Our man Bruce has taken on Eduard's 48th scale Spitfire Mk HF VIII in 48th scale in one of the latest boxings to come from this prolific brand. We have already seen him building the kit, but today see how he paints & finishes his Mark 8 in today's guide...
Build Guide: Spitfire Mk HF VIII
From Eduard Model accessories
1/48th scale
Product Link
Build Guide: Spitfire Mk HF VIII in 48th scale from Eduard
Today: Spitfire Mk HF VIII in 48th scale from Eduard Painting & Finishing
Feeling rather impressed with my construction, I decided to forego a primer and jump right in getting the base colours down - foolishly as it turned out.
The initial coats revealed ghost seams down the centre of both top and bottom cowlings. I fall for this all the time thinking “those seams loom pretty good, I’ll just go straight to paint” It never works!
Anyway, for the paint, I decided to use my far too slowly decreasing stocks of Xtracolour enamel paint. “ HEY MARTHA, COME CHECK THIS GUY OUT, HE’S STILL USING ENAMEL PAINT!” I hear you cry out, in anguish. I’m just too much of a tight arse to throw them out, plus I hate waste, so two coats of well thinned medium sea grey was laid down using my Iwata HP-C.
The first step was a randomly applied lighter mix was then applied to the tops of wings and fuselage
This was followed by PRU Blue to the undersides, following the convention of applying the lighter colours first, hence why the topside was – in this instance- painted first.
As I was using enamels, I then applied a coat of Future to protect my paint from the enamel based washes I would be using. For some reason, I seem to have not taken any photos of the decal application, which was uneventful anyway.
Well uneventful if you don’t count me trashing one of the wing walkway stripes, necessitating me having to mask and paint a new one.
Once the decals had been applied, a further sealing coat of future was brushed on, and allowed to dry overnight. Paynes Grey oil paint was used for the underside wash
With Ammo Deep grey panel line wash being used for the upper surfaces
Tamiya Black panel Line accent was then applied around all the removable panels such as engine cowlings, gunbay covers and fuel fillers.
The same medium was used to paint on fuel spillage and seepage around the forward fuel tank filler and cover panel
Weathering now got a little heavier, using a fine pointed brush to apply Vallejo sky grey chips around the wing roots and fasteners. In this photo, you can also see the stencil decals are completely readable, although I found them a little thick. They were printed on a separate decal sheet to the national markings that were very thin, perfectly in register and looked to be in the correct colours.
The light grey chipping was followed by some silver to show fresher chipping
Small dots of neat dark brown oil paint were then applied to the wing roots and then stippled with a dry cut down brush until I thought I had the look of a wing root that had been stained by being repeatedly walked on with muddy boots. In hindsight, it is not nearly random enough and is too uniformly confined to within the walkways
All Merlin powered spitfires exhibited underside oil staining to some degree. Dots of Ammos Fuel and Oil stains were applied to the underside at panel lines, then drawn back with an enamel thinner dampened brush. Gun soot residue was airbrushed around the empty shell chutes.
Happy with how the model was looking, a matt coat was applied using Testors Dullcote
The propeller blades were treated to the Light sand colour from a Tamiya weathering set being dabbed on, then scrubbed into the blades followed up by black Tamiya Panel Line Accent being flicked onto the blades.
Exhaust stains were replicated with thinned black Tamiya Rubber Black and Tamiya dark Mud from the same weathering Set as the light sand, rubbed into the tyre treads, leaving just the final assembly to be undertaken.
With the model on its wheels and the clear parts unmasked, the last task was to add the Identification Friend or Foe aerial under the wing using music wire rather than the kit supplied P.E part, and my Spitfire HF VIII was done
Final Thoughts
This would easily be the best 48 scale Spitfire VIII on the market today, and I can’t see that title being taken away from Eduard any time soon.
The kit is accurate, well engineered, with a clever breakdown of parts that line up along panel lines in most instances. There are a few steps that require care in ensuring careful alignment, such as the wheel wells, exhausts, and that top cowling to reduce cleanup to a minimum.
More to the point, I REALLY enjoyed this build, which these days is what I look for, in a kit
With the Profi-pack boxing, Eduarhasve provided just the right amount of photo-etch that is used appropriately for details such as canopy handle, cockpit door locking bar. ( I don’t believe the black and yellow stripe handle is correct for a wartime machine though) and cockpit details such as instrument panel and seat straps.
Eduard - I am ready for those new tooled Tempests and Mustangs!
Bruce Anders
