Jean Luc Formery treats us to an in-box review of Eduard's new Spitfire IX

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Nice one Jean-Luc!

And cheers to Jessie for preparing the article.

Eduard's new Spit really does look a cracker! Possibly 1:48 Kit Of The Year 2013 already in March? It's got to be a hot contender...

All the best

Rowan

Hi Jessica and Rowan,




That's what I wanted to write in the review but I thought it was too early. Twins again...

Jessica, thanks for the editing work once again. Great job!

Jean-Luc

Well it looks like I'll be making the journey back to 1/48 scale, certainly for this at any rate. I feel a nice set of masks coming on.

Eduard's April newsletter lists their intentions for the rest of the year:

Happy Easter, everyone! Today’s Easter newsletter is naturally dedicated mainly to the new Spitfire. Despite the fact that we have been dedicating a lot of attention and resources to the Spitfire, I will not be terribly shocked if you have had pretty much enough! However, this is a milestone moment, as the Spitfire Mk.IXc is now officially available to you. I would go so far as to say that the modeling landscape will now be a bit different than it was before today. Our Spitfire has that kind of potential. And it´s not only the kit itself, which could even break the trend of new kits being relegated to the stash before seeing the workbench, but also in terms of associated products and activities. This is the most aftermarket products we have been able to release simultaneously with the kit that they are designed for. These items include three photoetched sets that among other things include landing flaps, and three Brassin sets. The Brassin cockpit set is as much as a pearl in its line as the Spitfire will prove to be in its line. The Brassin sets will continue to grow, and will eventually include an engine set, wing gun installations, radio equipment, wheel variations, bombs, and external fuel tanks. It should be abundantly clear that this kit will have more accessories offered for it than any
other kit in our history. The kit itself will also evolve into two exclusive incarnations. The first will be in June, as a Royal Class kit, and will be released as a Dual Combo boxing. It will cover the Spitfire Mk.IXc late, Mk.IXc early, and the Mk.IXe. It will include a total of fourteen
marking options, photoetched brass, Brassin wheels, and Brassin beer barrels in 1/48th to hang from the wing racks. Originally, we were reluctant to do this variant, but the traffic on Facebook changed our minds. Two of total 14 marking options are related to these beer carriyng Spitfires. However, the relations of these marking to the beer action is disputable, while no clear picture or any
else document is available for us. As a bonus, the kit will include a beer glass adorned with the emblem of our beer
MARK IX. The specially bottled MARK IX Eduard beer will be
released in June to be sold on Czech modeler´s show ModelBrno, PilserKit and E-day only. Unfortunately we are unable to distribute our beer abroad, but we trust who wants such special item, he will able to obtain a bottle or two (12, in words twelve) with friendly help of a Czech modeler. Our beer has to be typical Czech type lager beer, brewed and bottled by BERNARD brewery in Humpolec. August will see a very special commemorative version of our Spitfire Mk.IX. To mark the anniversary of the return of Czechoslovak squadrons from Britain on August 13th, 1945, we will release a special edition with the name ‘Nasi Se Vraceji’ (roughly translated as ‘Ours are Back’). The kit will be dedicated to the Spitfire Mk.IX in Czechoslovak service both during and after the war. The parts breakdown will be along the lines of the Royal Class kit, except for the decals. There will be many more options, as much as forty. I apologize for the inexact number, but the final tally isn’t set yet due to the ongoing development of the included booklet that will also serve as a guide to the painting of the model and historical notebook on the Spitfire and Czechoslovak pilots. This kit will be preordered and prepaid. The ordering window will open June 1st, and close on June 30th at midnight. All kits will then be sent out on August 13th. This fact forms a bonus of its own. To commemorate the anniversary behind the kit’s release, it will include a relevant envelope and stamp with the dated postmark. We expect that the marking options,
especially in the aforementioned ‘Nasi Se Vraceji’, will generate a huge interest for the kit’s OVERTREES offering. These will be released together with the ProfiPACK kit - in other words, today, but this will not be limited to a one month availability, as in the past. Instead, we will be offering them continuously through to the fall. In June, we will also add OVERTREES offered for the Mk.IXc early and the Mk.IXe. Good times! So, enjoy the rest of this newsletter, as well as the Easter weekend, and take note of our other new releases, and not just the ones pertaining to the Spitfire Mk.IXc.

Keep on Spitting!

Vladimir Sulc

Plenty to keep people busy for years to come.

BTW Overtrees are the plastic sprues that can be purchsed at a lower price.

A couple of days ago the postman delivered a large parcel from Eduard. Inside were four large boxes! Eduard like large boxes. You'll see what I mean when you get your kit.

