Im getting the urge to build a photo recon Spit in 1/72.
Can anyone recommend a good kit and also what particular pink to spray it?
Research for pictures is ongoing,,(photo recon!!),and if anyone has any links they could post I would be very greatfull.

Hi Nigel:

I don´t know in 1/72 but in 1/48 you can try with the Hasegawa Mk IX and the Airwaves SC48051PR Mk IX conversion set.

Here you have a link to a PR Type G where is explained how to obtain the pink colour:
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal3/2701-2800/Gal2741_Spitfire_Manzoli/gal2741.htm

Thanks.
Thats a great model.
Unfortunately Im limited to 1/72 due to space reasons,although I would love to tackle a 1/48th subject when I feel my skill level is up to doing one justice.

I note from the photos on the link that there are red tape covers over the machine gun ports.I thought all the PR Spits were unarmed?

Hi Nigel,

Special Hobby has a Spitfire PR X in 1/72 with two pink options.

Xtracolor has PRU Pink.

For both items, see here.

Personally, I prefer the PRU Blue...

Not all PR Spits were unarmed. The PR Mk VII basically retained the Mk Ia fighter´s armament along with the fighter´s laminated glass windscreen but with the PR style sliding canopy.
The Spitfire PR Mk VII is also named PR Type G or
PR Mk IG, that is the one you see in the link.

If you like Spitfires I recomend you the following books that can help you understanding lot of things about this wonderfull aircraft:

1) SPITFIRE by Stewart Wilson (Sovereign Series)
2)THE SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE a Comprehensive Guide for the Modeller, Part 1& Part 2 by Robert Humphreys (Sam Publications)
3) SPITFIRE a Complete Fighting Story by Alfred Price

I love Spitfires

Thanks everyone.
That MK X looks like the ideal kit.
Anyone built special hobby kits? Theyre a new brand for me.

Hi Nigel!

Special Hobby kits are of "Short Run" technology. This means low pressure plastic injection machines are used. The bad side is that the plastic parts usually need a lot of work in those kits (flash, no locator pins, uneven surface, bad panel lining...) The good side is they do usually include resin and photo etched parts (sometimes white metal and vacuform canopies) wich gives a high level of detail ... and additional work
I wouldn't try a short run kit without a minimum of experience. But if you never give one a try, you will never know if you are able to build one. it's like horses. Some are easy to go up (Tamiya, Hasegawa, Monogram etc...) and some are wild!
I've build two Special Hobby kits this year, a Junkers Ju87 A "Stuka" and a Gloster Pioneer (the one with the Blu Tack sausage technique)... and enjoyed both!

Jean-Luc

Nigel,

I'm not that experienced modeller (yet!), but from what I've seen of Special Hobby (I bought their Junker W34 Hi - which I will build as a Swedish Ambulance plane Tp2 some day) it does not appear to be discuragingly (is that even a word?) hard. Here is a review that you might find interesting (the author seems a little bit stingy...)



There's always the possibility to convert an existing kit to a PR version, for example with this set from Pavla (includes decals!). I highly doubt if this is going to be easier.

Ps. I also found this kit from Legato of a PR Mk.I, but it's resin and a lot more expensive than the Special Hobby.

Whatever you choose, good luck!

Thanks everyone for your input and advice.
The Special Hobbys kit doesnt look too bad and the review was very helpful.Hey,,even my airfix mk 1 took a fair amount of work to seat the wings and fusalage together properly and thats supposed to be one of the easiest by all accounts.
Its like everything though,if you take your time and do things carefully and with plenty of dry runs before you get the glue out your going to get there in the end.

Thats the spirit!! I'm looking forward to see pictures your pink Spitfire in the future.

I made a blue one (PR Mk.XIX) in 1/72 when I restarted with this hobby a couple of months ago.



Cheers!!

Hi Nigel!

In fact old Airfix kit are not that easy to build if you want a nice result. They can be even worse than a lot of Short Run kits because the don't have engraved panel lines, so you have to rescribe them, and they don't come with detail parts like cockpit or wheel bays. And in most cases the fit isn't good at all. Newer Short Run kits are almost equal to Mainstream kits. Eduard can't be considered as a Short Run manufacturer if you look at their latest kits...
As you said, if you take your time and do things carefully and with plenty of dry runs before you get the glue out your going to get there in the end.

Jean-Luc