Spitfire Mk.II Conversion Kit

[Mike]

Spitfire Mk.II Conversion Kit

1:72 3D-Kits.co.uk

The Mark II Spitfire was an improvement on the base model, the Mark I, and included an uprated Merlin Mk. XII and a Rotol airscrew, which had a broader spinner. The engine had a Coffman starter, which was easily spotted by a small bulge in the starboard nose cowling just behind the prop.

3D-Kits is a new company owned by a fellow Britmodeller, Detail Police, or Stewart as he's known in the real world. Stewart's feeling is that the future of aftermarket parts lies in injection moulded styrene, and has put his money where his mouth is with this initial release.

The kit can be bought in two parts, as sprues and decals, or just sprues if you have already sourced some suitable decals. I will be reviewing the "full-meal-deal" version, but the separate components are identical. The kit arrives in a zip-loc bag, with a card backing that doubles as the instruction manual, and two sprues of mid-grey injection moulded styrene. The two sprues are identical, and as such you have enough parts to convert two kits from either Airfix (new or old tool) or Tamiya (two kit choices).

Looking at the sprue there are 9 parts, plus a name plate that reads "Spitfire Mk II" and could be used on a base if you wish. Detail is excellent, and the design was done on 3D CAD, so moulding defects should be non-existent. In addition to the Rotol prop and boss, you get two Coffman "lumps", just in case you lose one, a rear for the spinner, two attachment stubs, which are used or left on the sprue depending on which kit you are converting, and finally an exquisitely detailed early style control column and seat.

The seat is appropriate for Spits manufactured before mid 1941, although it differs little from the later seats, and the control column is of the early type as mentioned earlier, with a slightly different firing button.

Construction notes are supplied for the old Airfix kit (A01001 & A01701), the newly tooled Airfix kit (A0170A1), and Tamiya kits 60748 & 60756, the latter allowing you to backdate a Vb to a IIb using the parts.

Rotol Spitfires Mk.I & II

This decal sheet allows the modeller to portray one of 5 schemes of 4 airframes, or more if you have access to more roundels of the correct types & sizes. The two sheets are printed by Fantasy Printshop, so their quality and usability isn't an issue.

Each airframe has a side-profile in full color, together with top and bottom views, showing all of the decal placements. A short paragraph of history on each choice is also included, together with some notes for the modeller to ensure accuracy of fit and finish.

The options are as follows:

54 Squadron, Hornchurch, March 1940 - Spitfire Mk.1

Green/dark earth over black/white, codes KL*T and KL*O

71 "Eagle Squadron", August 1941 - Spitfire Mk.II

Green/dark earth over sky, or green/grey over ocean grey, code XR*D

19 Squadron, June 1941 "Armagh" - Spitfire Mk.II

Green/dark earth over sky, code QV*J

The decals are now also available in 1:48, which suits me as that's my scale of preference.

Conclusion

This must be a first? Injection moulded aftermarket parts for existing kits - it takes all the issues of dealing with resin or metal parts, which can be a dissuading factor for some modellers.

The parts are very crisply moulded, to a standard worthy of any of the best mainstream manufacturers, and the quality of the decals is excellent. Considering the cost to manufacture such a set, the prices are set at a more than reasonable level that should please many and ensure good sales.

You can buy either decals, parts or both, as well as the 1:48 decals here.

I'm looking forward to seeing what's coming from 3D-Kits in the future.

Review sample courtesy of Stewart at

[The wooksta V2.0]

It's not the first - I've the remains of an injection set for Spitfires from the early 70s but I can't remember who it's by, Airform?

Anyway, this set is fantastic and I picked up half a dozen at Telford.

The extra Coffman starter is handy for the Heller XVI if converting it to a late low back IX and the Rotol prop is handy for replacing short shot items in the Airfix Hurricane Mk I.

[GPB]

Not the first by a long shot. PD Models in Australia produced an injection moulded Spitfire II conversion in 1/48 scale 30 years ago. Some are still floating around in the dusty corners of the rapidly perishing LHS and at swap meets.

[stevehnz]

I bought a couple from Relish Models, they arrived quick, thanks Relish, & I'm hugely impressed by them, a real mainstream feel to them rather than anything limited run. I'll be back for several more.

Steve.

[Prenton]

I agree with the review. Very good quality work - Stewart is to be congratulated And it is a really nice touch to have been provided with two of part F (the Coffman starter streamlined bump) as - trust me - the carpet monster will get one (it is a really small piece of plastic in 1/72, my preferred scale).

The decals also look to be very good. I am in the midst of doing the conversion of the new tool Airfix Mark Ia kit into a Mark II, for our own club's "Telford Challenge" and will be using the "Eagle Squadron" decals.

(Our Telford Challenge, over on IPMS Ireland, is that everyone from the club who went to Telford and bought anything (and who doesn't?) has to make up two kits, or conversions, or whatever, from what they bought, before the next Irish Nationals, which will be held on October 1st/2nd in Dublin. Since I bought this conversion set, and the new aifrix tooled Spit 1a, this will count as one of my two entries in the Challenge.)

Philip