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Revell 1/48 Spitfire Mk IX/XVI = Reboxed Hasegawa?


Doug

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Hi All,

Just got my mitts on the Revell Mk IX/XVI kit, can you confirm or deny that it is in fact a re-boxing of the Hasegawa Mk IX kit? (Does it still have the reported fuselage short comings)?

Doug.

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Doug,

It is a re-pop. In terms of the main mouldings, no differences, so it has all the issues the Hasegawa original did. Having bought and built both the biggest difference I detected between the two was in the plastic used and price. The Hasegawa version had a softer and more "user friendly" plastic and was about 1/3rd more expensive, the Revell version used a harder and more brittle plastic that showed a tendency not to like some plastic glues - I eventually used some Faller plastic glue I had - and was cheaper here in Oz. Hasegawa decals were good, Revell ones we'll see. In between use, on the Revell version they removed all the tags on the sprues where Hasegawa had their name and logo. And Revell don't do the version which included the extra sprue with the underwing beer keg that came with the Hasegawa JE-J version.

I'm currently in the process of using the Revell base kit, with the Aeroclub corrected fuselage, plus the Quickboost Spitfire PR.XI conversion sets, Aeroclub vac form canopy and a whole lot of filler, rescribing and "some modelling skills" to turn the Mk.IX into a PR.XI. Aeroclub corrected fuselage works well, the extra length does make it look less stumpy.

I have a couple more Revell kits and the Aeroclub Spitfire XII conversion and another Aeroclub Mk.IX correction for future use. And of course now Airfix has announced they are going to be doing an out of the box Spitfire XII in 1/48th in 2010. Ho-hum!!

HTH

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Hi all,

Thanks for your replies, most enlightening, especially regarding the type of plastic used for the Revell molding. As far as I am concerned there's no problem with the fuselage length I just wondered if either Revell or Hasegawa had bothered to correct it, other than that don't really care.

As it turned out I had a Hasegawa Mk IX hidden away in my modelling cupboard and as it was pointed out the only difference is the omission of the beer keg sprue! I shall look forward to building it.

Thanks for your responses, many thanks and Happy Christmas and New Year to you all.

Doug.

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I built one of the original Hasegawa Spitfire Mk.IX out of the box, but modified slightly to depict one of the No.16 Sqdn pink Spitfires from 1944. Went together well and looked well finished. I didn't worry about the discrepancy in length when I built it as I was looking for a quick and enjoyable build. However, in my display cabinet, alongside a couple of correct length Spitfires of various marks, and especially alongside a correct length Mk.IX, it does just look, well, "stumpy". Viewed on its own, not a problem, alongside other Spitfires it is noticeably short. Amazing what a difference a few mms make. But by all means, build and enjoy, they go together really well.

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I wouldn't let the fuselage issue stop me from buying them. I do think they've captured the nose/cowling areas particularly well, so that sort of balances it out a bit. For me it looks enough like a Spitfire for it not to be a showstopper.

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'As far as I am concerned there's no problem with the fuselage length...' :yikes::popcorn:

Me too! Although it does help that all my long-nosed Merlin Spitfires are from the Hasegawa kit, so there is nothing to compare it against. :analintruder:

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Doug,

It is a re-pop. In terms of the main mouldings, no differences, so it has all the issues the Hasegawa original did. Having bought and built both the biggest difference I detected between the two was in the plastic used and price. The Hasegawa version had a softer and more "user friendly" plastic and was about 1/3rd more expensive, the Revell version used a harder and more brittle plastic that showed a tendency not to like some plastic glues - I eventually used some Faller plastic glue I had - and was cheaper here in Oz. Hasegawa decals were good, Revell ones we'll see. In between use, on the Revell version they removed all the tags on the sprues where Hasegawa had their name and logo. And Revell don't do the version which included the extra sprue with the underwing beer keg that came with the Hasegawa JE-J version.

I'm currently in the process of using the Revell base kit, with the Aeroclub corrected fuselage, plus the Quickboost Spitfire PR.XI conversion sets, Aeroclub vac form canopy and a whole lot of filler, rescribing and "some modelling skills" to turn the Mk.IX into a PR.XI. Aeroclub corrected fuselage works well, the extra length does make it look less stumpy.

I have a couple more Revell kits and the Aeroclub Spitfire XII conversion and another Aeroclub Mk.IX correction for future use. And of course now Airfix has announced they are going to be doing an out of the box Spitfire XII in 1/48th in 2010. Ho-hum!!

HTH

Hi Colin .

Isn't that always the case . I've got the fuselage corrections , which I'll use with the Hasegawa Kits , but also the MKXII and Seafrire XVII

Conversions . Still never mind .

All the best for Christmas and the New Year

Regards

Terry McGrady

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