1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb late

Xtradecal 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb - later machines

A sheet of waterslide decals in 1:32 scale from the British manufacturer Xtradecal, focused on the later service form of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb fighter. The package is an accessory for a model and contains neither a kit nor plastic parts.

The real subject

The Spitfire Mk.Vb was a variant of the most widespread version of this British fighter, with the Rolls-Royce Merlin 45 series engine and the B-type wing. During the long period of service the machines went through modifications and the form of their markings shifted along with them: the proportions and the colors of the national insignia changed, as did the layout of the code letters. A sheet for the later state is therefore not interchangeable with one for the early machines.

Application tips

The markings of the Spitfire lie largely on curved surfaces: on the rounded fuselage, by the leading edge of the wing and at the fin fillet. A flat decal on a doubly curved surface will not conform by itself and will lift at the edges. The best procedure is to settle the item in the middle of the target area first, squeeze the excess water out from the center toward the edges and only then draw the edges down to the surface with a soft damp brush. On more strongly domed places gentle warming helps, not with a flame but with a cloth soaked in warm water laid on the decal. Apply the softener only at the moment when the item is exactly in place, because a softened film can no longer be shifted.

Who the sheet is for

• modelers of British fighters in a large scale
• builders who want to capture the later service form of the Mk.Vb version
• anyone interested in an alternative to the markings from the box
• modelers dealing with the application of decals onto curved surfaces

The package contains decals only. The kit, paints, glue and varnishes are not included, unless stated otherwise.