THE FEW

The New Tool Eduard 1/48 Spitfire Mk.I ‘Spitfire Story, The Few’

- Phil Jones

Introduction

The long-anticipated 1/48 Spitfire Mk. I from Eduard is now available, and this is the first release: a ‘Dual Combo’. Two kits in one box covering the early Mk.Is up to the Battle of Britain. This first kit of the early Merlin Spitfires that Eduard plan to release joins their excellent range of late Merlin marks that have been around for seven years now. As I loved those Mk.IX/VIII/XVI kits, a Mk. I to the same standard and style was an exciting prospect.

The Build

Once I’d decided on the option I was going to build from the ten available in the dual combo kit, I began the process of construction by snipping the parts from the sprues ready for initial priming where paint would be required before assembly. This was concentrated around the cockpit interior parts, but with a wider view on what I could complete at the same time, to reduce hold-ups as I progressed. Deciding on the option before even snipping parts was important because there are subtle differences right from the start.

My choice was the 41 Squadron aircraft, Spring 1939, an early example which has the single-pitch two-bladed propeller, flat-sided canopy hood, and peacetime squadron codes (PN came before EB for 41 Squadron). It grabbed me for a few reasons: the early features and the fact that 41 Squadron is a unit that is still active in the test and evaluation role in the modern-day Royal Air Force. Here was plenty of potential for creating a series of models should I wish to in the future! I looked ahead through the instructions for groups of parts that required painting before the main assembly so that priming could be done on all these parts – not just the interior. For example, the undercarriage wheel bay parts; I prefer to paint and panel line wash these before assembly as it makes the clean-up of excess wash a lot easier.