Color PE Interior for Spitfire Mk 1

Published on
August 3, 2015
Review Author(s)
Scale
1/48
MSRP
$14.95
Product / Stock #
49720
Base Kit
Airfix
Company: Eduard - Website: Visit Site
Provided by: Eduard - Website: Visit Site
Photo etch

Thanks to Eduard for providing more of their excellent aftermarket parts sets for IPMS USA to review, and to IPMS leadership for the chance to review this item.

First: this is a basic upgrade to the kit items. It works very well, providing a serious improvement in kit fidelity with just a little work… read on!

This kit contains everything you would expect in an Eduard PE upgrade; the instrument panel is the now-standard “sandwich” of several panels, which results in a high-fidelity instrument panel, to which you add details such as levers, switches, etc.

One important addition is the compass and mount, which are fitted at the lower portion of the panel behind the control column. Once folded and in place, it really adds to the visual effect.

Rudder pedals and straps are added to the lower cockpit frame assembly, as are two adjustment “Stars” in PE. These are frightfully small but the picture proves I got them in place! To this assembly, you will attach the control column; Eduard has you remove the control cables from the kit item, and replace them with a PE set. Very nice…

The Eduard set includes the seat adjustment mount and brackets; you must modify the kit item, but the final effect is worth it. Also incorporated are bulkhead facings which are cemented to the front and back of the main seat bulkhead; these include the armor plating and the headrest plating.

Pilot retention harnesses are next; these are the famous pre-painted “seat belts” with harness buckles and most detail incorporated. Once in place they look great… how you get there is a matter of personal technique. I find using small tweezers, pre-bending using the seat itself, the removing them, applying cement, and pushing back in place seems to work pretty well for me. The inertia reel and cable are on the back of the seat; hard to see, but you will know it’s there…

The sidewalls on the new Airfix Spitfire are really well done; Eduard uses select radio panels and levers to improve them. The oxygen bottles are placed in frames after bending, and there is a small bottle just above the landing gear handle that must be made from scratch by rounding out plastic rod of appropriate size. This then fits into a PE harness and bracket, and is then cemented into place on the right (Starboard) upper sidewall. More detail panels are included and then you are ready to install the seat and bulkhead assemblies. As this all slides into place in the assembled fuselage, the only things left at this point are the external side door and the throttle quadrant, which is folded in several places and really looks good!

This is an ultimate cockpit upgrade for the Airfix “ultimate Spitfire Mk 1”… buy it!

As usual, thanks again to Eduard for this magnificent item and a bow to the IPMS leadership for keeping me on to review these aftermarket gems.

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