1:72 Spitfire Mk.XVIc

Spitfire Mk.XIVc in 1:72 scale

Injection-molded plastic kit of the British single-seat Supermarine Spitfire fighter in the Mk.XIVc version in 1:72 scale from Academy. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted, and the box contains plastic parts, decals and instructions.

The real subject

The Spitfire Mk.XIV belongs to the late versions of this fighter. Compared with the earlier aircraft it received the more powerful liquid-cooled Rolls-Royce Griffon V12, which called for a longer and bulkier nose, a five-blade propeller and a larger vertical tail. Rate of climb and speed at low altitude also went up. The letter c in the designation belongs to the universal wing, which allowed different gun fits; usually this was a pair of 20 mm cannons supplemented by machine guns. Aircraft of this version were used at the end of the Second World War, among other things against the German flying bombs.

• 1:72 scale, injection-molded polystyrene
• The subject is the Spitfire in the Mk.XIVc version
• Longer nose, five-blade propeller and enlarged vertical tail
• Waterslide decals and instructions in the box
• The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted

Building and painting tips

Assemble and paint the cockpit before you glue the fuselage halves together. Dry-fit the clear canopy and check how it sits, and only then glue it with cement for clear parts and mask it. Sand the seams on the underside of the fuselage and on the leading edges, then rescribe the detail that the sanding removes. Give the model a gloss clear coat before the decals, and once they have dried, even out the surface with a matte one.

Who it is for

A small kit for the modeler who collects British fighters of the Second World War or who is building a side-by-side survey of the development versions of the Spitfire.

The box contains plastic parts, decals and instructions. Paints, glue and varnishes are not included, unless stated otherwise.