1/72 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.18 by AZ model - released

[Homebee]

AZ model has re-released its Spitfire Mk.18 kit.

Source: https://www.modelarovo.cz/supermarine-spitfire-mk-18e-1-72-azmodel/

 

"after a delay, we decided to „dust off“ the mainstream models of older release date in the AZ model. After many wishes of you customers we decided to resume the production of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.18e model, which is still somehow forgotten by the „big manufacturers“. (...)

 A simple kit consisting of „few“ parts can be easily glued together by less experienced or novice modellers. Experienced ones have room for their orgy with accessories which are too many for a 1/72 scale Spitfire 14/18."

 

Two boxings:

- ref. AZ7884 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.18e

Sources: 

https://eshop.kovozavody.cz/10883,en_spitfire-mk.18e.html

https://www.azmodel.cz/produkt/spitfire-mk-18e/

 

 

- ref. AZ7883 - Supermarine Spitfire Mk.18e - Asian territory

Sources: 

https://eshop.kovozavody.cz/10884,en_spitfire-mk.18e-asian-territory-.html

https://www.azmodel.cz/produkt/spitfire-mk-18e-asian-teritory/

 

V.P.

 

Edited October 21, 2024 by Homebee

[Alex Gordon]

There's plenty of room for a Mk XVIII in any scale.

 

 

Could they please not repeat the Xtradecal mistake of transposing the green and brown upper surface colours

 

[stevehnz]

6 hours ago, Alex Gordon said:

Could they please not repeat the Xtradecal mistake of transposing the green and brown upper surface colours

So, you're saying the Xtradecal diagram is wrong? The pale shades in the photo above that are the LSG & the dark shades are the DE? I've not come across that before & somewhere have some decals & Ventura Mk 18 kit waiting to meet up.

Steve.

[Alex Gordon]

5 hours ago, stevehnz said:

So, you're saying the Xtradecal diagram is wrong? The pale shades in the photo above that are the LSG & the dark shades are the DE? I've not come across that before & somewhere have some decals & Ventura Mk 18 kit waiting to meet up.

Steve.

In my opinion Xtradecal is wrong.I built a 1/48th scale one earlier this year,this link will take you to the finished item https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235138125-airfix-spitfire-xviii-in-148th-scalefinished/&do=findComment&comment=4971011 .If you carry on to the end of the thread my reason for thinking so will become clear.

[stevehnz]

I see your point Alex, certainly something I'll look into before I start mine, by when I'll likely have forgotten about this anyway.  I like the look of yours & these in this colour scheme anyway. Nicely done & a good recovery on the decals.

Steve.

[Dennis_C]

13 hours ago, Alex Gordon said:

Could they please not repeat the Xtradecal mistake of transposing the green and brown upper surface colours

Just wondering - the green on this scheme is really 'light slate grey' rather than dark green? Or that is more an artistic interpretation? AZ interpreted it as 'dark grey'. 

Edited August 2, 2024 by Dennis_C

[Alex Gordon]

Everything I've read on the subject (there isn't a huge amount of it) agrees on Light Slate Grey which is a green colour and AZ have that in the boxart image.I hadn't noticed that the paint diagram on the back of the box has it listed as "Dark Grey",I thought it was just the way the image had been printed.

[Modelraynz]

19 hours ago, Homebee said:

Experienced ones have room for their orgy with accessories which are too many for a 1/72 scale Spitfire 14/18."

 

 I mean, proper planning IS important... 😆

 

[stevehnz]

16 hours ago, Alex Gordon said:

Everything I've read on the subject (there isn't a huge amount of it) agrees on Light Slate Grey which is a green colour and AZ have that in the boxart image.I hadn't noticed that the paint diagram on the back of the box has it listed as "Dark Grey",I thought it was just the way the image had been printed.

The photo of Peter Arnolds Spitfire restoration that Troy posted in your WiP certainly shows something that looks a lot like a greeny colour, much as I'd expect Light Slate Grey to look. I'm a little puzzled by the camo pattern, is it simply a reversed standard pattern or something they conjured up in Egypt?

Steve.

[Giorgio N]

The pattern used on these desert camouflage aircraft was based on that in the relevant AP valid at that moment (AP2656A, issued in 1944 and amended in 1947 to include the new postwar roundels). 

This itself was based on previous pattern and this is where the difference with the better known Spitfire pattern comes from: originally there were an A and B scheme, one mirror of the other, meant to be both used on alternating serial numbers. Over time only the A scheme was used to save time during production and this was the pattern seen for example on the grey/green options proposed by AZ.

The pattern in the AP however was like the B scheme, so a mirror of the A scheme and this was followed when repainting the 208 Sqn. aircraft (and in other postwar camo schemes).

Edited August 2, 2024 by Giorgio N

[stevehnz]

5 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

The pattern used on these desert camouflage aircraft was based on that in the relevant AP valid at that moment (AP2656A, issued in 1944 and amended in 1947 to include the new postwar roundels). 

The pattern in the AP however was like the B scheme, so a mirror of the A scheme and this was followed when repainting the 208 Sqn. aircraft (and in other postwar camo schemes).

