1:35 Spitfire Mk.V - Seatbelts

The real subject

The Spitfire Mk.V was the most numerous version of the British Supermarine Spitfire fighter and it formed the backbone of the day fighter squadrons in 1941 and 1942. It was powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engine and the machine was built in several armament versions, from machine-gun ones to cannon ones. The cockpit of the Spitfire is fairly tight and it can be seen into through the slid-back canopy, so the seat belts are among the elements a viewer notices first on a finished model.

What the set solves

The set replaces the seat belts, which in a kit tend to be either merely suggested on the seat or supplied as a rigid plastic part. The belts are of fabric, which is their main advantage: cloth can be bent, thrown over the edge of the seat and left hanging freely, so that a strap looks like a strap and not like a flat band. The set is cut for the Spitfire Mk.V in 1:35 scale and carries HGW's own product code.

Usage tips

First just lay the belts out and try the routing, and only then fasten them. You will give them their shape by drawing them carefully between the fingers or over the edge of a pair of tweezers; a fine waviness comes across more naturally than a straight line. A very small amount of cyanoacrylate glue applied with the tip of a wire is enough to hold them, because any excess soaks through the cloth and leaves a glossy mark. Painting fabric belts is usually not necessary, and any fine tuning should be done with heavily thinned paint. The recommended procedure for putting the whole together is given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Who it is for

For builders who are building a Spitfire Mk.V in 1:35 scale with an open cockpit and want the interior finished off. The model, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.