1:32 Spitfire MkIX

The Mk IX that gave the British back their advantage at altitude

In the autumn of 1941 the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 appeared over the Channel and at a stroke outdid everything the RAF had committed. The answer had to come quickly: a Merlin 61 with a two-stage supercharger was built into the airframe of the fifth version and the Mk IX was born. A second radiator under the right wing, a longer nose and a four-blade propeller were added. Over 5000 were built and in the summer of 1944 it formed the backbone of the fighter squadrons from the Normandy beachheads to the Italian front. What pilots valued most about it was that its rate of climb did not desert the machine even at altitudes around ten kilometers.

Which color to spray first

In 1:32 every unevenness in the paint shows at once, and that is why the sequence decides. The proven order is first the cockpit frame shade matching the interior of the fuselage, after drying the primer for the whole airframe and only at the end the top camouflage. The template stays on the glass the whole time and is taken off only after the last pass, so the edge of the frame comes out sharp at the first attempt. The vinyl holds well enough to survive three coats and still peels off without straining the joint.

• The cut matches the parts of the large-scale kit by PCM
• The glazing is covered from outside and inside, a pair of shapes for every panel
• The material is a pliable film, not paper tape
• The set deals only with masking the glass, not with surface markings

The package is an accessory to a kit. The aircraft itself, paints and glue are not in the envelope.