1:72 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V - 3D-Printed Three-Stacks Exhaust Fishtail Eduard

3D-printed three-stack fishtail exhausts for the Spitfire Mk.V 1:72 from Eduard

An accessory set from Eduard for replacing the plastic exhausts on the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.V kit in 1:72 scale. The parts are made by direct 3D printing and are intended for Eduard Spitfire Mk.V kits. It is not an aircraft model but a detail accessory, so you have to own the base kit.

What type of exhausts these are

The Merlin engines in the Spitfire led the exhaust gases from each cylinder bank out through side stacks. Two basic arrangements are found on them: the six-stack one, where every cylinder has its own stack, and the three-stack one, where a pair of cylinders always feeds one shared stack, and that is the arrangement in this set, that is three exhaust stacks on each side of the engine. Besides the arrangement, the shape of the outlet is also distinguished: rounded against the flattened, splayed fishtail outlet. This set covers the three-stack variant with fishtail outlets. Which version a particular aircraft had differs according to the production batch as well as the unit, so before building it pays to compare the exhausts with a photograph of the machine you are building.

Use and fitting

• The main benefit: the ends of the exhausts are printed as hollow tubes, which plastic practically cannot manage in 1:72, and solid outlets show at once.
• Wash the parts in lukewarm water with detergent and let them dry.
• Cut the print supports off with a sharp knife close to the part; do not snap the fragile edges of the outlets off.
• Glue with cyanoacrylate glue (super glue) rather than with cement for plastic.
• Sand with respiratory protection, ideally wet.
• Painting: a metal base, rusty brown shades over it and a gentle hint of dark deposits at the outlets; a flat clear coat at the end.

Who the set is for

For modelers building the Spitfire Mk.V in 1:72 who want a small but prominent upgrade, as the exhausts are in the line of sight along the fuselage and a solid plastic part spoils an otherwise well-built model. Work with printed parts calls for patience.

An accessory, not a model. The base kit, glue, paints and other accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.