1:32 Spitfire MkIX

From saturated color to subdued

The look of British insignia shifted toward ever lower contrast during the war. At first a saturated red and a bright blue ring shone out, but those were exactly what stood out most at a distance, so shades were adopted that are noticeably darker and less saturated. On the upper wing surfaces the light fields were left out altogether. A vertical stripe on the tail surface belongs with the insignia too and is often mistakenly taken for part of it, but it is a separate marking with prescribed dimensions of its own, and it went through the same shift toward subdued shades. The ninth version of the Spitfire, introduced as a rapid answer to the German fighters with a radial engine, lived through the whole of that transition.

Contents and benefit

The set masks the cockpit glazing from both faces and carries two masks for the national markings. Sprayed paint makes possible exactly what period photographs show: an insignia with the same depth of sheen and the same degree of grime as the camouflage around it, because it lies in the same layer. It can likewise be lightly dusted and brought out again by polishing, which with a thin film usually ends in wearing through it.

What to keep in mind

• Try the subdued shades on an offcut; over camouflage they look different than on a palette.
• Spray the cockpit frame from the inside before you glue the part in.
• Apply the weathering across the whole surface at once, so the insignia does not look added later.
• Lift the film before the paint has hardened completely.
• Cover the area around the part before spraying, as overspray travels further on a large model.

The delivery consists of the cut films themselves, not of an aircraft model.