1/72 Airfix Spitfire 1a

[Bari]

Just starting again after a 40+ year layoff. Thought I would make one of each type I have worked on. Though I would start with the Spit as it was cheap (£4.99) and would be a simple one to start with. However things seem to have changed a bit over the years as looking at the parts they seem very well done with very little flash and some intricate scribing, even a little bit of cockpit detail. Although I shall need a magnifying glass for the small bits and the decals some of which I can barely see! I thought I would post as it might act as a spur (having looked at some of the models here) not to rush and to make a good job of it.

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[stona]

Welcome back. Good choice of model,you can't have too many Spitfires. 1/72 scale is very small,as I've got older and the old eyes worse,I've upscaled a bit. I also invested in one of those visor type magnifiers which I certainly need.

Good luck with the Spitfire.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Ian M]

Looks like a goog one. As Steve says can never have to many Spitfires.

Welcome back and good luck with it.

Ian M

 

[backonthecase]

well well that looks pretty neat for a small airfix job! the cockpit and the scribing look very well done! I'll be interested to see thow this turns out :o )

Stuart

 

[m1ks]

That does look nicely engraved, haven't looked much as the new tool stuff, (other than the new BF109 in 1/48 which I got from Johns shop)

A spitfires a great starter model for getting back into it too.

Keep us updated.

 

[Dingbat]

I think most people who start or return to modelling start with 1/72 scale as they are not "scary" . I for one still love to build the smaller planes as they are cheep and you don,t need to worry so much about the finer detailing. They are also good for honing your skills on by which i mean sanding and filling of joins and so on.So some advice would be to give it your best shot and see how it goes. And when you finish look at it and if you see things that you could have done better or didn,t come out quite that well then you are one of use.Because modelling is a learning curve for all of us and it keeps us interested.

The quality of the new Airfix moulds are a hundred times better than say 10 years ago and i for one buy them before i would a Tamiya or like mostly just for the lower prices.

Good luck with your build . Don't rush it but most of all enjoy it. And if it goes pear shape. For a fiver it's no big loss and the world is "full of spitfires".

 

[Fenlander]

Only thing I would repeat from above is that it is fun, enjoy it and don't let it get you stressed. If you are not sure then stop and think about it and if you are not sure on anything, just shout up on here. Remember, no such thing as a daft question. Take your time and enjoy it.

 

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Bari

You've chosen a very good little model as the Airfix kit has been recently retooled. Welcome back to the hobby and I can only echo the sentiments above, good luck with the build and happy modelling!

Cheers

Paul

 

[Bunkerbarge]

You've chosen a perfect little model to restart your modelling, which will give you a lot of satisfaction when you have built it. I wonder how many of us have built a 1/72nd Spitfire? Probably most of us!

 

[Fenlander]

Just had a coser look at the sprue shots, that looks a really nice kit. Can you show us the box art Bari?

 

[Ferrets Bueller]

Having just built a 1/72 revell spitfire, i can say that this airfix one looks alot better quality, my one critisim of the revell was the panel lines not being very deep, but this one looks spot on. Airfix kits really are improving over what they used to be. The transfers look better quailty too.

 

[sprayman]

Bunkerbarge made me think and do you know what....I have never built a Spitfire, might have to look at the Tamiya one, unless someone can recommend another kit.Now I will go write out a 100 times "I must build a spitfire".

 

[stona]

A 1/72 Airfix Spitfire was the very first model kit that I ever built. Mine would have been a rather older vintage. I think I can be excused those lines.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Fenlander]

If you want a good, reasonably priced kit of a spitfire, the Revell (re boxed Hasagawa) MkIX is a beauty of a kit, my build here WARNING, it does ramble on a bit so skip a lot and you will get an idea of how the kit goes together.

 

[yak face]

Hi bari, this looks a little cracker, im sure youll really enjoy it. As graham said, if you get a little stuck or unsure just shout, theres always someone to help, cheers tony

 

[sprayman]

Thanks Graham, great link, and a damn fine spit you made there.

 

[Bari]

Here with the box art and the paint chart. The colours look a bit light to me. Would it be best to use matt or satin varnish at the end?

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[stona]

I'd go with satin. I refer to the following exibits your honour.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Ian M]

Thats a craking couple of pictures there Steve. Hmmmm I have a plan! (do you have them in a better res?).

Looks like Airfix are getting back into the game. lets face it if a British modle company cant turn out a good Spitfire, Well whats the world comming to!!!

Right chaps chocks away I'm off to look at Grahams Mk IX.

Ian M

 

[stona]

That's all I have of those two. I do have one more showing an accumulator trolley and ammo boxes from the same series which were taken for Life magazine.You may be able to find them in Life's online archive IF you can make sense of their infernal search engine. It's more like a random picture generator!

Here's the one I've got.

Now here's a good picture of a 602 Sqn. Spitfire MkI presumably synchronising it's machine guns. Note the very hard camouflage de-marcation,yes,it's those mats again. Also the early black and white underside including (I think) the inside of the gear door and wheel hub. It is equiped with a DeHavilland three bladed propeller (with CSU),blown canopy, external armoured windshhield and "new" style aerial mast. We can't be sure of the date,the Sky underside was introduced from June 1940 but we know that due to a lack of the new paint front line aircraft were allowed to continue wearing the older scheme until stocks became available.

I still think this is pre-BoB,early 1940.

Whose going to build this then? LOL

A very nice project for someone

Cheers

Steve