Spitfire Mk XVI 'Dual Combo' ProfiPack
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Kit Review
This is a revision of the new tooled Mk IX from Eduard, produced mid-2016.
Inside the box you will find ten sprues of a dark grey-coloured plastic, two of clear plastic, two pre-coloured photo-etched frets and a set of self-adhesive masks. The full-colour instructions take you though assembly and colours are highlighted throughout via the Gunze-Sangyo Mr Aqueous Hobby Color and Mr Color ranges. The kit parts allow you to make one hi-back and one low-back version of the Mk XVI, with five sprues of grey-coloured plastic and one each of clear plastic and etched for each variant. Breakdown is the same as we saw with the Mk IX released last year and the major parts all have locating pins, so this is very much a mainstream product now, albeit for the inclusion of other mediums like etched and masks. Although detail is good, the Brassin range have already released such things as cockpit upgrades and a complete engine, so if you want to go all the way in detailing your model, you can, but out of the box a very nice kit will result. Apart from the hi-back/low-back option, the kit also offers two styles of slipper tank, 250lb bombs and racks for under the wings and a cigar-shaped drop tank as an alternatives to the slipper versions. The canopies of both types are multi-part, so can be posed open and the access door is also separate, should you wish to have that open as well.
Colour Options
The kit offers eight decal options:
• TB900, GE•D of No.349 Squadron, Wunstorf, Germany, summer 1945
• TD341, 2I•V, No.443 Sqn, Uetersen airfield, Germany, August 1945
• TB675, OU•V, No.485 (RNZAF) Squadron, flown by W/O M. Lind, Fassberg, Germany, summer 1945
• SL721, MR•J, flown by AVM Sir James Robb in 1948
• TD240, WX•V, flown by Sqn Ldr B. Laczmarek, No.302 Sqn, Varrelsbush airfield, Germany, summer 1945
• RR227, 9N•R, flown by Sqn Ldr O. Smik, NO.127 Sqn, Grimbergen airfield, Belgium, NOvember 1944
• TB634, AU•S, flown by Plt Off. A.F. McIntosh, No.421 (RCAF) Sqn, B.90 airfield, Petit Brogel, Belgium, March 1945
• TB752, KH•Z, flown by Sqn Ldr H. Zary, No.403 Sqn, Belgium, April 1945
All options other than AVM Robb's are Ocean Grey and Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey, whilst SL721 is overall PRU Blue.
The decal sheet is printed by Eduard and is of excellent quality with perfect register and colour density. There are also two separate sheets containing a complete set of airframe stencils.
Conclusion
Spitfire fans will be delighted with this kit, as it adds the last of the Merlin-powered variants to the 1/72nd collection. It is highly recommended to all Spitfire fans.
UK modellers can obtain this kit from Hannants (here), or you can visit the Eduard website directly (here).
This is a revision of the new tooled Mk IX from Eduard, produced mid-2016.
Inside the box you will find ten sprues of a dark grey-coloured plastic, two of clear plastic, two pre-coloured photo-etched frets and a set of self-adhesive masks. The full-colour instructions take you though assembly and colours are highlighted throughout via the Gunze-Sangyo Mr Aqueous Hobby Color and Mr Color ranges. The kit parts allow you to make one hi-back and one low-back version of the Mk XVI, with five sprues of grey-coloured plastic and one each of clear plastic and etched for each variant. Breakdown is the same as we saw with the Mk IX released last year and the major parts all have locating pins, so this is very much a mainstream product now, albeit for the inclusion of other mediums like etched and masks. Although detail is good, the Brassin range have already released such things as cockpit upgrades and a complete engine, so if you want to go all the way in detailing your model, you can, but out of the box a very nice kit will result. Apart from the hi-back/low-back option, the kit also offers two styles of slipper tank, 250lb bombs and racks for under the wings and a cigar-shaped drop tank as an alternatives to the slipper versions. The canopies of both types are multi-part, so can be posed open and the access door is also separate, should you wish to have that open as well.
Colour Options
The kit offers eight decal options:
• TB900, GE•D of No.349 Squadron, Wunstorf, Germany, summer 1945
• TD341, 2I•V, No.443 Sqn, Uetersen airfield, Germany, August 1945
• TB675, OU•V, No.485 (RNZAF) Squadron, flown by W/O M. Lind, Fassberg, Germany, summer 1945
• SL721, MR•J, flown by AVM Sir James Robb in 1948
• TD240, WX•V, flown by Sqn Ldr B. Laczmarek, No.302 Sqn, Varrelsbush airfield, Germany, summer 1945
• RR227, 9N•R, flown by Sqn Ldr O. Smik, NO.127 Sqn, Grimbergen airfield, Belgium, NOvember 1944
• TB634, AU•S, flown by Plt Off. A.F. McIntosh, No.421 (RCAF) Sqn, B.90 airfield, Petit Brogel, Belgium, March 1945
• TB752, KH•Z, flown by Sqn Ldr H. Zary, No.403 Sqn, Belgium, April 1945
All options other than AVM Robb's are Ocean Grey and Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey, whilst SL721 is overall PRU Blue.
The decal sheet is printed by Eduard and is of excellent quality with perfect register and colour density. There are also two separate sheets containing a complete set of airframe stencils.
Conclusion
Spitfire fans will be delighted with this kit, as it adds the last of the Merlin-powered variants to the 1/72nd collection. It is highly recommended to all Spitfire fans.
UK modellers can obtain this kit from Hannants (here), or you can visit the Eduard website directly (here).
