1:48 Supermarine S-6B

The real subject

The Supermarine S-6B was a British racing floatplane, built for one purpose only, the Schneider Trophy, the fastest air competition in the world at the time. The design was led by R. J. Mitchell, who a few years later designed the Spitfire, and his experience with a supercharged engine and an aerodynamically clean fuselage visibly carried over into his later work. Under the cowling worked the Rolls-Royce R, a supercharged V12 whose output had to go into the air and into the cooling alike: surface radiators were built directly into the skin of the wings and the floats, so the cooling surface was in effect the whole surface of the aircraft. The 1931 victory was Britain's third in a row, and with it the trophy stayed home for good. Shortly afterward the same type pushed the absolute speed record past 650 kilometers per hour.

What the model offers

The kit in 1:48 scale captures this unusually slender machine with its pair of long floats, which are as conspicuous on it as the wing. The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted.

• The British Supermarine S-6B racing seaplane
• 1:48 scale
• The real subject is the winner of the 1931 Schneider Trophy
• The characteristic pair of supporting floats

Building and painting tips

A racing machine has a smooth, polished surface, so it pays to give time to sanding and filling the seams before the paint comes along. Gloss paint reveals every irregularity. Fit the floats according to the instructions and let the assembly cure thoroughly before you move the model, because the struts carry the whole weight of the fuselage.

Who it is for

For modelers who enjoy interwar record-breaking machines and the pedigree of the Spitfire. Paints, glue and other building material are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.