Subject: Vickers Supermarine Spitfire Mk. II

Scale: 1/48

Manufacturer: Monogram (re-release of Revell kit)

Kit No.: MO5239 (Squadron Mail Order No.); No. 5239 (Monogram stock no.)

Parts: 34 (5 transparencies, 29 dark green styrene)

Media: Injection molded styrene

Price: US$7.25 (Squadron catalogue price), but can be found cheaper

Detail: 7 (ascending scale 1-10)

Accuracy: 6 (ascending, 1-10); see review

Monogram's Spit Mk. II is another of the "Revellogram" species of

kits that have hit the market as the Revell-Monogram corporate merger

continues to bear fruit. The Spit is one of four Revell 1/48 WWII kits from

the late 1970's that began bringing the Revell product line up to some

semblance of state-of-the-art moldings and detail. All of those kits -

Me-109G-10, P-51D Mustang, P-40E Warhawk and the Spit - featured pretty

good cockpit detail, generally accurate outlines and better prices than

some of the Otaki and Fujimi counterparts. The P-51D, in my opinion, was

the best 1/48 Mustang on the market until Academy-Minicraft's and Tamiya's

recent efforts, and it still holds up well.

Back to the Spitfire.

If you've ever built the Revell 1/32 scale Spit, you'll recognize

the general parts breakdown. The 1/48 landing gear, however, is not

retractable and has boxed and detailed gear wells, The cockpit parts are

similar to the 1/32 scale kit - instrument panel, rear bulkhead, control

spade grip and lower control cage - and include one of the main problems

with its larger brethren - a solid rear bulkhead. You can go one of two

routes: rework the bulkhead and scratchbuild associated cockpit detailing

or buy one of the variety of photoetched Spitfire detail sets.

The throttle, radio panel, flap and landing gear/flap controls that

were molded separately in the Revell 1/32 scale kit are now molded into the

sidewalls. Here's your big chance to scrape the sidewalls bare and start

over, but careful painting will give a good effect if you decide on a stock

kit.

Panel lines are raised, but delicate. The flared Merlin triple exhaust

pipes are acceptable, and overall surface detail is well executed. Decals

provide markings for Douglas Bader's Mk. II at the time he was shot down

over occupied France, and for another Mk.II in the immediate post-Battle of

Britain period.

The 1/48 Spit also has a slightly improved lower fuselage/wing

joint contour over the absolutely flat section on the 1/32 bird. Sanding

and filing to better define the almost inverted gull section of that area

will help things, though, and the plastic in that area is thick enough to

handle removing the material.

The landing gear, propeller and canopy are all well molded,

although a Squadron vacuformed canopy will also look sharp here. The tail

wheel, molded as part of one of the fuselage halves, seems a little more

extended than usual from the fuselage. Cut it away and trim slightly to

reduce the angle between the tailwheel leg and fuselage by two or three

degrees. That may seem nitpicky, but it is noticeable.

I was looking for a Spit Mk.V for a USAAF 4th Fighter Group bird,

and was too cheap to buy the Tamiya or Hasegawa 1/48 birds. A

partially-built Airfix Mk. V kit that had found its way into my young son's

hands provided the needed Rotol spinner/propeller and canopy parts. The

gear legs on Mk. V's have about two degrees more forward rake than on Mk.

I's and II's, so gently bend the Revell gear legs forward a hair. An

acceptable Mk. Va can be done from the kit with just some simple rework of

scoops and bulges on the nose, since that version had the canopy,

deHavilland propeller/spinner rig and eight .303 machine gun armament of

the Mk. II. The radio gear that is attached to the rear cockpit bulkhead on

the kit should be removed, since it was mounted further back in the

fuselage in Mk. V's. The resulting empty hole will need oxygen tanks and

some fuselage stringers to restore some semblance of reality.

There's probably better quarter-scale Merlin Spitfires on the

market, especially the Hasegawa and Tamiya series, but they do cost. It's a

matter of choice - pay more for detail or pay less for the basics. The

Revellogram Spitfire is somewhat basic, but the basics are good.

- Mike Still