Thanks Giorgio, I wondered if it was something like that.

Steve.

[Dennis_C]

2 hours ago, Alex Gordon said:

I hadn't noticed that the paint diagram on the back of the box has it listed as "Dark Grey"

Classical attention to details by Mr.Muzikant

[Giorgio N]

I may be wrong but the diagram to me reads "slate grey".. while the drawing shows a proper grey, in contrast with the cover artwork that looks convincingly Light Slate Grey.

 

Now since this is a reissue of the existing kit, I'd have some comment on their claim of " A simple kit consisting of „few“ parts can be easily glued together by less experienced or novice modellers". This is not really a shake and bake kit for the beginnerifs! Yes it features relatively few parts but it short-run nature means that every part has to be properly prepared to get a decent fit.

I'll have to dig the kit from the stash (mine is a Mk,XIV box but the plastic is the same) to check the shapes and dimensions. I'd also have to check if the kit properly represents a Mk.XVIII, the larger tail is there so good from this point of view, can't remember if the other small details are also correctly reproduced

[TheKinksFan]

2 hours ago, Dennis_C said:

Classical attention to details by Mr.Muzikant

We expect nothing less 😂

[Dennis_C]

2 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

I may be wrong but the diagram to me reads "slate grey"..

Yeah, you are very likely right. The picture is not with good resolution but I think it's 'Slate Grey'. The only problem is that RAF had light slate grey and dark slate grey 

[Tbolt]

1 minute ago, Dennis_C said:

Yeah, you are very likely right. The picture is not with good resolution but I think it's 'Slate Grey'. The only problem is that RAF had light slate grey and dark slate grey 

 

Wasn't it just Slate Grey and Dark Slate Grey? 

[Dennis_C]

I think elsewhere it is called 'light slate grey' as opposite to 'dark slate grey' for use on lower wings of Royal Navy biplanes. Actually quite rare colour. However can't argue that the official name was not just 'slate grey'. 

[Giorgio N]

The proper MAP names were indeed Light Slate Grey and Dark Slate Grey,

Now Light Slate Grey was as Dennis said used in the shadow-shading scheme for FAA biplanes so its use was quite limited as a camouflage colour during the war, however it was used for the codes of Coastal Command aircraft from IIRC 1942 til after the end of the war and the colour remained in use postwar, being later also used for the upper surfaces of Bomber Command Canberras and a small number of fighters

 

[Alex Gordon]

5 hours ago, stevehnz said:

The photo of Doug Arnolds Spitfire restoration that Troy posted in your WiP certainly shows something that looks a lot like a greeny colour, much as I'd expect Light Slate Grey to look. I'm a little puzzled by the camo pattern, is it simply a reversed standard pattern or something they conjured up in Egypt?

Steve.

As Giorgio said there were two schemes for fighter aircraft,the A and B schemes.One was the mirror of the other but the colours were not transposed so the green always stayed green and the brown was always brown.The 2 scheme idea was largely dropped by factories when the Day Fighter Scheme was adopted,the darker grey replacing the brown on the upper surfaces but there are examples of MU repaints that were in the mirrored scheme (Spitfire Vb ER220 for a start) so the patterns were still floating around in various places.

The bits I could see on the photo of TZ233 and three other similarly painted airframes that I've found showed me that it was a loose version of the B scheme.

[Alex Gordon]

1 hour ago, Dennis_C said:

Yeah, you are very likely right. The picture is not with good resolution but I think it's 'Slate Grey'. The only problem is that RAF had light slate grey and dark slate grey 

I have to agree,the image is a bit fuzzy and I've read it wrong but I couldn't tell you with any certainty what it does say.

 

 

[stevehnz]

FWIW, I've always seen Light Slate grey mentioned for these & the Tempest Mk 6s in this scheme. Looking at the colour chips in the Airforce Museum Book, of which I have a copy, Light Slate Grey is more than just a paler version of Dark Slate Grey but to my eyes is a cooler mid green shade whereas DSG is more of an Olivey Green. Certainly the segment of green on @Troy Smith's photo pf Peter Arnolds Spitfire is what I could expect from Light Slate Grey.  Perhaps @Paul Lucas might have more info on this.

Steve. 

[Dennis_C]

BTW on the Tempest box KP also wrote just 'Slate Grey'

[stevehnz]

5 minutes ago, Dennis_C said:

BTW on the Tempest box KP also wrote just 'Slate Grey'

Their diagram though gives, to my eye anyway, a decent representation of Light Slate Grey. Maybe just a tad too dark. 😊

Is their any evidence that 6 Sqn ever flew their Tempests in this scheme as illustrated, I don't recall ever seeing it or reading of it's confirmation?

Steve.

[Dennis_C]

52 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

Is their any evidence that 6 Sqn ever flew their Tempests in this scheme as illustrated

I think KP wrote it's 213th squadron. From what I've seen 6th squadron was standard day fighter scheme OG/DG/MSG or silver.

[stevehnz]

Thanks Dennis, I should have phrased that better, it was a general query rather than referring to the box schemes which are 213 Sqn for the desert scheme.

Steve.