1:72 Spitfire Mk.Vb - LooK Plus Set (for IBG Kits)

The Mark V that held the front

When the first Fw 190s appeared over the Channel in 1941, the Mk.V version was the main support of fighter aviation and had to withstand the pressure even though it did not match its opponent in performance. The Merlin 45 engine with a single-stage supercharger gave the machine decent performance up to medium altitude, and the B wing carried two cannons and four machine guns. Mark Vs defended Malta, flew over North Africa with a bulky sand filter under the nose, and a number of them ended up as training machines. It is exactly thanks to their use on so many fronts that this is a version with an enormous store of finishes.

Where the set tells

In a small scale the inside of the cockpit is small, but well visible through open glazing. A cast panel with belts fills this space more credibly than a plastic part with molded relief, the masks level the frames into sharp lines, and the additional resin parts refine shapes that reach a mold only with difficulty.

A procedure that has proved itself

• First assemble the fuselage dry and check how much room the panel needs.
• Sand the resin wet, as its dust is unpleasant.
• Lay the masks with pointed tweezers; in 1:72 they really are small.
• Finish the cockpit before the fuselage halves are glued together.

The package completes a kit of the IBG brand, and the plastic model is sold separately. The remaining parts of the kit stay unchanged, as the work concentrates on the few places where the gain is greatest.