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Revell Spitfire Mk IIa 1/72 new tooling

Posted: May 1st, 2017, 1:56 pm
by Crashpilot
Well, don´t know too much about the Spitfire, but already built or test-fitted several of them in this scale, so here we go:

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It was released in July or August 2016 (EDIT: no, it was October!), I bought it out of curiosity, I don´t really "need" it, enough Spits in my stash.
When you look at the backside of the carton, there´s a quite betraying picture of the built model, there´s something wrong with its canopy:
(you don´t have to be Spit expert to notice)


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another close up of the pic:

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I have to take more photos for the review....

Re: Revell Spitfire Mk IIa 1/72 new tooling

Posted: May 1st, 2017, 3:34 pm
by Crashpilot
So, here more photos of the sprues, etc.
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that rudder actuator looks nice, the exhausts look convincing, IMO



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two types of wheels included, on the very right you see the control column


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There´s only one type of airscrew, didn´t most Mk IIs have a different one?
And there´s only that pointed MkI-style spinner, most MkIIs had a more blunt one.

I already test-fitted and bluetac´ed some parts, fit is quite, but not very good:


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sidewall detail looks nice


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...those rivets on the cowling look a bit 1960ies-tooling-style, don´t you think?


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...here they got the gull wing effect quite good IMO - it is missing on Revell´s 72 Spit V.


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...wheel wells have a nice depth



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the cockpit looks nice, but it has a floor - that´s not so Spitfire-ish


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....here the canopy parts bluetac´ed together on the fuselage:
whoah, framing is way too heavy handed!, and some careful puttying is needed, where the armoured glass touches the fuselage! (ooops, broke off the mirror from the windscreen!)


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(maybe use the optional windscreen, instead?)


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the decals look typical good Revell quality, you get IP and belts, and some stencils

---------> My opinion on this kit:
I´m thinking about using its wing on Revells Mk V, which is a nice kit, except for the missing gull wing effect (ok, have to use the round Mk V-oil radiator, too, then).
Well, Revell sorted out the missing gull wing in this new Mk II, but introduced other problems with this kit.
I don´t know enough about Spitties, to give a verdict, but when it comes to comparing "modern" 72 scale toolings of Spits Mk I to V, I´d prefer Airfix over Revell, for some reasons.
Maybe Revell´s panel lines look more true-to-scale, but at least in modern toolings from the last 25 years, I look a lot for ease of building, and this new Revell offering don´t look so easy to build, will require more putty than Airfix offering.

And you have less choice here then in Airfix MkI/II offering ( :roll: ok, now I compare the Revell-just-one-option with a series-2-kit... :-| ), where you get 3 different airscrews, you even get the round oil cooler to build a MkVa, with a minimum of a higher price, than Revell´s offering.
The more objective contender to this kit is Airfix series 1 Spit MkIa, where I see a lead for Airfix, pricewise, and in ease of build ( :frown: oh, that seam between Revell´s windscreen and fuselage is nasty!), and a lot of the IMO important detail parts, like radiators, and carburettor intake, look far better than in Revell´s offering (see photos after text),too!

...but in the end, it´s to anyone´s own preferences!
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...looking a second and third time at the pic of the canopy´s framing: that looks waay too heavy handed, that
framing!

Re: Revell Spitfire Mk IIa 1/72 new tooling

Posted: May 1st, 2017, 6:00 pm
by iggie
I have this in the stash and I must admit to be slightly underwhelmed with the overall appearance of the parts.....
For such a recent new tool, I'd expected a little more.
That said, I've not built it yet and it may turn out to be a pleasant surprise when I get around to it......

Re: Revell Spitfire Mk IIa 1/72 new tooling

Posted: June 7th, 2017, 1:01 am
by Chuck E
I have one of these. Not overly impressed. The best ones, IMO, are the new Airfix and KP kits. I won't be buying any more of the Revell issue.

Just picked up the new Eduard Mk IXc and KP IXc. Two superb kits. Airfix can match the quality of the latter, but not with their current IXc.