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Hobbyboss 1/32 Spitfire Mk Vb Trop

introduction

The Spitfire truly needs no introduction. The Mk V entered service in 1941 and immediately proved itself to be superior to the Bf 109E and equal to the -F. Although it was desperately needed at home, it made vauable contributions to the air war in the Western Desert. Sand ingestion was a problem for all aircaft in the desert and various filtersw were devised to keep it out of the engines. The first sand filter for Spitfires was a large clumsy under-nose object which caused an unacceptable amount of drag. The repair depot at Aboukir in Egypt designed and produced a much smaller and more streamlined filter which was fitted to many desert spitfires, including the subject of this model.

the kit

This is my first Hobbyboss kit and I can say unequivocally that it was a very fun kit to build. From my review of books and literature available to me it appears to be an excellent representation of No. 244 Wing Commander Ian R “Widge” Gleed’s ride in 1943. Unfortunately Wing Commander Gleed was shot down and killed on April 16, 1943 but not before amassing 16 kills.

building

The model was built straight out of the box with the exception of Eduard’s interior PE detail set. In general, this is an excellent kit. The fit is excellent with no need for fillers or putty, just some CA otherwise known as Superglue which sands down and re-scribes quite easily. Kit construction is quite typical beginning with the cockpit, followed by the engine, fuselage, wings undercarriage etc.

The kit supplies a moderately detailed Rolls Royce Merlin engine however I decided not to display the airplane with the engine panels open so I decided not to build it electing to simply construct the engine block to receive the exhaust pipes once the fuselage is closed. I was particularly impressed with the clarity of the clear parts however, builders beware, the main canopy is very thin and fragile. It is very easy to crack if you’re not careful.

painting and weathering

Once the construction was finished the real fun began, the painting. I was excited to finish the model in desert camouflage because I think it is underrepresented in our favorite publications and looks very cool. My paints were the excellent Humbrol enamels. The top was finished in slightly customized Dark Earth (H 29) and Middlestone (H 225). The bottom color is a bit trickier and requires mixing of Blue (H 25), White (34) and Black (H 33). Based on some on-line research I settled on mixing ratios of 10:60, 49:60 and 1:60 B,W,B, respectively. After looking at numerous photos I am convinced that these are accurate ratios. My hard work was immortalized by sealing it in with Tamiya’s Clear Gloss. It also served to allow the very thin but adequate kit decals to settle In to the nooks, crannies and rivets.

Weathering this type model is fun. First the aircraft was subjected to a flat black/burnt umber wash which drew out the fine details. After this was done to my satisfaction paint chipping was simulated using Tamiya Gunmetal very sparingly. This was followed by Tamiya’s magic product, Tamiya Smoke. I used this to simulate gunpowder residue and exhaust staining. After I was done abusing this poor Spitfire with the elements I sealed it in with Humbrol Clear Matte Varnish (H 49).

Finally I constructed the Spitfire’s various antennae using 2 lb test fly fishing tippet. It is a good idea to drill holes where the antennae penetrate the fuselage to make this step easier. Inserting the tippet into the holes, dropping in a bit of CA and applying CA setting compound is the only way to go in my opinion. The cockpit canopy was then dropped in affixed with white glue and my masterpiece was complete.

conclusion

In conclusion this was a very enjoyable build of an excellent kit. In addition, because the retail price is very reasonable the Hobbyboss kit is an outstanding value. I am quite tickled to add it to my collection. My next victim will be my Trumpeter Bf 109E-4 Trop which is just itching to be displayed next to its worthy adversary. Thanks for reading.