1:32 SPITFIRE IX

The Mk IX, which came out of haste

The Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX was a hurriedly prepared answer to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, which in the spring of 1942 was outplaying the older Mk V over the Channel. Into an almost unchanged airframe the designers built a two-stage supercharged Merlin 61 and the machine regained its edge at high altitude. The cockpit stayed practically unchanged, so the Mk IX carries the familiar trio of glazing sections: a flat windscreen with an inset armored pane, a sliding domed hood and a fixed rear cover continuing the fuselage decking.

Framing from both faces

The stencils are cut for the outer as well as the inner surface of the canopy. The outer set follows the bars as an observer sees them from outside; the other half repeats the same on the opposite side of the glass. In a large scale the thickness of the clear molding is clearly apparent and an unpainted edge of a bar would show through the glazing. Three stencils for the national insignia and a decal sheet are enclosed, so the markings can be sprayed in paint or applied as decals.

How the film is used

The vinyl is laid on a degreased and smoothly polished clear part, where it holds by its own tack. Around the curves it is a good idea to press the edge down with the blunt tip of a toothpick so that the paint does not bleed. The material takes acrylic as well as solvent-based finishes and peels off without residue once dry. Insignia sprayed through a stencil settle into the riveting and will take later dusting and light sanding, which makes them behave differently from a thin decal film. In 1:32 that difference is apparent at first glance, because the area of the insignia is large and the edge of an applied film creates a slight step on it.