1:48 FAA Seafire FR47 Decals

Although not exactly what you are looking for, Model Alliance have a sheet which includes markings for a Seafire 46.

As for the FR47, I used the codes and serials from the Airfix sheet. As they are all black, there are no registration problems. I painted the invasion stripes and sourced replacement roundels from generic sheets. If you really wanted to, the codes and serials could also come from generic sheets.

I saw that kit in the shops in Tokyo and decals on sale too. Is the kit any good, and can people voice opinions of how it compares to recent Tamiya/Hasegawa kits?

It is not to the same standard as recent Tamigawa kits, but then it's not really fair to expect it to be. After all the kit is about fifteen years old. Having said that, it's a very nice kit indeed, in my opinion one of the very best that Airfix ever did.

It is/was available in two different boxings, one for a Seafire F47/FR47 and one for a Spitfire 22/24. The Seafire kit has extra parts (a folding wing, extended oil cooler, contraprop) to allow the FR47 to be built. The cockpit will need some work. However, do *not* buy the Aires cockpit set which is supposedly "designed" for this kit. It simply doesn't fit. I posted on this group a couple of years ago about my trials and tribulations with the set. If anyone is interested, I'll post again. Another thing to watch is the wing on the FR47. If you build it with the wings extended it will be worth deviating from the recommended sequence and attaching the wingtips to the inner wings before you join the upper and lower wing halves. That way you can add a lot of bracing at the join.

I have built this kit three times now, as a Spit 22, Spit 24 and Seafire 47. I have two more Seafires in the stash as well as five (yes, *five*) Spit

24s. One of those in the stash is earmarked to have the rear fuselage from an Airfix Spit IX grafted on to it to make a Spit 21.

I like the kit and would recommend it.

Thanks Enzo, I was wondering if it was a new kit, but it seems it's only a reboxing. I have seen a Mk.V/Seafile L.III kit also on the net but never in the shops in Tokyo... maybe it is time to build some of these older but nice Airfix kits! They are quite affordable.

Leave the MkV/Seafire kit well alone. It is not anywhere near the same standard as the Spit 24/Seafire 47. The wing on a real Spitfire is very subtly shaped. The Airfix MkV kit misses that shape totally. It looks more like a plank of wood than anything else. Likewise, I wasn't too impressed with the newer Spitfire IX, for much the same reasons. However, it does provide a ready source of spare parts which will enable the Tamiya Vb to be converted to a Vc and the Spit 24 to be converted to a 21.

John:

I have the decals from the Grand Phoenix/Airfix FR47. I bought two kits (don't remember why) and if you would like the decals and instructions and I'll be glad to send them to you for a reasonable price; $7 includes shipping.

Thanx, Carl