From the instructions: “The Spitfire was planned as a private venture fighter by R. J Mitchell of the Supermarine Aircraft Company in 1937. The aircraft proposed to meet Air Ministry Specification F.37/34 first flew in prototype form on 5th March 1936, and immediately impressed all who saw it. A first contract for 310 Spitfires was issued in June of that year and, after some production delays; the first aircraft reached 19th Squadron, Royal Air Force, at Duxford in June 1938. These Mk.I aircraft initially had two blade fixed pitch airscrews, but were later replaced by three blade variable pitch units. At the start of World War Two, Spitfires fully equipped nine RAF Squadrons, with the first enemy aircraft being shot down on 16th October of 1939. By the beginning of the Battle of Britain in July 1940, Spitfires equipped a total of 19 RAF Squadrons. As more Spitfire contracts were awarded, production was dispersed to other factories in the South of England and the huge purpose built facility at Castle Bromwich near Birmingham. All 920 Spitfires Mk.IIs were built at Castle Bromwich as well as large numbers of later marks, accounting for well over half the total of 20351 Spitfires. The first Spitfire Mk.IIs reached RAF Squadrons in August 1940 and took part in the offensive into Europe (code named “Rhubarbs”) in the following December. The Spitfire Mk.II differed from the Mk.I in having a more powerful Merlin engine, a slightly ballooned canopy and an extra layer of bullet proof glass in front of the windscreen. Later Spitfire variants served in all WW2 combat theatres, and many surplus examples were sold to air forces around the world. Designed for the fighter role, the Spitfire Mk.IIa was armed with eight 0.303mm Browning machineguns.”

Inside Revell’s typical blue-coloured side opening box come 16 sprues neatly packed in their own bags. 15 are in light grey plastic and a single one is in clear plastic. There aren’t many parts, less than 180, most of them being in on sprues F, G and Q. Parts are molded in a softish grey plastic, easy to cut from the sprues and easy to clean up. Instructions are of the old Revell style, coming in a thick black and white booklet with a grand total of 71 construction steps. There’re two decal options, both from 1941 post-Battle of Britain, Spitfire Mk.IIa “QVoJ” and “YToL.” Both schemes are in the early camouflage scheme of dark earth, dark green and sky.

Most instructions start you off with the construction of the cockpit, and this kit was no different. I find myself painting several parts of different colours on the sprues to speed up the painting process, such as the wheels, propellers and cockpit parts. The wheels were painted in Steel (Revell Aqua 90) hubs and Revell Panzer Grey 78 tyres, the propellers were painted black with yellow tips, and the cockpit parts were painted Revell 48 Sea Green. The rudder pedals were painted Steel, the instrument panel in black, and the control stick in Interior Green with a matt black grip. While these parts were drying, I assembled the propeller, which had a sky blue nose cone. With the propeller built, I assembled the cockpit. The fiddliest step of the cockpit was the construction of the seat, which came in eleven separate parts. Once the seat had been completed, I dedicated myself to gluing the smaller cockpit parts to the sidewalls, and then I assembled the entire cockpit. This assembly was then glued to one fuselage half, together with the tailwheel strut. Before closing the fuselage halves, I added the propeller shaft. The halves were taped together and left to dry.

While the fuselage was drying, I began building the wings. These come in a lower single piece and two upper wings. Before gluing them, you must add the wheel well walls. I then added the wingtips and ailerons. The flaps were cut and glued in the extended position (not accurate for a Spitfire on the ground, but I like the way the aircraft looks like that). The wings were then added to the fuselage. This assembly left me with some gaps at the wingroots, so these and the fuselage seams were filled with CA glue. I then built up the tailplanes. The stabilizers need to have the outer sections cut (apparently these were different from the Mk.IX) to make them fit into the tailplanes.

Back to the fuselage and with the wings dried, I glued the carburetor and radiator intake to the wing.

I chose to represent my model as Spitfire Mk.IIa QVoJ from June 1941. This aircraft was painted in the early dark earth, dark green and sky blue surfaces. I used Revell Aqua colours 82 Dark Earth, 68 Dark Green and 59 Duck Egg Blue. The model was then glossed and the decals were applied. Most of them didn’t need softening solutions, except for the lower roundels, which needed to be applied over two big bumps on the lower wing. After several coats of Microsol, all the decals were set. The model was then matt coated.

I glued the landing gear struts, gear doors and wheels, painted and glued the clear parts and a glued the propeller into place.