1/48 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.XII 

A Conversion in 1/48 Scale   

A No Aftermarket Parts used.....Kit bash

by Jim Marrs

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The Spitfire Mk.XII represents the first major modification of the type. The development of the Rolls Royce Griffon Engine offered a significant increase in displacement and available power. The production run of 100 aircraft was limited to a lot 100 aircraft intended for U.K. use only. 

The dimensions of the airframe were similar to Mk.IXe standards with a slight difference in length and wingspan due to it's clipped wing tip format and the new engine and propeller spinner. 

There is no mainstream kit of the type available but the conversion is reasonably simple due to similarities between the source kits used for the project. 

Source kits:

All source kits are 1/48 scale. 

  • Airfix48 Spitfire Mk.Vb

  • Hobbycraft Seafire XV

  • Otaki Spitfire Mk.VIII

  • ICM Spitfire Mk.IXc 

Cost Breakdown (last known retail prices)

  • Airfix48 Spitfire Mk.Vb..................................................$  11.00

  • Hobbycraft Seafire XV...................................................$ 14.98

  • Otaki Spitfire Mk.VIII (Arii re-isue).................................$ 13.98

  • ICM Spitfire Mk.IXc......................................................$ 19.98

                                                                                               $ 59.94 

Paragon Conversion Set.................................................$ ??.??

Plus Airfix48 kit.............................................................$ 11.00 

The building procedure:

The Airfix Spitfire Vb provided the wing assembly, landing gear, cannon barrels, stabilizors and various other small parts. The gunsight from the Airfix kit was also an excellently molded part. 

The Hobbycraft Seafire XV provided the fuselage and several other small parts. 

The ICM Spitfire IX provided the wingtips, the broadchord rudder and one spare "clipped" wing tip from another kit provided the fairing which appeared on the top dead center of the nose when it was suitably reshaped to be symmetrical. The Otaki Spitfire Mk.VIII provided the propeller, the spinner, bulkheads, dashboard and numerous small parts for the project since there was little else of use in the kit. Landing gear, tail wheel and other generic parts may be used from any of the source kits listed.  

The wingtips and mid-upper teardrop fairing may also be cast in resin. 

A rear view mirror from the Monogram Mk.IX also came in handy. as did the clipped wing tips of the ICM Mk.IX. 

My first step was to begin the surgery by cutting away the standard wing tips from the upper wing halves of the Airfix Mk.V in order to make room for the clipped wing tips of the ICM Mk.IX. At this point the shell and link ejection slots in the wing underside were opened up, Accu-Nazi fashion. 

Some simple fitting was required when mating the Mk.V wing assembly to the Seafire XV fuselage as the chin fairings on both kits were slightly different. The centers of the wing leading edges of the kits involved were also slightly different. A trimming of the bulkheads was also helpful in this fit up. Also, the rudder was removed from the Seafire XV fuselage as it would be replaced by the spare broad chord rudder of the ICM Mk.IX kit. 

Heat stretched sprue was used for antenna wire. 

Insignia was culled from the Otaki kit decals and the spares parts box of decal scraps. 

Finish:

          The color scheme was based on an RAF temperate regions pattern of dark sea green and medium sea grey shadow shading with a light sea grey underside. White prop spinner, black prop blades with yellow tips, sky type "S" fuselage I.D. band and yellow wing leading edges completed the major painting. 

          Cover tape over the gun muzzle openings was picked out in dark red. Tires (tyres) were a rubbery flat black and wheel centers were flat aluminum. 

          Cockpit interior was painted RAF interior green, the wheel well covers and the wheel wells were painted aluminum. The Otaki instrument panel was painted flat black with details picked out in yellow, red and metallic shades. 

Canopy from any of the listed source kits. 

1 extra wing tip fairing was bent to symmetrical form for use on top dead center of nose.

 

Fuselage and wing components may be assembled per respective kit instructions. Some fitting is required between the Hobby Craft Seafire XV fuselage chin area and Airfix Spitfire V kit wing center section. Landing gear, propeller and internal bulkheads are also assembled per conventional methods. The first cutting step is to remove the standard wing tips from the Airfix upper wing components to make way for the "clipped" wing tip inserts. 

Camoflage for # 41 Squadron is dark sea green and sea grey RAF temperate zone pattern. Squadron identification letter is Sky Type S "E". The outboard leading edge of the wing is insignia Yellow. The National insignia and rudder flash may be taken from the Arii kit decal sheet. 

References: 

  • Spitfire: The History by Morgan and Shacklady

  •  In Action: The Spitfire  by Squadron/Signal Publishers 

On a personal note, during military enlistments (1964- 1971) this writer worked with several WW-2 veterans who flew and/or serviced the Supermarine Spitfire in World War Two. One common thread of off duty conversation was that all the Spitfire variants with Merlin engines were more manueverable than those with Griffon engines. A statement frequently heard was: "The Griffon Spitfires began to handle and feel more like the North American P-51 (B, C & D) Mustangs!" 

My comment, "So that was bad?" always got a laugh! 

Jim 

Colchester, VT

Photos and text © by Jim Marrs