Home  |  What's New  |  Features  |  Gallery  |  Reviews  |  Reference  |  Forum  |  Search

Spitfire Special

 

 

Kits at War Series

Dutch Decals

 
 

S u m m a r y
Catalogue Number and Description: K4/7 - "Spitfire Special". Markings for ten Spitfires and Seafires
Contents and Media: Two decal sheets (25cm x 15cm and 10cm x 15cm); two folded A4 pages of placement instructions; one A5 colour cover sheet
Scale: 1/48
Price: FirstLook
Review Type: € 8.40 available from Dutch Decals website
Advantages: Good colour; full sets of both dull red and bright red national markings supplied; comprehensive instructions with two side views (for most subjects)
Disadvantages:  
Recommendation: Recommended

 


HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com

 

FirstLook

 

"Spitfire Special" is a 1/48 scale decal set from Dutch Decals covering ten Spitfires. The subjects covered include:

  • a Seafire L.III in Sky and Extra Dark Sea Grey with very large fuselage roundels. It is also nice to see background decals supplied in Sky, permitting the black aircraft side number to appear outlined against the Extra Dark Sea Grey on the fuselage spine. The suggested kit for these markings is the Airfix's abominable "new" kit, but I would suggest using MDC's conversion on the Tamiya Spitfire Vb instead. That Airfix kit looks like a whole lot of work!

  • a Seafire FR.47 in Sky and Extra Dark Sea Grey with a very low camouflage demarcation on the fuselage (for the very nice Airfix Seafire FR.46/47 kit).

  • a Spitfire Vb

  • a Spitfire XII (Tamiya kit with Paragon or ED conversion)

  • a Spitfire XIV

  • three Spitfire IXc s

  • a Spitfire IXe depicted at two occasions with two different sets of markings

  • a Spitfire F.22 with optional special identification numbers for the Cooper Air Race

All Spitfires are finished in standard RAF day fighter finish of Dark Green and Ocean Grey upper surfaces over Sky. This uniformity is broken up with different coloured codes, invasion stripes and Dutch identification stripes on various aircraft.

Two complete sets of national markings are included - one with dull red and one with bright red in the roundels and fin flashes. The bright red markings were re-introduced some time after WWII, but the instructions do not suggest which subjects should wear these brighter markings.

 

 

The decals are glossy and well saturated. Registration is good.

Instructions are also good. A colour cover sheet gives a taste of the schemes, while two folded, black and white A4 sheets provide detail of placement using two side view drawings for most subjects. A number of plan views are also supplied for top view camouflage.

This is a welcome decal set that provides interesting options for some less-well covered Spitfire variants.

Recommended.

Thanks to Luuk from Dutch Decals for the review samples.

 

Text and Images Copyright © 2002 by Brett Green
Page Created 04 October, 2002
Last updated 22 July, 2003

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page