To explain, I bought one kit and three oversprues. Oversprues are what Eduard call just the plastic sprues from the kit, nothing else included. The idea is that you can use up the extra decals from the kit without the expense of buying another kit. I also bought three sets of PE to go with them. What I did not realise is that there are two different PE sets, one of which is included with the kit. I ordered the other/wrong one.



Kit PE at the top. NB the other PE set does not include seatbelts, you will have to buy those as an extra or make your own.

The oversprues are packed in a plain white box the same size as the one the kit comes in. Could be useful when empty for Christmas and birthday presents and that sort of thing. Also there is plenty of room in side so you can put something on top to hide the contents. “No dear, it's not another model kit. Look, it's a new shirt.”

The PE is very nice but pricey. You do not get all that much for your money. When combined with the overspues then you do not make that much of a saving. If you don't purchase the PE then you do not have a decal for the instrument panel and you will have to paint the plastic yourself or wait until someone else releases a cheaper PE set.

For over a decade there has been constant grumbling over the shortcomings of the various Spitfire Mk IX kits. Now, at last, is a first rate kit that should be celebrated not denigrated. I will leave that to others. However, when it comes to the instructions and decals I can find some faults but nothing that is not easy to deal with.

The decal sheet that comes with the kit is quite acceptable. The codes are a bit on the pale side for Sky and the red of the chess boards a bit anaemic. The red and blue of the national markings are dark in colour but the red has a mottled look.



Hopefully you are able to see that.

There are six options to choose from and I have issues with two of them.



MH712 “Pat” did not have any stripes under the wings.



In late 1944 this was perfectly normal.

I am not impressed with Pat, her chin seems to be joined to her breasts. A few whiskers and she could be Desperate Dan in drag. I have a set of decals from Kagero's Topcolors 15 that have a much better looking Pat. However she is riding on a champagne bottle. Only recently has it bee discovered that it is in fact a 500lb bomb. I might try cutting out Kagero's Pat and placing her on Eduard's bomb. Small niggles that really do not matter. I think the admonition “WYCIERAĆ OBUWIE (WIPE YOUR FEET)” , also seen on other Spitfires of the Polish Wing, was white and probably only on the side that the pilot entered the cockpit. I cannot make out the MH part of MH712 at the top of the fin. Sometimes aircraft were identified only by the numeric part of the serial number so there is nothing significant in this.

MJ250 was stripped of camouflage (as opposed to being painted aluminium) and this is the first time I have seen it depicted with the cowling still wearing camouflage. A while back there was some debate as to whether the armour cover over the fuel tank was painted or not when the BoBMF decided to repaint one of their Spitfires in this scheme. The consensus seems to have been that the darker colour was due to it being a different aluminium alloy. There was no suggestion any camouflage was retained on the upper cowling. Having stripped off all the paint they then carefully restored all the stencilling? I find that hard to believe. The codes are usually shown as black but Eduard give you the choice of black or red if you disagree with the black interpretation.

There is a separate decal sheet for the stencils. Eduard say that you will eventually be able to purchase this separately. The instruction sheet has a guide to their placement. Nothing really to fault here. According to the factory drawings, number 26 'WALKWAY INBOARD' should be 180 degrees to Eduard's placement, i.e., to be read when standing at the wing-tip. To out-Gaston Gaston, the fabric areas were required to be painted with cellulose paint instead of synthetic so number 16 under the elevator should be DTD 308 C not DTD 517 S as on the rudder. Can you live with that? I can.

Numbers 39 to 41 inclusive are variations for the stencils on the inside of the door. I cannot find any mention of them on the instruction sheet. As it is possible to have the canopy and door open this might be a disappointment to some who would like to include them. If so, you will have to, as they say, check your references. You get no help from Eduard.

As for the instruction sheet the major moan is that the colour call-outs are very misleading. Dark Green/Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey is what they should be. Instead there is Dark Green/Dark Seagray over Light Aircraft Gray. Dark Seagray is presumably Dark Sea Grey which would make a good substitute for the original 'Mixed' Ocean Grey (made by mixing 8:1 Medium Sea Grey:Night) but not the blue tinged Ocean Grey most are familiar with. Gunze do not have an Ocean Grey, so that explains that. However they do have Medium Sea Grey (H335/C335) so why Light Aircraft Gray?

Parts F19/F40/F56 would most likely be Aluminium. The flare rack, F47, would probably not be present. As it is a separate part it should be easy to leave out if you don’t want it. The crowbar on the door, part F70, was not painted red until after the war. During the war steel was the most common colour, sometimes Grey Green and occasionally black but never red. Considering how much research Eduard have done I would Have thought they would know that.

