1:24 Spitfire Mk.IXc engine & undercarriage

Photo-etched set for the engine and landing gear of the Spitfire Mk.IXc, 1:24 scale

This item is not a kit of an airplane but a photo-etched add-on set from the Czech company Eduard in Obrnice. It is intended for a large model of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc in 1:24 scale and aims at the two areas that are most on view on models of this size: the engine section and the landing gear bays with the gear itself.

What the set is for

The 1:24 scale is unforgiving. The model has a span of about half a meter and the viewer comes close enough that coarsely made plastic parts give away at once that this is not a reduction of a real machine. That applies above all to open areas: lifted engine covers reveal a tangle of piping, brackets, braces and clamping straps, while the landing gear bays reveal the structure of ribs and hydraulics. Photo-etched sheet can render these thin features at the scale-correct thickness, which molded plastic cannot achieve.

Usage tips

Cut the parts off the fret with a sharp knife against a hard surface and make the bends in a bender, so that the edge stays crisp. Glue with cyanoacrylate glue in a small amount, as cement for polystyrene does not hold on metal. Degrease the sheet before painting and apply a primer intended for metal. Plan and paint the engine section and the bays before you close up the surrounding parts — once assembled, you can no longer get into them. On wiring and piping a wash that picks out the structure helps, together with a light drybrush on the edges.

Who the set is for

• Builders of the large Spitfire Mk.IXc in 1:24 scale.
• Modelers who want to build a model with the engine covers lifted.
• More experienced builders used to working with photo-etched parts.
• Collectors whose main display model is seen close up.

This is an add-on set, not a model of an airplane. The base kit, glue and paints are not included in the package.