Fujimi Spitfire Question

[McGreig]

A question for those who know more about Spitfires than me.

Fujimi's kit of the Spitfire FR Mk.14e includes both standard and clipped wing tips, but in the SEAC boxing both the box art and the instructions show full span wings.

However, On Target's "Profiles 8", which deals with the PR Spitfire, suggests that all FR Mk.14e had clipped wings and the one profile with full span wings is noted as an exception. (It also suggests that full span wings and a broader chord rudder are the external differences between a FR Mk.18 and a FR Mk.14). This seems to be backed up by SAM's Modeller's Datafile 5 on the Griffon Spitfire.

Does anybody know who's correct?

Thanks, Gordon

[PR19_Kit]

While I know a fair bit about Spitfires of all sorts, specially the PR versions, the whole business about what parts constitute what Mark is a minefield. The primary problem in the span area is that any Spitfire could have any type of wing tip, clipped, standard or extended, they were just bolt-on bits.

There were other differences between the XIV and the XVIII as well, but most weren't visible, as they strengthened the landing gear and increased the wing tankage as well as adding a big tank in the rear fuselage. To make it more complicated only the very last batch of XIVs had the cut down rear fuselage, most of them having a 'razorback' style.

In Fujimi's case they do tend to make any set of parts try and fit as many Marks as they can. Their PR19 instructions actually tells you to fill in the seams on the leading edge of the wings to simulate the 'bowser' wing of that Mark! Not only that, even the standard FXIV comes with the cabin pressurisation intake as standard, and they ask you cut it off as it was only used on the PR19!

[The Wooksta!]

And even then, not all the XIXs had pressurisation - the first 20 or so lacked it and still had the standard entry hatch.

The Fujimi Spits are best done as fighters*.  If you want a PRXIX, buy the Airfix one, unless you're really bothered about the allegedly short engine.  In which case, the MPM or Ventura kits are work tracking down.

Best ask the question on Britmodeller, as there's some real Spitfire experts - Edgar Brooks is the man to ask.


*And you can get a whif from the box too, although you really need two fighters to pull it off.  Apparently, the E wing was plumbed for 4 20mm cannon with two upper bulges as carried by the F21 wing.  Fujimi has left locating pins for C (inner) and E (outer) cannon bulges.  I have one of these part started somewhere, although it'll be an F.18 in that post war desert scheme and used for strafing fractious arabs.

[McGreig]

Thanks for that, Gents.

I knew about the wing tips but hoped that there was some sort of general rule regarding the FR Mk.XIV. I'll go with the clipped wing because I like it better.

PR19: thanks for the tip on the pressurisation intake – I hadn't noticed that and it's not referred to in the instructions in the boxing I have.

Wooksta: It will be a fighter. I had the PR.XIX "Blue Invader" but I never fancied filling in the fighter wing engraving so I sold it when the Airfix kit was released. An interesting point too about the four cannon possibility (although, based on my experience with the SIG display to date, no-one will notice that the four cannon Soviet Spitfire is a whiff - - - )

I had thought of re-engining the Airfix PR.XIX with an Ash-82FN from an La-7 but, on reflection, it wouldn't look significantly different from the Ash-82 Spitfire V that I've already done (and I'm also not sure what the point would be, as the La-7's ceiling is approximately 8,000 feet below the PR.XIX).

[The Wooksta!]

I've a few (at least 3 boxed plus another bagged) of the Blue Invaders I got cheap off ebay but as I've got the Falcon Spitfire canopy sets (3 for sure!) which have the bubble hood and a mould to do the low back, they'll all end up as fighters.  I've plenty of Airfix, Ventura* and MPM PRXIXs to do as "proper" 19s.

*Although on reflection, these may end up as FR21s.