1:48 SPITFIRE Mk XVI

A Spitfire with an American heart

The Mk XVI differs from the Mk IX in one essential thing: its Merlin 266 engine was built by Packard in the United States. The British therefore gave the type a number of its own so that the ground crew would not mix up the spare parts. A large part of these machines had clipped wingtips and in the late batch a lowered spine with a teardrop canopy as well. Their service fell mainly at the end of the war, when the aircraft carried out low-level attacks and escort work.

Protect what is already finished

The cockpit is often masked only at the moment when the camouflage is finished, and then there is a risk that the tape holding the films will pull off the fresh paint. Before applying it, press the tape several times onto the back of your hand so that some of the tack passes elsewhere, and never leave it on the model longer than a few hours. On paint that has not dried it leaves an imprint of its texture, which can be removed only by sanding and a new coat.

The edge between two stages

When the same place is masked a second time, run the edge a fraction of a millimeter beside the original line. Two cuts made exactly on top of each other create a narrow groove in the paint, which a later matte coat only emphasizes.

The enclosed parts

The package contains masking outlines for both sides of the hood, a set of round national insignia and a decal sheet. The basis was Eduard plastic in 1:48 scale. Paints, filler and the airframe itself do not belong here; the set is aimed only at preparing the surface. Anyone building several British machines will appreciate that only the pieces needed at the time are taken from the sheet and the rest waits for next time.