discussion PM Model 1/72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb Floatplane - Inbox Review

[Dave Ward]

PM Model are a Turkish manufacturer - they've been around for quite a while - they seem to have sourced a lot of their moulds from Pioneer 2 ( A short lived British company ). They really should be classified as short run maker, the models are pretty simple.
The Spitfire Vb floatplane was supposed to operate in the Aegean, and I was surprised to read that 3 were converted, and actually shipped to Egypt, but never operational.

Nice Boxart - sturdy end-opening box................
Sprue shots

The sprues are clean, no flash & no sink marks - albeit simple, if not crude.

Simple decals, but the prototype didn't have many!
Instructions - A4 glossy paper folded into 3 - nicely laid out

Nice to see profiles of both sides! Colours correctly named
A few details shots, not that many, because there isn't much!

Raised line detail

This is a very simple model, there's no interior, the wings have no wheel wells, and detail is pretty scarce! To make the floatplane, you have to cut the tail, to add the extended rudder surfaces, and remove the cannon from the wings ( PM do the standard Vb, as well ), all of which are detailed in the instructions. It does have the 4-bladed propeller of the prototype.
As it stands this would make an eyecatching model, and with additions & rescribing could be improved. Ideal for a beginner - you could just buy it for the floats alone to add to a more detailed Vb.
Availability - Yes, it's one of the cheapest retail model I could find - £6.29 from SMS ( + p&p ) When they're this cheap, the p&p is a high percentage of cost, so it's better to buy more than one model ( which I did )
Dave

 

[Guest]

with additions & rescribing could be improved

Looking at the price, I think that if I wanted a Spitfire floatplane, I would buy a better kit from a different brand and see this one as a conversion set that happens to come with enough spare parts for a whole aeroplane

 

[Dave Ward]

Looking at the price, I think that if I wanted a Spitfire floatplane, I would buy a better kit from a different brand and see this one as a conversion set that happens to come with enough spare parts for a whole aeroplane :smiling3:

Jakko,
yes indeed!, HobbyBoss do a Vb in their easy assembly range, Tamiya , KP & Italeri more conventional models - I've no idea which is the most accurate, but anything is bound to be an advance on the PM offering!
Dave

 

[Guest]

Something I'd never heard of Dave, and at that price well worth a buy.

 

[Guest]

anything is bound to be an advance on the PM offering!

I have their Horten Ho-229 A-1 kit, and if you think this Spitfire is primitive, you haven’t looked into the box of that one

 

[PaulTRose]

im surprised they have started up production again

the guy who owned company died years ago and his wife decided to close the company, was even rumoured she was going to destroy all the tooling to stop any one profiting off her husbands work

some of the kits are down right dreadful......i did the Ta154 and Ta183.....very basic but bashed into something ok

 

[Dave Ward]

The Yak-15 doesn't look that bad, and I have a Beech Expediter by PM in the stash, which looks fairly reasonable. The Spitfire - well, If you paint the canopy black then the colourful scheme, with the trainer yellow underside might mean you could get away with it! :rolling:
Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

Can’t help thinking those one piece wings look like the old Airfix spitfire IX….that had very few parts as well….

 

[Jim R]

Hi Dave
Even at that give away price it's one I'll avoid.
Jim

 

[David Lovell]

Dave knew I'd seen one before Brengun do one (72nd) for about twelve pounds ,think their kits aren't that bad but as we say you get what you pay for and if its what you want to build you have to crack on. Dave