1/48 ICM Spitfire Mk. IX

by Bill Lachance

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There are probably many Spitfire "purists" that will find fault with some of the details in this build. It seems that no other aircraft gets as close scrutiny as the Spitfire. A modeler is open to bashing if anything is incorrect. I didn't build this kit to satisfy the experts, I built it to have fun and add a Spitfire to my collection. Please forgive the "mistakes" made by someone who has not studied every nut, bolt, and switch of this classic aircraft.

This is the original issue of the kit, which has many sink marks. These were easily filled with Zap-A-Gap CA. The canopy was cloudy, but a good wash and a dip in Future cleared it nicely.

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I added Eduard's beautiful photoetched detail set to this kit. There are lots of items, including the entry door. The kit contains many optional parts, allowing for different versions. There are two sets of rudders and tailplanes. There are standard, clipped, and extended wingtips, along with three different gunbay doors.  Also included are rockets and bombs.

There is also an engine and compartment included with this kit. If you want to display the engine, I recommend exposing the whole thing. A lot of trimming is necessary in order to use the cowl panels and firewall. I elected to omit the engine, firewall, and disc that fits to the nose behind the prop. I glued the exhausts to the inside of the cowl. I first experimented with blocking the exhaust openings and fitting the exhausts, but that extended them too far from the cowl. The disc at the nose is oversized; the cowl parts won't fit around it. Shaving it down equally, while keeping the hole centered, was a lot more work than I wanted to do. Instead, I simply glued the prop to the front of the nose.

When I dryfitted the wing to the fuselage, I tried adding the lower cowl piece. The area that attaches to the lower wing was difficult to align. In order to get a smooth fit all around, I glued the lower cowl piece to the lower wing first, then added this assembly to the fuselage. Everything aligned well, which eliminated filling and sanding in areas of detail.

I used Techmod decals on this kit, and they required a lot of work. They silvered easily, and resisted conformation to the surface details. I used many methods to try and tame them. The larger decals were applied to puddles of thinned white glue, and the stencils to puddles of Future. I still had to slit them over every panel line and apply thinned white glue, Future, and MicroSol. I also slit open the silvered areas and used the same methods as the panel lines. After a couple days, they looked more like AeroMaster or Eagle Strike decals. It was more work to apply them, but I like having the blue codes of "Z" and "X," followed by a number. I always prefer to have something a little different.

I used Model Master enamels for the desert scheme. I first sprayed the Azure Blue lower surfaces, and masked the edges as soon as the paint was dry to the touch. The upper surfaces were then sprayed with Middlestone. My Dark Earth paint had gone bad, so I mixed some with the colors I had. This was sprayed freehand over the Middlestone. I prefer spraying all my camo colors in the same session, since their drying together seems to produce a more even surface.

While it may not be completely accurate, it's good enough for me. I'll have to add one in the more standard green and grays scheme to my collection.

Bill

Visit my website to see other models of mine, I also build models on commission.  http://www.pix.prettyneatinc.com/

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Photos and text © by Bill Lachance