Kotare Spitfire Mk.Ia (1/32)

[stona]

Well, I've only gone and done it! I've bought one of the Kotare Spitfires.

I've had a quick peek in the box and am very, very impressed. The parts count is quite low for a model in this scale, but they all look to be very nice and crisply molded. Decals etc. all look nice.

The most impressive item in the box is the instructions. There are, of course, clear instructions for the construction along with painting tips but also a large number of relevant photographs and extensive explanations about the appearance of the three options that come in the box. All the research that one would normally do to make one of these aircraft has been done for you and clearly by people who are genuinely enthusiastic about the subject.

I have no idea where I will put yet another Spitfire but I am looking forward to starting it anyway. We'll see how it goes.

The unimpressive box:


Some nice looking plastic. You can see a lot molded in which might otherwise be separate parts, hence the low overall count.


And finally a random sample of the very impressive instruction booklet.

[stona]

I've been doing my usual research, in conjunction with that done by Kotare. This has led me into a bit of a minefield!

As usual, one starts this kit with the cockpit. Easy, you say, it will be interior grey green. Unfortunately not. Kotare recommend a mix for what they call 'Supermarine Green' for much of the cockpit. I am aware that early Supermarine aircraft had a brighter green interior colour, I've seen all the debates about 'eau de nil', 'apple green' (what colour is an apple?) and various other colours, but have never bothered with anything but the standard interior grey green colour. I'm still not sure what I'll do with this one. I'm leaning towards a vague attempt at a brighter green of some sort.

Next up the armour behind the seat and behind the pilot's head. Again this is usually painted in interior grey green, but Kotare suggest black as most likely. Bloody hell, what a rabbit hole. My intended subject first flew on 5th January 1940, delivered to No. 24 MU on the 16th. The armour was introduced as a factory modification on 6th February 1940, which gives us one certain fact. The armour was not fitted at the factory. So what colour was it? There is evidence for aluminium, black, and interior grey-green. I've ruled out Supermarine's green as that was a factory colour. I've seen the well known film of the servicing of a No. 609 Squadron Spitfire Mk.I taken in June 1940, and that has black armour plate. This is the route I'm tempted to take. It will at least be different.

I haven't even got into the wheel wells, struts and hubs, which would have been factory finished in black (port) and white (starboard) and what happened to them when the underside was re-finished in Sky!

Kudos to Kotare, their in depth research and notes give you some options. You can then either follow their 'most likely' recommendation or decide on an option which you think more likely. At the end of the day it's your model and you can paint it how you like.

And I thought Luftwaffe colours were tricky

[Mickc1440]

Look forward to seeing this come together

[Allen Dewire]

I'm in for the build, Sir! Oh, and it's not illegal to own too many Spitfires.....Unless you try to take over a small country or the like, with them...

The most impressive item in the box is the instructions. There are, of course, clear instructions for the construction along with painting tips but also a large number of relevant photographs and extensive explanations about the appearance of the three options that come in the box.

Great to hear Steve, as Kotare was started with some old employees from Wingnut Wings in tow. WnWs had very good instructions with period pics and info too. You just needed to understand a little New Zealandish when building the kit. Another give-away is the 'High Quality Scale Model Kitset', printed on the box cover. Detail looks great and the fit should be too...

I just wish they would re-release some of the old WnWs kitsets.....The Hansa-Brandenburg W.12 would be ideal.......

Prost
Allen

[Tim Marlow]

That looks really excellent Steve. I’m sure your research will be as good as anyone’s, so what you go with will be pretty much the definitive version.

[adt70hk]

Does look very good Steve. The instructions are a work of art in themselves.

Good luck with the build.

Andrew

[stona]

I've made a start of sorts.

I hate mixing colours which are then hard to match in a few weeks when I suddenly decide I need one again. I've used Sovereign Hobbies 'eau de nil' for Supermarine green. It's a colour I had in the draw, still in its cellophane - no idea why I bought it. The interior grey-green is the MRP colour, which is almost identical to Sovereign's anyway.

Obviously these are just sprayed, are in bright light and will need toning down a bit.

[stona]

I've had a couple of hours this morning, and as the instrument panel gets fitted pretty much on the starting line, I thought I'd get that done.

If you are allergic to doing decals, look away now!

There are 26 decals for the panel, I've done 25 as my version does not have the flap position indicator dial. I've done my usual trick for small decals and laid them down on a drop or two of Klear, which serves both as a glue to stick them down and a setting agent to suck them down.



Once this is dry, another drop of clear on top of the decals for glass and it should be good to go.

The kit gives two seat options, one with a molded Sutton harness you can paint and one without. I've gone without as I will add my own after-market harness. Guess what's next on the agenda. You do have to remove the molded lap belts from the seat sides, takes all of five minutes, really not an issue.

[Geoffers]

Very nice Steve :thumb2:

The instrument panel is on another level :surprised:

Geoff.

[stona]

This is it for now, as I have to make up the harness and the weather is too nice to sit doing that for a couple of hours!

Neither of the frames (instrument panel and seat) are glued in place. They are just pushed in, which tells you how good the fit is. It's so good you have to be careful about clean up, paint etc. or bits won't go all the way home. That will have a knock-on effect that could be really boring.

I went for black armour, which I quite like. The two 'greens' look okay together too.

[Tim Marlow]

Loving that IP. Nice changes of colour as well, really adds to the interest. Great detail all round really.

[Neil Merryweather]

OOOH Lovely!

[Gern]

The low parts count sounds good. Most manufacturers today seem to think that 47 zillion parts make for a better kit. As far as I'm concerned, that just gives you more chances to get things wrong!

[Waspie]

Amazing detail on the instrument cluster. I had to stop myself calling out ‘T’s and P’s all good’ it is so realistic.
Going to grease the magic carpet Mk7 so I can keep with this one.

[stona]

The low parts count sounds good. Most manufacturers today seem to think that 47 zillion parts make for a better kit. As far as I'm concerned, that just gives you more chances to get things wrong!

I couldn't agree more.
Sometimes you get the feeling that small parts are made in two or three even smaller parts just because they can be.