Airfix 1/72 Spitfire Mk.Ia

AIRFIX 1:72 SPITFIRE MK.IA

Reviewer: Steve Papworth (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: 29 September 2003

Kit Details:

Airfix Spitfire Mk1a, Kit No. 1071.

Construction:

This review is supplementary to Paul Wherran’s review submitted in January 2001. The kit consists of 29 parts in light grey plastic and a clear canopy. There is little flash on the mouldings and they look good on the sprue. The instructions are a single sheet detailing 5 construction steps. Commencing with the pilot and his seat, this is trapped in between the two fuselage halves, which also trap the propeller. The elevators are added at this point. A single underwing is attached to the two upper halves, which is joined to the fuselage. The exhaust, canopy, aerial and tail wheel are next. Turn it over add the undercarriage, pitot tube, radiator and oil cooler and you’re done.

It’s a series one kit so it’s simple but I must have got a dud! My fuselage halves mated well with very little gap, so far so good. The wings fit together reasonably well until you mate them with the fuselage and take a good look. There are gaps on both sides of mine and the port wing droops about 10 degrees. My fuselage has a bend to starboard between the cockpit and the tailplane and the tailplane itself is off centre, which I didn’t spot till I tried to align the wings. After trying to align everything I just gave up.

Painting/Decals:

The aircraft is painted in Humbrol Colours; the paint scheme is simple and gives no problems. Only one set of decals is provided for S/N N3277, AZ-H which was flown by Pilot Officer R Hardy who forced landed at Cherbourg on August 15, 1940. He was captured along with his aircraft. (http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/pilots/Ha-pilots.htm#HardyR)

Conclusion:

Being an Airfix series one kit you don’t expect perfection but it should be better than this. The kit is a retooling of the old Spitfire V kit from the ‘70s, I’ve got one and have compared it. Gone are the raised panel lines and rivets of old, only to be replaced with a banana shaped fuselage! (perhaps this represents the machine AFTER it’s forced landing!) I’m sure I just got a bad kit but any modeller looking for a reasonable Mk1a Spitfire should avoid this kit like the plague, it’s a shocker.

Editor's Footnote:

Steve's review of this kit paints a pretty grim picture but hopefully for a number of modellers this is the exception rather than the rule, I've read several complimentary reviews of this kit, and received a few emails from modellers after this review was posted suggesting that the Airfix Sptifire Mk.Ia is still one of the better - if old - kits out there [of this type] and should in the main provide a fairly hassle free build. But Steve has highlighted that there can be some hidden traps out there and unfortunately it appears he struck one of them and thus can only report on the experience he had, so it is a good case of caveat emptor (buyer beware).

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