1/48 Spitfire kits

[spacetiger hobbes]

I've read the Hasegawa 1/48 Spitfires are too short. More recently, I read a review that suggested only the later Hasegawa Spitfires were too short, specifically the Mk VIII and Mk IX. So are the Mk Vb and Vb Trop kits the right length? I already have the Hasegawa kits and would rather not invest in the Tamiya kits if the Hasegawa kits are basically correct dimensionally/proportionally. I read up on Spitfires on the Wiki page and it says the early planes were 2 feet shorter than the later Marks. Thanks. Sorry to be so basic. I'm a bit late to the Spitfire game.

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

Welcome aboard. I love your username.

As to your question, I'm not best qualified to answer, but there are a number of experts on here who will be along shortly with more information than you'll know what to do with!

Obi-Jiff

[TheModeller]

I've read the Hasegawa 1/48 Spitfires are too short. More recently, I read a review that suggested only the later Hasegawa Spitfires were too short, specifically the Mk VIII and Mk IX. So are the Mk Vb and Vb Trop kits the right length? I already have the Hasegawa kits and would rather not invest in the Tamiya kits if the Hasegawa kits are basically correct dimensionally/proportionally. I read up on Spitfires on the Wiki page and it says the early planes were 2 feet shorter than the later Marks. Thanks. Sorry to be so basic. I'm a bit late to the Spitfire game.

Early Spitfires, up to the Mk.VI were fitted with a single-stage supercharged Merlin engine (there are variations to the exact type but for all intents and purposes its close enough), later marks such as the VII, VIII and IX were fitted with two-stage supercharged Merlin engines, the larger supercharger assembly and its associated gubbins resulted in a longer fuselage overall, the same holds true for the Griffon engined Spitfires such as the XIV, XVIII and XIX, I'm not even going to get into the Seafire variants.

It should be noted that all Spits from the Mk.I to the F.24 are nominally the same length from the cockpit firewall to the rudder post. Different cowlings and rudders fitted to different marks resulted in different overall measurements.

If you want to be pedantic, Tamiyas 1/48th Spitfires are a touch on the short side, along with, to my eye, being a little tubby, though overall they look the part, the Hasegawa Vb and Vb trops I have seem to be identical in length comparing fuselage halves between the two makers, however Hasegawa tooled a less portly fuselage that gives the finished models more elegance, some people think a they are a little too skinny, but as far as I'm concerned its a case of swings and roundabouts, both manufacturers kits have pluses and minuses.

When you get on to the Mk.VIII and IX from Hasegawa you're looking at a different animal, the tooling wasn't based on the earlier Mk.Vs, and for some inexplicable reason the kits are noticably short in the rear fuselage, not in any one place, that would be easily corrected, but the variation is spread throughout the aft fuselage.

At some point Hasegawa must have noticed this error, because to make thier two-stage Spits the right overall length they made the spinner much larger than it should be, overall the kits measure out right, but plainly they are not.

That said the Hasegawa Mk.IX's are well detailed and very buildable, the wings in particular are excellent and form the basis for a number of Mk.XIV conversions I've done. Equally the cockpits are nice too, the Vb and Vb trop cockpits are undersized.

Aeroclub used to produce a replacement fuselage for the Hasegawa kits to address the length problem but I've seen plenty built up that look just fine.

For a 1/48th two-stage Merlin Spit I think the ICM kit is still probably the best on the market for detail and accuracy, its a bear to build because of the breakdown of parts, it has a few inaccuracies, but it still looks nicer to me than the Hasegawa kit. I don't rate the Airfix Mk.IX at all, it builds up OK-ish, but it suffers from thick wings, clunky cockpit detail and poor fit.

HTH...

Edited October 8, 2010 by TheModeller

[Work In Progress]

I've read the Hasegawa 1/48 Spitfires are too short. More recently, I read a review that suggested only the later Hasegawa Spitfires were too short, specifically the Mk VIII and Mk IX. So are the Mk Vb and Vb Trop kits the right length? I already have the Hasegawa kits and would rather not invest in the Tamiya kits if the Hasegawa kits are basically correct dimensionally/proportionally. I read up on Spitfires on the Wiki page and it says the early planes were 2 feet shorter than the later Marks. Thanks. Sorry to be so basic. I'm a bit late to the Spitfire game.

I have built several Hase 1/48 Spitfire Vb kits and it''s very good. I prefer it to the Tamiya one: I think the shape is a little bit better, especially the wing.

Edited October 8, 2010 by Work In Progress

[gingerbob]

I already have the Hasegawa kits and would rather not invest...

Ah well, in that case, they're perfect- go build and be happy!

If you want to find the "perfect" 1/48 Spitfire, then be ready to invest (money and/or time).

At least be reassured that Tamiya is not the ultimate answer. In fact the search for Spitfire enlightenment is rather like one of those buddhist pilgrimages, in which the trip along the path is the essential thing...

bob

p.s. I, too, applaud your moniker, and the dancing figure Obi-Jiff appended.

[spacetiger hobbes]

Thanks to all. I'm glad to stick with my Has Spitfires. Yes, I gather that an accurate rendering of the Spitfire is as elusive as that of the Loch Ness Monster. Somewhere in my stash are the Otaki kit with resin gull wing aftermarket fix that is somewhat OBE.