Spitfire IX Revell 32nd scale - build review (7) - finished! PV 270 " AL" Al Deere Biggin Hill wing CO

First 32nd build for this blog and probably not my last  - there's no denying the 'impact' and 'presence' of a large scale model. My 72nd scale Fujimi F-4 being built alongside this one seems a little pathetic now. Of course I can see where I have gone awry - Humbrol 30 for the dark green was not a good choice to start with! Camo scheme airbrushed free-hand which in this scale gives a reasonable impression of a hard-edged finish and avoids a heap of masking. Belts from Eduard, codes painted, pilot's seat armour from sheet, flap indicators scratched/ cut out of the wings. As for the kit, well it seems churlish to say anything too bad about it when you get this much plastic for £20. Most of the sprues of course are from the Mk II kit but Revell don't tell you which parts (pilot's head rest etc) to usefully leave out. I kept the head-rest in the end. If you know PV 270 (subject of this build) you will know that it was restored with this in place. The Revell box build pic showing an antenna wire (!) is not the fault of the kit though. I also deployed the flaps down, hence the upper surface indicators (scratched). Yes, yes I know. Not done. Or as Mal on aeroscale put it,  " ..It was very rare to see lowered flaps on Spitfires on the ground. They were only used for landing and should be raised as soon as possible, to prevent any damage (apparently pilots would be fined if they didn't!) If the flaps are not lowered then these doors should not be open.." The Spit in my local museum (Manston) is on display in this configuration. Back to the kit - I will say though that I'm not terribly convinced by the dihedral in the wing. Far too 'flat' for me. But I have bought another one along with some Flevo Dutch decals. First three pics taken with my Ipad in fading light. I might try and take some more. My small tribute to a great Kiwi.

 Seafire at Duxford, flaps deployed. More elsewhere on this blog here