Airfix 1/48 Spitfires

I see that Hannants are now listing the Airfix 1/48 Spitfire 22/24 as "Sold Out".

Does anyone know whether the Spitfire 24 is no longer being produced by Airfix? I know that it will be available on the Spitfire 70th Anniversary boxing. The last time I was at Hannants, I saw a large box literally filled with dozens of unboxed Mk24s, but they may well be earmaked for the Anniversary set.

I'm very much hoping that the Mk24 *isn't* out of production, as it is my only source for Griffon parts which can be grafted onto other kits to make MkXIVs, XVIIIs and XIXs. The relevant parts from the Academy kits just don't look right.

The Airfix Anniversary set sounds like a good deal, as it contains *three* Spitfires (MkI, MkIX and Mk24) yet only costs a tenner more than a single Mk24 kit. However... I have read a review of the new MkIX kit that mentions problems with an overly thick wing. The test shot photos on the Airfix site tend to bear this out, and I am not convinced by the shape.

I have had a look at the Airfix 1/48 MkVc and the wing on that is

*dreadful* - it looks like a plank of wood. The Spitfire wing has a very subtle shape which I feel is captured nicely by the Tamiya kits and the Hasegawa MkIX. In fact, so good is the Hasegawa wing, that I am perfectly willing to overlook the slight length problems in that kit (which disappear entirely when you use the Airfix Mk24 fuselage to make a MkXVIII !)

Has anyone built one of the new Airfix MkIXs yet? If so, how does the model compare with those from other manufacturers? Is the wing a completely new tool or is it simply a rehash of the horrid MkVc? I'm hoping that the wing shape problems are curable, because the three kits in a box option sounds like a really good deal.

Alternatively, does anyone have any suggestions for a replacement Griffon nose?

Reply to
Enzo Matrix
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Haven't seen it yet but a review on Hyperscale says the kit contains both the "old" Vc wing and a brand new IX wing.

Curt

Reply to
Curt

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