Czech Master Resin
1/72 Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk.XVIe
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History
Spitfires are too well known to enthusiasts to require much history.
Suffice to say the LF Mk.XVIe was the same airframe as the late production
series Mk. IXs except that it was powered by a Merlin 266 engine built
in Detroit to metric measure by Packard. Except for a few very early models
it featured a low-back fuselage and a bubble canopy. Most were fitted
with clipped wings for low altitude operations.
The Kit
The CMR Spitfire kits get better and better with each new release. They
are not of the Tamiya shake-and-glue concept for modelers of modest skills
but they are extremely satisfying for the discriminating, more experienced
modeler. Their relatively high prices are well worth it to the discerning
modeler seeking accuracy. I thought CMR had peaked with their recent Mk.
XIe but this Mk. XVI is even better! What you get in CMR’s new box
is:
-74 parts crisply cast in bubble, and void free, cream-colored resin,
-Two landing gear struts cast in extra strength white resin,
-Two very clear vac bubble canopies,
-One incredible, partially pre-painted fret of 45 parts photo-etched
in stainless steel by Eduard,
-Three pages of assembly instructions in the form of annotated isometric
exploded drawings.
-Three pages of color and markings drawings for six different planes,
-Four pages of reference photos of New Zealand’s restored TE330,
-Two sheets of decals from Tally Ho! and
-One page of instructions for placement of the stenciled data decals.
In all, this is a complete kit.
It includes two complete E wings. The only difference between them being
that one has the overwing bulge to accommodate a thicker wheel/tire and
the other does not. And speaking of wheels, the kit includes three optional
wheel/tire castings – thick, thinner and thinnest. The thinner and
thinnest have no hub spoke pattern cast into them, rather, the modeler
has his choice of four, three-dimensionally etched, hub patterns offering
no spokes, three spokes, four spokes and five spokes. The instructions
show the correct hub patterns to use and, by inference, one knows the
three-spoke hubs go with the wing having the bulge. There is an anomaly
here in that the thickest wheel/tire casting, which clearly requires the
wing bulge, has the four-spoke hub cast integrally. The logic of the wheel/tire/hub
parts available and the instructions for their use is frustratingly vague
here. I presume this is no problem for a Spitfire expert but I am not
a Spitfire expert.
Typical of resin kits there is a lot of casting flash and several feed
bars to be removed but this effort is worth it in view of the quality
of the parts thus liberated. I would like to see all kit manufacturers
make the control surfaces, especially the elevator, separate pieces. The
rudder is separate here but the other control surfaces are cast in the
faired, trail position. Spitfires had no internal control locks and the
elevators of a plane at rest would, therefore, hang down about 27°
against their travel stops. Personally I’d rather have this feature
than a separate wing.
The finely cast resin cockpit parts combined with the Eduard PE parts
will make a great interior, the modeler has the option of and open or
closed cockpit flap door and a PE crowbar for the inside of the open door.
Conclusion
An excellent kit on an attractive subject for the accomplished modeler
seeking accuracy. It is also another addition to CMR’s ever growing
line of Spitfire types.
Spitfire enthusiasts – buy one.
Our thanks to Czech Master Resin for the review sample. At the time
of writing I have no idea of the retail price of this kit.
References
There are so many references on Spitfires that I will only list the
two I found to be of the most use in researching the Mk.XVI for this review:
· Spitfire – The History: E.B. Morgan & E. Shacklady,
key Publishing, UK, 1987, ISBN 0-946219-109. (available from Motorbooks)
· Calling all Spitfires, a scale Modeler’s Guide to the
Spitfire in i/12 Scale: John R. Beaman, Jr., self-published, USA, 1973.
(Very hard to obtain)
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