Supermarine Spitfire MKVB plastic model plane kit in 1/72 scale built from the Airfix kit

This MKVb Spitfire model is built from the Airfix 1/72 scale plastic model kit. Airfix at the time of writing this kit build article still make amongst the most accurate small scale plastic model Spitfires in my opinion, eclipsing many other manufacturers in the most important area of accurate scale outline. The characteristic gull effect on the underside wing of the Spitfire is recreated very well in the Airfix kits, this one included.

The kit is not perfect though, lacking the super detailed cockpit you can find in other makes and having raised instead of the more desirable recessed panel lines. Some detail is nicely recessed however including the cowling outline. Generally though you can make a very fine model Spitfire from an Airfix kit.

The MKVb Airfix Spitfire comes in standard issue soft blue-grey polystyrene plastic. This material is an easy plastic to work with but is not incredibly strong. Moulding quality is high with my example, minimal flash and few sink marks. Dry assembly of the parts is very good, the aircraft's components fitting well together.

As ever the model's construction is begun with the cockpit. In this kit you get a seat, a seperate backrest, a reasonable pilot figure and a baseplate to mount them on. The canopy moulding is quite a good one for 1/72 scale, and you also get a gunsight for the cockpit.
No painting instructions were included for the interior colour of the Spitfire's cockpit. I have plans for a larger scale Spitfire MKVc however so I painted it interior green as per the instructions with this model. The seat was given a leather base and the pilot given long term leave in the spares box. There's enough plastic pilots in there now to have a real good RAF mess style booze-up, some of the minute men are legless already.

The cockpit assembly fits from the underside of the joined fuselage onto two rails moulded into the fuselage. The fuselage sides themselves come together very well indeed and very little in the way of sanding or filler is needed here.
The propeller assembly is good, just needing a slight tidy up around the spinner.
The way this model is constucted you can join the fuselage sides first, and then insert the propeller assembly as access is good until the wing is joined on.

Spitfire Mk Vb model plane page 1 construction
Spitfire Mk Vb model plane page 2 construction
Spitfire Mk Vb page 3 finished aircraft