A few months back I hosted a poll to determine which model to build next. After a narrow race, Tamiya’s big Spit narrowly beat out Trumpeter’s big Bearcat. And now, blistering summer heat and a layoff later - here’s the end result!
Overall - AMAZING kit. I know it’s expensive, but I almost think it earns it (not sure why the most-identical XVI is like $50 more…). The ambition and precision on display are phenomenal.
I did go a bit aftermarket happy on this one. Here’s the breakdown:
Barracudacals decals (RECOMMENDED…the Tamiya decals are typical Tamiya)
Barracudacast Merlin rocker covers (RECOMMENDED - Rolls Royce logo plates!)
Barracudacast tires (RECOMMENDED…one flaw in the kit is the rubber tires with the seams from hell)
Barracudacast seat (TAKE OR LEAVE…I like the detail, but the kit seat is pretty nice too)
Master Hispano 20mm cannons (RECOMMENDED - I dig turned brass)
Scale Aircraft Conversions landing gear (RECOMMENDED - the kit gear is needlessly fussy, and the engine adds a LOT of weight to the front)
Eduard interior PE (RECOMMENDED - best IP I’ve ever seen)
Eduard seatbelts (RECOMMENDED - kit PE belts suck, Eduard ones have texture and amazingly detailed “paint”)
Eduard exterior set (SKIP IT)
Kit was mostly painted with Model Master enamels. Everything else dusts terribly in this heat. Vallejo Dark Rubber tires, Tamiya clears for the lights, Alclad here and there, MIG pigments on the exhaust and gun stains, and Alclad Matte Klear Kote.
Thanks for looking - any comments and critiques are highly welcome!
Looks fantastic to me! I love the detail that can be shown on a 1/32 scale build!
I know you said you used “dark rubber” on the tires, but did you add dust to them afterwards, or is that how the paint comes out? I like the effect it gave on them.
This is not build related, but more to the individual a/c depicted: why is one of the swastika’s white, and all the others black?
I’m not entirely positive about the one white star, but Leland Molland was credited with 10.5 kills, so I’m wondering if the white was for a co-kill?
The dark rubber actually dries a very convincing (and darker than the bottle seems to indicate) dark gray/brown. But yes, I added some MIG Europe Dust to dirty them up.
Doogs, that is a very striking Spitfire. From the camo coloration to the way you covered over the Brit roundels, the cockpit, the weathering- everything - it’s just really eyecatching.
Have to say this is the first kit I’ve built that didn’t have some sort of catastrophe along the way. The dusting was pretty ridiculous, yeah, but knowing about it going in really helped me take steps to knock it down. But my masking strategy worked, most of the decals went down very well, etc.
Can’t wait to tackle Tamiya’s big P-51, but that’ll be a few months yet. Not even going to think about that attempt until after the move.
Doogs, a professional job indeed! I love that paint scheme; in fact, I have the Mk IX and plan to use that pattern. Too bad all that beautiful interior work goes mostly unseen.
I remember being impressed by the engine build, and the finished model is truly insprirational, especially given the heat and humidity you endured to build it.
Again, thank you all so much! Definitely had a lot of fun on this one, even if the garage was basically on fire the entire time (we tie the record for hottest summer on record today, become official 9th circle of hell tomorrow)!
Chris - the IP is actually painted courtesy of the fine folks at Eduard. I’ve been dogging their PE a lot lately (their set for Tamiya’s 1/48 P-51D is just laughably bad), but their interior PE for this Spitfire is some of the best I’ve ever seen.
DoogsATX It actually looks good but here are a couple critiques
1.) Prybars on the access hatches are actually red not interior RAF green since the prybar is a rescue device and thus is red.
2.) I’m pretty sure our British friends can help out with this but I’m pretty sure the spade grip on the control stick is actually either layered tape or wrapped leather to add padding to it. Yo can probably replicate it by using thin strips of tape wound around the grip.
