Airfix 1/24 Spitfire IX
By Tom Probert
This is my last completion of 2024, the simply superb Airfix 1/24th scale Spitfire Mk. IX. I know a lot has already been said about this kit, but I cannot rate it highly enough. Detail from the box is outstanding and it simply falls together, with the only slightly more complex parts being the coolant pipes that take some head-scratching to get safely through/around the engine bearers.
Despite the ease of construction, it takes a long time to build - I've had this on and off the bench for over a year. The interior is brimming with detail, and the engine is a small model in itself. I've built it more or less out of the box, Eduard seatbelts aside, but the super-detailer could really create a masterpiece.
As alluded to above, the only tricky part is feeding the coolant pipes through the engine bearers. I actually cut mine to assist with the fit and this removed the risk of scratching and damaging the parts as you feed them through the mounts.
I painted it with my usual Xtracolor enamels and used a KitsWorld decal set to replicate a 309th Fighter Squadron USAAF bird, based in Italy in 1944. The red stripes and spinner give a nice flash of colour! The USAAF had both the desert and standard grey/green schemes on hand at various times. I did some digging around and this one was the latter, so I thought it would make an interesting alternative to the desert scheme. It was never fully repainted and came from RAF stock and was delivered ‘as is’.
Having spoken to a few people about the US scheme Airfix give in the kit while researching this, there’s some thought that it too was actually grey/green, but there’s nothing definitive on this so it can’t really be proved either way from black and white photos - but I know for sure that mine was definitely grey/green! Having seen the ‘Suffolk Spitfire’ perform at air shows, I fell in love and wanted to do one in that scheme so here we are.
It was weathered as per references, with some subtle post-shading and a Flory grime wash to help bring out the gorgeous surface detailing. I know Spitfires were never parked with flaps lowered, but it was a shame to cover up the detail so this one's in for maintenance!
As I said above, I cannot recommend this kit highly enough - for the price it's superb value and captures the iconic Mk. IX beautifully!
© Tom Probert 2025
This article was published on Saturday, January 11 2025; Last modified on Sunday, January 12 2025