1:32 Spitfire Mk.IIa Updated (for Revell/Hobby 2000 kit)

Castle Bromwich and the Merlin XII

The Mark II is the first Spitfire that came about not in the Supermarine factory but in a large shadow factory near Birmingham built because of wartime production. It received the Merlin XII engine and with it a novelty a modeler notices only in the cabin: starting by cartridge instead of an electric starter, which meant different controls on the instrument panel. The machines reached the units from the autumn of 1940 and still managed the close of the Battle of Britain, where they replaced worn-out examples of the first batch. The start-up of the new production meanwhile dragged, and the delay was not advertised much during the war.

A newer release of the set

The manufacturer designates this item as updated and has extended its range to two different kits. Anyone building from an older box will appreciate that the outlines of the parts match the moldings of both brands and do not have to be shortened by hand. Both boxes rest on a related tool, so the internal dimensions diverge only slightly. Anyone unsure of that should start from the smallest part.

When a panel does not meet a corner

It occasionally happens that a printed part overhangs the edge of the plastic by a fraction of a millimeter. Do not try to press it down by force, as it will tear; instead cut the overhang off with a new blade laid against the edge of the molding, before you press the part down for good. It also pays to have a cotton swab moistened with water to hand: with it a freshly laid panel can be moved carefully without touching it with a finger. Keep the offcuts until the end of the build; small pieces of printed film come in useful for covering places where an unwanted gap or a sprue mark peeps out in the cabin.