1/72 Airfix Spitfire Mk. 1a

Gallery Article by Greg Kerry on Aug 7 2013

 

 

This early Spitire was not one of the 'new' Airfix company's greatest products: Matchbox-like panel lines and very thick canopy being two of the worst features. Given this kit as a Christmas gift I wondered what I could do with it to make a reasonable model - thus the little diorama.

Deep panel lines were flooded with paint which took care of them. The canopy I at first tried to cut apart but the plastic proved too thick and brittle resulting in the white glue-soaked tissue cover used on my model.

With the paint provided (this was a Starter kit) I finished the kit more or less otherwise out of the box. I even used the Airfix decals which looked horribly thick and with obvious carrier film - but to my surprise they bedded down very well between layers of varnish (and without decal solution).

 

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The two figures come from Ceasar Miniatures WWII Brits set with the addition of gas mask bags (from Milliput) and rifle slings (from foil). Washed and dry brushed they came up looking quite nice.

The base is nothing more than plastic scrap covered in more glue and tissue paper with real dirt on top. The tree is garden weed trunk and branches with foam rubber clumps of 'leaves'. Other greenary is scrap lichen. The wooden fence has real wood posts with plastic card planks.

All the paint I use is acrylic, the washes and drybrushes from cheap watercolour (in tubes).

Greg Kerry

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Photos and text © by Greg Kerry