The Spitfire is one of those planes that are revered by many modelers, not unusually, a great number of them in the UK! Over the last ten years there has been a real insurgence of quality kits of the Spitfire in 1/48. Leading the pack are Tamiya and Hasegawa with truly modern kits of the Mk I, V and now the Mk IX. Airfix has a superb later Mk22/24 and Seafire 45/46. Though a bit older, Academy has a pretty decent XIV and ICM has a very well engineered VIII & IX that is unfortunately hampered by really poor quality control, though I understand that is no longer an issue. There is also the Ocidental Mk IX that had the misfortune of having a poorly shaped nose that has seemingly done the company in.

Not unwilling to pop out the occasional decal sheet to take advantage of any new kit release, Aeromaster produced several Spitfire sheets in 1999, this being one of them. It covers four subjects and like most Aeromaster 1/48 sheets has enough data markings to do one subject with enough insignia to do perhaps three of them.

The first is an early Mk IX of Lt Horbaczewski from the 'Skalski Circus' in Tunisia from early 1943. This plane is in middlestone/dark earth upper with azure undersides. Aeromaster provides codes in red and blue as photographic evidence is not too clear on which color was actually used, though most believe it to be blue. (As an addendum, a reader pointed out "after production it was verified that the codes for the Spit IXs of the Polish Fighting Team attached to 145 Squadron, or Skalski's Circus, were in Mediterranean Blue." Visit Aeromaster's web site to get the correct colored code letters. So there you have it!)

Next another Mk IX, this time in the 'normal' European fighter scheme of Dark Green/Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey from 332 Sq.

A 607Sq Mk VIII from the CBI theater in Dark Green/Dark Earth over Medium Sea Grey with SEAC roundels.

Finally a Mk Vb of 92 Sq at Biggen Hill in May of 1941. This early Vb is in Dark Earth/Dark Green over Sky with yellow surround roundels on the fuselage side.

Any of these schemes will be an improvement over most kit decals and will make your Spit just a little different from others.

Review copy courtesy of your editor's wallet

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly by a site that averages over 2,600 visits a day, please contact me or see other details in the Note to Contributors