Revell 1/48 Spitfire Mk IX / XVI

Is it possible that it is the Hasegawa kit with an extra sprue to provide the cutdown fuselage for the XVI?

I realise that the *real* difference between a IX and a XVI was the Packard Merlin in the later model and that a number of XVIs had the ordinary fuselage. However most people associate a XVI with the bubbletop canopy. Making a point of stating that the kit is a "XVI" and then *not* suppling the bubbletop is going to leave a few disappointed people.

Any idea when it will be released in the UK? My planned Hasegawa XVI conversion is rapidly reaching the ehad of the queue...

According to Hannants it arrived on September 23rd, Cheers, Bill.

I suspect it's the Occidental kit, which offers parts for both versions, (along with a slightly suspect nose).

There was a review recently (Cybermodeler, I think) that stated it is the Occidental kit with revised lines (especially the nose profile).

Cheers,

I'll Pass!

Bill Shuey

snipped-for-privacy@austarmetro.com.au wrote:

I'll correct myself, as I just realised I've made an error. The article to which I refer was stating that the Italeri Spit IX/XVI is a re-issue of the Occiental kit, NOT the Revell kit.

Sorry for the misleading info.

James.

On the other hand, it warns me to steer clear of the Italeri kit, which I had been wondering about.

Thanks for the info.

Let's hope AIrfix get it right!

Well, it looks nice enough. I can see a problem already, however. The wing is clearly Type c, as it has the outer .303 guns. However the cannon covers are those of the Type e wing. Hopefully these will be optional parts - it certainly seems possible. I see that Airfix has provided seperate flaps and opened radiator flaps. The radiators are a good idea. The main flaps not so much. Spitfires were rarely parked with lowered flaps and if they were there was a very prominent flap indicator on the upper wing surface which seems to be missing. The front view shows that Airfix seem to have captured the washout on the wing quite nicely.

I'm also a little puzzled about the optional upper engine cowlings. Maybe Airfix intends to present the option of a MkIX converted from a MkVc, which had odd bulges on the cowling. In this case however, it would require the inclusion of a short air filter.

Nevertheless, I await this one with interest.

Their 2005 catalogue says about the Mk.IX...New parts added to Spitfire Mk Vc kit ( 05110 ) to make a completely new mould. Correct in size for a two staged Merlin engined Spitfire... what was the Vc kit like, I assume they're referring to the wing of it only??