Can the Revell Spit be made into a good kit?

[tr1ckey66]

Hi

This is genuine request to anyone who has built the 'Classic' 1/32 Spitfire. Can it be built into a decent representation of the BoB Spit? This question is particularly aimed at anyone who is aware of the kit faults such as he gull wing.

In the absence of any real alternative I'm considering building one of these with several corrective parts: Correct gull wing resin insert, Aires cockpit (actually for the Hasegawa mk V), and corrective parts for the props, spinner, radiators and exhausts. I'm also going to rescribe the entire thing.

With this in mind, are there any fit issues I should also be aware of? I notice that on Revells own shot of the completed kit the engine cowl fit is appalling!

Has anyone built this and do they have pictures?

Many thanks

Paul

[mossiepilot]

Hi Paul, if this is the Mk 1 Spitfire, I've recently started having a go at this kit. The flash is horrendous and I'm going to have a go at some scratch building to give it some detail. But as I said in my build thread, it's going to be a slow build.

Good luck with your build, and I'll follow this thread for tips when I'm doing mine.

Tony.

[yak face]

Sorry paul , my only experience with this kit was when i made it as a kid , back then i thought it was the business!!! I mean, the wheels folded up , you could remove the cowling top to see the engine, the canopy slid back --WOW , as a 10 year old i loved it!!! Obviously now i know different , it does have its recognised faults . Didnt hasegawa do a 1/32 mk 1 , i think this was re-issued by revell ( kit no 04715) but its probably rarer than hens teeth. I'm definitely no spit expert but would the hasegawa mkVb be easier to convert to a mk 1 than all the chopping and altering of the old revell kit?Ive seen the Hasegawa ones on e-bay for less than £20 , must be cheaper than the revell plus all the extras? Im just thinking out loud really , i dont know if the hasegawa one is accurate or not. Another option if the mk Vb conversion is do-able is the Hobby boss MkVb , £30 and a lot newer and no doubt more detailed than any of the previously mentioned, hope this helps and doesnt just confuse things further!! ,cheers tony

[tr1ckey66]

Nice one Tony.

i won't be starting this for a while so I think you'll be blazing the trail! I will definitely be keeping up with your build to pick up any pointers.

I find it incredible that not one manufacturer has produced a modern Mk 1 kit in this scale. Surely the mk 1 Spit is the most iconic image of the Battle of Britain! Anyway, this is the most glaring omission from my BoB collection, aside from a 1/32 Do17 and a Ju87B (Trumpeter are launching one soon!) so Revell it has to be.

I'm going to complete the 2 Fokker triplanes for the GB whilst finishing my RC Tiger (this is just about ready for some paint) then I may turn my attention to the Spit.

Cheers

Paul

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Tony

Yes, I considered back dating a mk V but then it's a case of getting the armament right on the wings. I've built a couple of the Hobby Boss kits and They are quite nice to build. I'm no Spitfire expert by any means but I think you might still be required to get things like spinner and exhausts to make it a mk1?

I've done a quick tally of the parts costs and kit and it comes to around £55 - £60 which is not as expensive as some kits, but I'm aware there will be a lot more work involved (not least the rescribing).

Thanks for the heads up on your boyhood build, retractable undercarriage does sound like fun!

I've also tried to track down the Hasgawa/Revell kit but with no success.

Thanks for getting back to me though.

I'll keep you informed of any updates.

Thanks

Paul

[stona]

Hi Paul,it can be built into a nice Spitfire. I built one ages ago (no,not in the sixties when it was released ). The wings you know about. You might want to replace the under carriage,particularly the wheels and I remember the prop blades being a bit oddly shaped even to a non Spitfire afficianado like me.

The fit on the ones I have built (I think the Seafire was essentially the same kit) was not great but not impossible.

Cheers

Steve

[tr1ckey66]

Hi Steve

I seem to remember you saying you'd built one. I'd love to see pictures if you have any.

i'm now coming round to Tony's suggestion of backdating the Hobby Boss kit. I've built 2 of these and think they're a decent kit all in all. I'm thinking it will be easier to remove the canon and bulges and rescribe the wings with the other Brownings than it will be to rescribe the Revell kit and sort the undercarriage and gull wing. I'm not completely certain but I think the mkv canopy is different to a mk1 and I still think I may need to source exhausts and a spinner. Markings I'm not too concerned about because I think I'll order masks and airbrush the markings.

Cheers for the info though, and again any pics would be great.

Paul

[tr1ckey66]

Hi everyone

Thought I'd give a quick update on this thread as I think it may be of interest to anyone who likes the Mk1 Spit.

I recently purchased 2 Mk V Hasegawa kits, the classic Revell kit (No.21), and also managed to score myself A Hasegawa/Revell MkI/II kit No. 85-5516 (result! as these are pretty rare these days).

I'm going to try an experiment - I'm going to try and build not one but three 1/32 Mk1s just to see how the kits fare. To level the playing field a bit I'm going to try and correct as many faults as I can with each respective kit. In this way I'm hoping to show just how much work is required and what kind of money you have to spend to get a decent representation. I'll correct as much as I can, within reason, and we can then judge which of the 3 looks the best.

Now I can do a fair bit of research myself but if there are any Spitfire aficionados out there I would really appreciate the help.

Does this sound like a plan and does it interest anyone?

Many thanks

Paul

To whet the appetite here's a link to an absolutely fabulous build of the Revell/Hasagawa kit (if mine turn out anything like this I will be very pleased)

Armorama :: Spitfire Mk. 1 by Arie Donker

[yak face]

Sounds like a great plan to me paul! I for one would be interested to see how the kits compare and just what needs to be done, although im afraid im no spit expert , but im sure someone will turn up. cheers tony

[stona]

You're on dodgy ground Paul. There are threads all over the internet with people agonising over the pros and cons of various offerings. They quibble about minutiae,even questioning the accuracy of various drawings.

Each to their own and in a way these people help to keep the kit manufacturers honest.

A millimetre here or there doesn't matter to me.If it looks like a decent representation of a Spitfire it's okay with me.

Having said that I wish you the best of luck with your project. I'm certainly interested to see how the various versions shape up.

Steve

[tr1ckey66]

Thanks guys

Having done a bit of research already I know that there are far more qualified people around to correct my attempts. I guess I'm just trying to satisfying my own curiosity about the kits and, in the absence of any modern engineered alternative, it seems the only way to go. I'm not looking to get a perfect 1/32 Spitfire, as I know there is a lot of debate on the subject, I think what I want to do is get a reasonable looking model from all 3 kits. People who have seen my other models will know my level/style, I'm just looking to get a Mk1 Spit up to my modest standards. There will be things I will definitely correct, and if anyone (including me) learns something about the kits or techniques then so much the better, also if anyone wants to chip in with suggestions then I'm more than willing to take them on board. I just want to see if a good model can be made from old plastic!

By-the-way if anyone passes Modelzone in Holborn you can pick up the old Revell kit for £12.99 (say's £19.99 on the box but you will be pleasantly surprised at the till!) I think I can say that as the forum shop doesn't stock this anymore.

I have to say that, having had a cursory glance at the Hasegawa MkV (which I will try and backdate) and the Revell kit, I'm surprised to find that I actually like the surface detail on the old 60s offering. The wheels, gull wing, radiator, oil cooler, props and exhausts look a bit weird to me but I'll just see what I can do. The MkI/II Hasegawa/Revell kit is on it's way from the States.

Hopefully these builds will improve my scratch building, renew my enthusiasm for old kits and maybe I'll get a decent BoB Spit out of it!

Thanks for your interest fellas, I hope I don't disappoint.

Cheers

P