1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVI Bubbletop in Polish service

A bubble canopy changes the silhouette

The Spitfire in the Mk XVI version grew out of the famous Mk IX, but it was powered by a Merlin built under license overseas. A large proportion of the examples received a cut-down rear fuselage and a bubble canopy, which at last opened up the pilot's view to the rear. It is precisely this form that modelers refer to as the bubbletop, and it can be told at first glance even from a long distance.

The Polish squadrons at the close of the war

Machines of this version reached the Polish units of the Royal Air Force at the very end of the fighting and stayed with them into the period when the units operated over a defeated Germany. They carried the late form of markings, which differed noticeably from the schemes of 1940.

Double curvature and how to deal with it

A bulged canopy curves in two directions at once, and flat film will not adhere to it of its own accord. The masks are therefore die-cut as narrower strips, which are laid one after another and left to overlap slightly. Brief warming with warm air from a safe distance helps; afterwards the material relaxes and follows the shape. Never hurry with a sideways pull, as the film stretches and the frame comes out too narrow. After spraying, remove the strips in the reverse order from the one in which they were laid.

What a clean canopy does for a model

On aircraft of this class the canopy tends to be the most closely watched part of the whole build. A murkily sprayed frame undercuts the impression of otherwise carefully done work, whereas a sharp outline together with crystal-clear glazing draws attention inward, to the fittings of the cockpit. It is therefore worth devoting as much time to the canopy as to the rest of the model put together.