1:72 Spitfire Mk V

The real subject

The Supermarine Spitfire is among the best-known fighter aircraft of all, and its elliptical wing became the identifying mark of the whole type. The Mk V version was built in greater numbers than any other and carried the British fighter units through the hardest period of the war. It came about fairly directly: a more powerful twelve-cylinder V engine of the Merlin family went into the airframe of the previous version. The result proved a successful compromise between performance and availability, and so the Mk V appeared on practically every front where the British operated.

What distinguishes the Mk V version

The machines of this version differed mainly in the form of the wing and with it in the armament, from a purely machine gun arrangement to a combination of cannons and machine guns. Some of the aircraft were given a bulky air intake filter under the nose for service in dusty conditions, which noticeably changes the silhouette of the machine. These are exactly the differences worth verifying on the subject you choose before you start the build, because they also affect the choice of surface detail.

Building and painting tips

In 1:72 scale it pays to start with the cockpit: once the fuselage halves are joined, you can no longer get at the interior. Sand the joints on the underside of the fuselage and on the leading edge of the wing down after they have dried, and restore the fine surface relief where you have sanded. Lay a gloss clear coat before the decals; on a matte base silvering forms under the film. At the end unify the whole model with a matte or satin clear coat, depending on how worn you want the machine to look.

What is not in the box

Paints, glue, putty and tools are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.