1:48 Spitfire Mk. VIII OVERTREES

The real subject

The Spitfire Mk. VIII came about as a thoroughly worked-out version for the engine with a two-stage supercharger, while the Mk. IX built alongside it was a quicker modification of the older airframe. The Mk. VIII was given a strengthened structure and a retractable tailwheel, and its machines served above all on the more distant fronts. The engine remained a liquid-cooled V12, which gave the whole family its typical slender nose and its characteristic sound.

What OVERTREES is

Under this designation the plastic sprues from the kit are sold on their own, without anything else. Decals, photo-etched parts, masks and instructions are not in the package. The package makes sense for the modeler who knows the corresponding kit and wants to build another machine in different markings.

• 1:48 scale, the subject is the Spitfire Mk. VIII
• the contents are the plastic sprues alone
• without decals, photo-etched parts, masks and instructions
• an accessory to a complete kit, not a replacement

Building and painting tips

Have the instructions ready from the corresponding kit. The thin trailing edges of the wing and the fine surface detail suffer easily when the parts are cut off, so run the blade a little away from the part and sand the remainder. Wash and degrease the plastic before painting. With the desert and Asian schemes it pays to work with shades faded by the sun and with light wear on the leading edges, so that the model does not look flat.

Who it is for

The package is for modelers who build British fighters in a larger series or who want to keep their decals for another machine. The contents are plastic sprues only; decals, photo-etched parts, masks, instructions, paints and glue are not part of it, unless stated otherwise.