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Tom Cleaver
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Airfix 1/48 Spitfire XII

March 19, 2015 · in Aviation · · 10 · 1.8K

Now that there aren't any Spitfires on the main page I will post the kit I won last year here (random best choice award). The XII, painted freehand with Tamiya RAF Ocean Grey, Dark Green and Sea Grey Medium, using Victory Models "Spitfire: Aces of the Empire" decals to do the Spitfire XII flown by Squadron Leader Ray Harries, OC 91 "Nigeria" Squadron, the top-scoring Spitfire XII ace with 10 victories score in type and the Spitfire XII of 41 Squadron, the last users of the type, circa August/September 1944, just before they re-equipped with the Mk. XIVe.

The first of "New Airfix," the kit is superb. Since I first saw a picture of the XII in William Green's "Famous Fighters of the Second World War" Vol. I, I have liked this Spitfire the best, for reasons I can't put words to other than "it looks cool." Airfix got it right. This one is an early Spitfire XII based on a Spitfire V airframe without the retractable tailwheel. Later XIIs were based on the Spitfire VIII, and the early ones were modified with retractable tailwheel.

The kit provides these markings, but the decals in the Victory Productions sheet are ten orders of magnitude better. It's the best decal sheet for Spitfires in (Caveat Emptor: I was part of the team that originally produced it back in 2002).

Reader reactions:
5  Awesome

28 additional images. Click to enlarge.


10 responses

  1. Tom. Good camo work always looks good on a good looking model. When the model is a sleak looking spit that's even better. Nicely done.
    (I always liked the pointy tail version)

  2. Nice job. I better hold off my newly completed French MkIX for a bit... Lol. Nah, you can never have too many Spits.

  3. I only held this one off since another member posted a similar model and I didn't want to distract. The Spitfire Rule should be "don't post the same mark on the same page." 🙂

  4. Very nice - wish the photography had been a little crisper so more detail was visible. I don't think I have a clipped-wing spit in my stash but I really like the planform, so might have to go out and find me one!

  5. Very nice build

  6. Nice work as usual Tom.

  7. I picked up some talk about a new, more blueish Ocean Grey from Tamiya recently. Did you use that, Tom?

    • These are the RAF paints Tamiya released when they releaseed their big Spitfire IX. All three colors are really excellent. There's nothing new, since this is the right colors.

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