1/48 Grand Phoenix Supermarine Seafire

Gallery Article by Aaron D. Bennett on Sept 27 2010

 

This is the excellent Grand Phoenix offering of the Seafire.  It is based on Airfix styrene and includes Aires Resin, PE and Cartograf decals.  This kit was a joy to build and went together more like a shake n' bake than a true multimedia kit.  The surgery required for the exposed engine bay is easy and straightforward as all the cuts are on existing panel lines. Short work with a good razor saw and a file.  I only added some minor detail to the beautiful Griffon engine with various size solder and copper wire.  I also added Moskit Exhausts.  The camera detail on the port side is non-existant on the styrene and needed to be added for this variant.  I opened up the camera window and scribed the panel around it.  I made the glass for the window with Formula 500 Canopy Glue.

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The decals were probably the best I've ever used. They are thin, opaque and fit amazingly well.  They even held up under a brutal assault with Solvaset when Micro Sol wasn't enough to snuggle into all those rivets.  It is finished with Polly Scale Acrylics using my Iwata HP-C with Tamiya rattle-can gloss to prep for the decals and weathering. I used an oil wash of Raw Umber and finished off with Polly Scale Satin Varnish.

I bought this kit for $15 at a scratch and dent sale making it one of my best "scores" as far as bang-for-your-buck. There was only a small dent in the corner of the box!

Thanks for looking

Aaron D. Bennett

Photos and text © by Aaron D. Bennett