

 

Thank you and happy modelling, be carefull out there! 

Zack

 

[Ngantek]

I'm pretty rubbish regarding Spitfire marks, but if you're considering specifically the Airfix 1:48 kits, you need to be aware that the older PRXIX is dimensionally quite a bit off from the newer XIV/XVIII; and I suspect you will run into issues beyond simply combining parts from one with the other. Some conversion options are addressed in this video, which is worth a watch.

[Zack]

Sorry guys, 

Just realized that this has already been explored by @Tail-Dragon

Anyway, Thx for stoping by! 

 

Stay sane and Happy Modelling! 

Zack

[Zack]

Thank you for this heads up @Ngantek!

And thanks for sharing the video link, I will be watching 👍😎🍺

Zack

 

PS.  Scale Model Workshop & Budzik 👍👍👍

[Troy Smith]

8 minutes ago, Zack said:

Could this be done by combining the armed wing from the XIV with the fuselage of the XIX? 

yes.... but..

8 minutes ago, Zack said:

Or are there other structural differences? 

yes.  the XIX is a pressurised, so has a different canopy, with curved windscreen,  no cockpit door, pressure bulkhead. 

Note the lo back XIV kit is a E wing only.

I'm pretty sure @Tail-Dragon ash done a conversion

OK, see here, this is about just converting a XIX into a XIV, but gives an idea of the fuselage changes

 

5 minutes ago, Ngantek said:

but if you're considering specifically the Airfix 1:48 kits, you need to be aware that the older PRXIX is dimensionally quite a bit off from the newer XIV/XVIII

 

It's not as AFAIK.   The XII (12) has dimensional issues....

 

@Zack  responses while typing...

 

HTH

 

[Alex Gordon]

I did one using the spare wing from the Seafire XVII.

 

 

The incomplete build thread is here and the several years later RFI is here.

Edited February 12 by Alex Gordon
Replace Village Photos URL.

[Troy Smith]

3 minutes ago, Zack said:

And thanks for sharing the video link

note, the video is by @P_Budzik, whose not posted for a while, and in the linked thread he makes some comments about the PR.XIX dimensions.

I've not sat down and done my own comparisons,  I'm not even sure where all my Spitfire boxes are. 

There are some very useful observations on the base lo-back XIV kit,  as well as various conversions. 

 

Poor planning on behalf of Airfix as a bit of sprue tree planning would have allowed the option of an alternate fuselage to do a high back XIV, which they have 'ruled out'  even though  the existing kit does already have a separate tree foe the fuselage plus a few ancillary parts

 

There are various ways to do a high back XIV,  depending on skills, budget and degrees of accuracy required....   

the most accurate is using an Eduard Mk.VIII base kit and adding the relevant different bits from the Airfix....  which leaves a lot of spares or a possible lo back IX/XVI...

 

HTH

[MikeC]

28 minutes ago, Zack said:

Hope this question is not so daft that the expertis get offended - I am only just re-starting my Supermarine Spitfire journey.

There's no such thing as a daft question; and a true expert will never be offended at a question, however "basic", it gives us a chance to convert someone else to the cult of the Spitfire, and if I'm honest to demonstrate our knowledge.

 

I've not tried to cross-kit the XIVe and 19, but as @Troy Smith says, the XIX has a pressurised cockpit with all the differences that entails.  There were some high-back XIVe aircraft, so the wings aren't necessarily a problem.