1:48 Supermarine Spitfire F Mk.XVIII

What the set offers

Photo-etched metal parts for a model of the Supermarine Spitfire F Mk.XVIII in 1:48 scale. Etched sheet is a few tenths of a millimeter thick, so it can do what injection-molded plastic in this scale cannot: a thin edge, a pierced opening and fine tracery on small areas. It is therefore added to a kit wherever a plastic part would have to be too thick for production reasons. Which parts of the model the set covers and in what order the parts are fitted is given by the manufacturer's instructions.

The real subject

The Spitfire F Mk.XVIII is a late development stage of the famous British fighter. It is powered by the Griffon engine, a V12, which gives the machine a longer and heavier nose than the early Spitfires with the Merlin. It was built in series only at the very end of the Second World War and reached the units mostly after it. The letter F in the designation sets the fighter version apart from the reconnaissance one, which was built under the FR designation.

Building tips

• keep the fret in its packaging and release the parts only as you are about to fit them
• cut with a sharp knife on glass or on a hard surface; do not snap the part off
• make the bends in a bending tool or by laying a blade along the score line, always in one movement
• glue with super glue in drops picked up on the tip of a toothpick
• degrease the metal before painting and go over it with a primer made for metal

Who it is for

For the modeler for whom the detail from the kit is no longer enough and who does not mind fine work with tweezers. With your first photo-etched parts, count on a slower pace, as metal forgives less than plastic.

Terms of supply

This is an accessory to a kit, not an airplane model. The kit, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.