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Eduard 1/144 Spitfire Mk.IXe Dual Combo

By Matt Bittner

Introduction

There is a lot of information everywhere about Spitfires, so nothing needs to be mentioned about that. I will mention, though, that Eduard has once again set the bar high with releasing this 1/144 Spitfire Mk.IXe. This is a superlative kit, and when it's coupled with upcoming photoetch, will really look awesome.

The Kit

Since this is a Dual Combo, there are two 1/144 Spitfire Mk.IXes in one box. Each Spitfire consists of eighteen pieces of greenish-gray injected plastic and one injected, clear canopy. The model also comes with masks, although they are not called out for in the instructions. You can figure out where everything goes, thought, and besides masks for the clear pieces, there are also masks for the wheels (paint the tires/wheels the color of what the wheels should be (either aluminum or interior green) then apply the masks to the wheels and spray the tire color). Decals appear to be in register and are nicely printed. They are for the following aircraft:

• Spitfire Mk.IXe, PT396, flown by W/C Jack Charles, Tangmere Wing, Tangmere AB, March 1945
• Spitfire LF Mk.IXe, TE 515, Czechoslovak Air Force, former No. 312 Squadron RAF, Ceske Budejovice AB, August 22, 1945
• Spitfire Mk.IXe, PV 181, flown by W/C Rolf Arne Berg, No. 132 (Norwegian) Wing, Twente AB, the Netherlands, winter, 1944-1945
• Spitfire Mk.IXe, MK 791, French Air Force, GC I/4, French Indochina, ca 1947-1948
• Spitfire LF Mk. IXe, No. 105 Squadron of Israeli Air Force, Ramat David AB, June, 1953

All but the Israeli bird are finished in the standard two-tone day scheme; the Israeli aircraft is all over natural metal.

Be aware there is no cockpit that comes with this kit. However, what it does have is a "slot" that can fit their fold-up photoetch cockpit for it (which I don't have, yet). It's rather ingenious, but also means if you want to add anything other than their cockpit, you'll need to work with that "slot".

Construction is easy and simple. Since this kit doesn't come with a cockpit, you'll glue the fuselage halves together followed by the horizontal tails. Add the one piece wing (and you have the option of either a "standard" or "clipped" wing, but only one of each) and the canopy, and now you can paint. Be careful of the antenna and tail wheel, though, since those are molded with one fuselage half.

Once painting is finished, then add the landing gear (consisting of a main gear leg, tire/wheel and separate landing gear cover) and the separate exhausts. You'll also need to assemble the prop and spinner after painting them, then add that assembly to the model as well. And now you have a finished model.

Eduard first released the kit as their E-Day give-a-way, but it only came with the clipped wing and one set of special markings, for Spitfire LF Mk.IXe, 2. letecká divize, škpt. Karel Pošta, DFC, Ceské Budêjovice, 1946-1948, which was the Israeli machine before Czechoslovokia gave it to Israel. It has the same build sequence as the Dual Combo, so no need to reiterate that.

You can see in the one photo how the model looks built, with a coat of primer on it.

Conclusion

As I have already mentioned, Eduard once again sets the modeling bar high, this time in 1/144 with this release of the Spitfire Mk.IXe. While it's current guise it's only a IXe, I can see in the future releasing a 'c' wing, just by providing a new, separate wing. Plus with the photoetch out and coming out for it the kit will look great.

Many thanks to Eduard for sending the Spitfire Mk.IXe. I have one just about finished, so watch in the near future for a Full Build.