November updates are dominated by modelling-related news, and so even today. It is no wonder given that so many new Spitfire kits appeared recently.

I have received some comments on my yesterday’s review of Airfix 1/72 Spitfire IX which deserve further comment.

• I have added video showing the completed Airfix Spitfire kit. It makes an appropriate illustration to my review, giving a good idea about how a completed model looks like, including the shapes of the cowling etc.

Secondly, an answer to direct question, which is: yes, the wheel wells are two voids without any detail inside.

Thirdly, I’d like to add a few more comments which are appropriate when examining the kit from advanced modeller’s perspective. What’s most welcome is the generally accurate outline, or at least so it seems judging the shapes from the video. Even with its relative lack of detail, it appears to be the most accurate mainstream 1/72 Spitfire IX kit currently available, with possible exception of the Hasegawa’s Mk. VIII/IX series.

With regard to decal options, Airfix have used a bit of creative license there. I’m aware that D-Day markings for MK392 JE-J are speculative; available later photos of this aircraft show different style of lettering (with “squared” Js) and no maple leaf emblem. The markings for ZX-6 look fine, although they do not match the kit without doing something about the wing bulges.

What struck me most about the kit was that Airfix got together such a seemingly random mixture of features – narrow wing bulges are accompanied by two cannon ejector chutes at the bottom wing and cigar-shaped cannon barrels typical of the E-wing. However, the latter cannot be produced without repositioning the blisters…

The short carburetor intake is reminiscent of the Mk. V, which makes it rather unusable.

There are spurious panel lines on upper wings plus those blisters over wing wells, but to be honest, most other Spitfire kits and popular Spitfire drawings suffer from the same two blunders.

Link-type undercarriage legs and four-spoke wheels are indicative of the 1944 production, reinforced undercarriage for Spitfire fighter-bomber. Also the enlarged horn elevators are there, but sadly no pointed-tip rudder which would be an appropriate option for such a late-series machine.

On the other hand, exhausts are of fishtail type, no later rounded exhausts are provided.

I don’t know which drawings Airfix used as a basis for their kit, but they must have come from… yeah, any modellers’ book out there (sigh). Airfix seems to have replicated many common misconceptions.

Click on the images to enlarge
[Airfix photo]

Tamiya

In the modelling community, Tamiya’s big new 1/32 Spitfire continues to be the most popular talking subject, overshadowing Airfix efforts in the smaller scale. It would seem that the first two people who have managed to complete their builds on the web are:

• Brett Green of Hyperscale, for his forthcoming book (!) on the subject
• Jean-Luc Formery from France, for the French Tamiya Magazine

…two gorgeous builds of what is apparently an outstanding kit.