Dogfight Double – 1/144 Spitfire v Me109

A real gem of a kit from Beacon Models, and at around £21 for the two aircraft included it's an absolute bargain. There's a surprising level of interior detail for such a small kit, and although almost impossible to see once the fuselage is closed up, you always know it's there ! The fit of the main parts is perfect - not close, or very good, but perfect. I didn't need to cut or fill at any point during the building. My only (very slight) criticism is that the panel lines look too heavy to me, but perhaps next time I'll try to fill them before starting. The kits both come with two sets of wings - one with cannon, the other without. You also get a choice of three one-piece canopies, but as I wanted to have open cockpits I cut them down into separate sections with a razor saw, and left them open. The interior detail is just about visible, as are the seats harnesses I made from some flattened lead wire.

Finished in MRP paints, with a little weathering of Michael Harding oils, Mig powders and some AK weathering pencils.

Both aircraft models took me 11 days - a record for my tectonic pace, and perhaps the main reason for my being recently drawn to the 1/144 scale. I only included the SBD Dauntless to show it's size compared to the others.

I couldn't recommend this particular kit any more highly, and really pleased to see that Beacon are extending their range. I will DEFINITELY be back to them for more of the same.

23 additional images. Click to enlarge.