So there is little to fault. If you don't like the decals or want to build a different option from those in the kit then the overtrees option may be best for you. I think you can download an instruction sheet from their website. Better get building now before the doom-mongers tell us that's it's all a fraud that in no way resembles a Spitfire at all.

Hi Antoni,

Thanks for the very useful extra info.






Jean-Luc

Cheers Antoni

It's interesting how shiny the finish on "Pat" is in the photo - also, is that a dent in the spinner? I wonder if full invasion stripes were applied for D-Day, but those under the wings were later removed? I've seen mention of that quite frequently for other Allied aircraft.

All the best

Rowan

DTD 517 was more of a paint system than a paint. Polishing was part of the process. I'll look it up for you later today, cannot recall all the materials used off the top of my head.

Yes it's dent. There are few other Spitfires I've seen with dents in the Spinner.

Stripes were gradually removed during 1944. Photogrpahs of the Polish Wing's Spitfires on 1st Jan 1945 show no stripes at all.

Following a conference at Supermarine on 7th August it was decided that the DTD 308 Cellulose finish would be replaced by DTD 517 Synthetic finish. The new finish was introduced on Spitfires by Mod 697 'Introduce Improved Paint Scheme using DTD 517 Type S (retrofit all marks)', date 11th August 1942.

The specification for DTD 517 Matt Pigmented Synthetic Resin Primer and Finish was published in December 1941 and stated that the material was to be a uniformly smooth and matt covering. It was apparently selected for application to Spitfires in place of DTD 308 on account of its greater ease of application to give an aerodynamically smooth finish, greater durability and manufacture did not involve the use of nitro-cellulose wanted for explosives.

It was expected that DTD 517 Type S finish would be introduced at Southampton six weeks after the conference and be applied as follows:

The primer would be applied, any irregularities, holes, etc., 'stopped' (filled) and the surface rubbed down.

A filling coat applied and rubbed down.

The final top coat be applied and gently rubbed down but not polished because although a polish would increase the gloss of the finish which would compromise the camouflage effect of the paint. Until the new scheme was introduced an improved method of rubbing down down the existing DTD 308 finish was to be implemented.

Although initially the top coat of the DTD 517 finish was not to be polished during production, by January 1943 some 12 man hours per aircraft were being spent polishing the top coat before delivery and no matter how the aircraft were delivered, it would appear that many Spitfire Mk IXs were polished to a high degree of shine following delivery to squadron.

Castle Bromwich appears not to have adopted DTD 517 until 1943, apparently on account of the need to install an infra-red heating system to speed the drying of the primer coat necessary for the application of DTD 517 top coat materials.

By May 1945, special dispensation had been granted to Supermarine, Hawker, and Gloster to apply a glossy finish to their fighters. The dispensation arose out of the requirement for the smoothest possible finish to be applied to Day Fighters, (except High Flying types that required a smooth but matt finish to cut down the glint at high altitudes) giving the best [possible performance. The necessary smoothness was obtained by first priming the aircraft, then applying stopper to fill rivet recesses and joints, and filler over the surfaces which was to be smoothed, usually the forward third of all leading edges and of the fuselage. Then followed the application of the camouflage colours and identification markings before a final polishing of the whole aircraft. The polishing was intended to remove spray dust, nibs, and surface imperfections but also gave the aircraft a glossy finish.

Hi again Antoni

Many thanks for the extra info. Seeing the high sheen of the real finish brings back memories of Pete Cooke's stunning 1:24 scratchbuilds that used to grace the pages of Scale Models some 30 years ago. If I remember correctly, he mixed polyurethane varnish directly with the enamel paints, and applied multiple very thin coats to achieve a realistic appearance. In his opinion, a top coat of varnish looked just like what it was, and failed to capture the appearance of the full-sized finish.

All the best

Rowan

Jean-Luc,very nice work and weathering ! I have a question, what clear coat did you use before applying Tamiya wash? ( I have the same wash and I'm afraid that it would ruin the whole base since it's based on enamel paint).


Kind regards, Sven.

Hi Sven,

I have used Klir varnish, the french equivalent of Future floor polish. For the Tamiya Accent Colors one MUST use an acrylic type varnish, otherwise, as you have said, the model will be ruined.

Jean-Luc

Thanks, so any Acrylic varnish will do?

Does it affect the colors underneath if they are enamel?


Thanks for the answers, Sven.

Hi again

I was excited to receive the Spit today, and the first thing I noticed was that the decals look distinctly different to both Jean-Luc's original photo in the review and Antoni's shot in this thread. I don't know if Eduard have tweaked something for a new print run, but the roundels much more acceptable than I'd expected from our coverage to date - however, the Sky codes still look very pale.

All the best

Rowan