Hello there, I was thinking this morning that I havent built a spitfire since I was a kid with a revell kit. I’d like to do one in 1/72 with usaaf markings, as seen here http://squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=AN72201
since theres a bewildering array of marks and makers, I was sort of hoping someone could help me sort out what mark would be appropriate for this, and which is the better kit to go with. I saw a Hasegawa one with us markings, but on the box it is in nmf, and i wanted to do a camo one.
anyway, any advice you guys could give would be appreciated.
I have Tamiya’s 1/72 spitfire and I’d place bets that it’s easily the best.
There are three types of Spitfires in that decal set you have linked there, the first 2 are type IX, a type Vb, tropical Vc and lastly another IX. Tamiya is good for the Vb and Hasegawa has the type IX. For the Vc you’d have to look at a lesser known manufacturer (Smer Models-unable to comment on quality) or search for a conversion kit. Hope this helps.
I have done the Hasegwa kit, I would have no hesitation in recommending it.
great thanks for the info everyone, helpful as usual! I think I’ll go for a tamiya, usually their pits are better than hasegawa from what I’ve seen in other kits.
Hi, folks. Let me tell you about the Tamiya 1/72 Spitfires - basically, they’re the wrong shape, and the decals suck. Ok, the cockpit detail and the transparencies are good, but does that justify a price which, in the UK at least, is 2 1/2 times that of the competition?
See here for a review of the Tamiya 1/72 spitfire Ia:
www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Inbox/q-s/spit-mk1-i.htm
Having the wing the wrong shape, especially on the Spitfire, is pretty much a deal-breaker.
If I was doing a 1/72 Spitfire Ia, I would kitbash an Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Ia, which has accurate shapes, but raised panel lines, little cockpit detail, and Airfix decals (but these are getting better), and an Italeri 1/72 Spitfire Vb. This has good cockpit detail, excellent (and openable) tranparencies, and better decals than the Tamiya kit. Also, together, they cost less than the Tamiya kit…
Chris.
oh well too late chris I already bid on one[D)] I think it’ll be about $13 canadian. Im not much for kitbashing anyway.
I have to disagree with Chris. The Tamiya 1/72 Spitfire kits put the old Airfix kit to shame & the Italeri kit is very inaccurate. The Hasegawa kit is the best choice for the later Mk IX.
Regards, Rick
The real question is do you want the most accurate Spit in 1/72 or the nicest kit to build and then the answer changes again depending on the mark.
Spit MkI…most accurate=Airfix, nicest build with most detail = Tamiya.
Spit Mk IX …most accurate and nicest build is Hasegawa.
Joe
Matt,
There’s a lot of great info posted by the guys in this thread - but I find I’m probably a little less concerned with slight outline or shape errors than others might be.
I’ve built both the 1/72 Hasegawa and Tamiya Spitfires - and found them both to be good builds - the Tamiya model was easier to build because of it’s better fit.
Unless you’re building for a contest and concerned about COMPLETE and TOTAL accuracy, the Hasegawa or Tamiya kits would do just fine.
thanks everyone, great info… I’ve won the Mk.Vb/Mk.Vb Trop from tamiya, so thats what it’s gonna be. $10 us btw… seems pretty cheap to me, I think it was over 20 canadian at the store, so even with shipping its a good deal.
Congratulations on winning the bid. That is a very good price. You will love the kit. Enjoy the build & post some pics.
Regards, Rick
Thanks Rick, now I need to order the decals. And finish the tank I’m working on. Seeing as how I never know what I’m going to work on until I look up at the shelf and pull one down from the stock, you may be waiting a while for those pics! [:P]
Matt
Take a look at these two site (scroll down to the Spit section):
http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Reviews/72nd-4.htm
http://modelingmadness.com/kitindex/kitindexs.htm
They have reports on various Spitfires from various companies. I have heard some reports smiliar to Chris’s comment in which Airfix’s Mk I has the best shape accuracy while Tamiys has the best detail. I’ve built the Italeri Mk 5(Cdn $11), which has a fine cockpit (although the gunsight can’t fit on to the dashboard top) and the fitting is OK. Hasegawa has great reputation which you shouldn’t worry about (however Hasegawa had a Spit Mk I made in the mid 70’s which may not meet up to today standards). Anyway, have fun on the lovely Spit!
Whatever you do, avoid the Italeri IX. It’s inaccurate in shape and detail, and a pig to build, with numerous fit problems, especially around the nose. A few years ago, I bought three, and I’ve just used the first of them as a cargo for a Queen Mary aircraft transporter. - where it will be safely hiden under a tarpaulin!
Nice decal sheet, canopies, and wheels, though - almost worth the UK retail price of £3.49 ($US 6.30, €5.05 ) in themselves.
Oh, and the Hasegawa Spit I is good as a source for the twin-bladed fixed-pitch wooden propellor fitted to very early spit Is, but not much else - except, maybe, as a cargo for a Queen Mary (for which you wouldn’t need the prop, and, anyway, the kit also comes with a 3-bladed one) , hidden under a tarpaulin!
Chris.
chris hall Posted: 23 Oct 2004, 15:26:47
Transparencies? Think again, on the Tamiya Mk1 I built the canopy is very distorted when you look thorugh it, the sides of the windshield framing come up well to high (but this is correct in their 1/48 scale kits) and the rear section of the canopy isn’t quite wide enough for the fuselage. Not what I’d call the best part of the kit.[B)]
Ah, the Tamiya Mk. V…it goes together well matt and you should enjoy it. Sand off the two little wing stiffeners on each wing though as they should not be there. I built one some months back and made it into, (mostly), a Mk Vc. As mentioned, the canopy is the real disappointment of all the 1/72 Tamiya Spits…accuracy aside, it just looks wrong somehow.
Here’s a pic of my build w/aeromaster decals.
Have fun with your build!
Joe Youngerman
On reflection, and having just looked at the cockpit of a Tamiya 1/72 Spitfire I that I built just under a year ago, you’re right, Tbolt. For all the detail you can see, there might just as well be an Airfix interior (seat, floor, pilot, and that’s about it) in there. Another argument in favour of the Airfix/ Italeri kitbash!
Chris.
I am prepared to live with the flaws, except the canopy. Does anyone know where i can get an aftermarket one that fits.[B)]
Yes, Falcon do several in set 41, available in the UK for £9.95, but no doubt available in North America through the usual suspects such as Squadron, Roll Models, and VLS.
www.tahs.com/kit%20catalogue/falcon%20clearvax.htm
Chris
BTW, you could also use the canopy from the Italeri 1/72 Spitfire Vb, which is good, clear, and thin, would do the job, and can be posed open.