Hasegawa 1/32 Spitfire Vb
By Ian Foulkes
1/32 Hasegawa Spitfire Vb with cockpit details by Aires.
I rescribed the entire kit, which was not as onerous as it sounds. As it was only the second time I have done that it was interesting to say the least but I am now a definite convert!
I was asked to build this for a competition of arts and craft skills. The competition was organised by the Charity "Combat Stress" in Leatherhead, Surrey. They have been taking ex-service men and women who have PTSD and the like. The charity was set up 90 years ago and its HQ is Tyrwhitt House. This was my way of saying "Thank you" for their help and support. Please have a look at their website at http://www.combatstress.org.uk/. Anyway back to the kit!
A warning about the Aires cockpit. It has a superb seat...which is closer to 1/24th scale than 1/32nd! It is so large that if used "as is" the control column would be jammed and the left hand side of the cockpit will NOT locate properly. Either remove the bulge on the left hand side of the seat, or file back the left hand side of the cockpit, or better still replace it with the Revell seat (which they got right!). The Hasegawa seat (which Aires based their seat on) is way over scale for 1/32nd. Otherwise the kit is a straight forward build and great fun with a choice of Vb variants..the next will be a "Clipped, Cropped and Clapped" Spit.
© Ian Foulkes
This article was published on Friday, September 27 2013; Last modified on Saturday, May 14 2016