Something british

Spitfire VB Trop.....
Spitfire MK.1
Both brilliant.

Here's a kit I can personally reccomend. HASAGAWA SEA HURRICANE Mk1/1b. The Mk1 is the "Hurricat" merchant ship mounted catapult fighter, and is really a Hurricane with "Royal Navy" painted on the side. The Mk1b was fitted for true carrier operations with arrestor hook and catapult spools, they were fairly successful, notably for their role in forcing the passage of supplies to Malta against strong land based air opposition. The kit comes with a resin insert for the rear fuselage underside with the hook moulded in, you have to cut a section out of the plastic to fit it making this a "box stock" conversion. There are a variety of marks of Hurricane depicted in different issues of this kit and lots of "spare" parts from other variants are included such as propellors and exhausts. there are also alternative wing leading edge sections for different armament fits. Using these spares, I converted mine to a Sea Hurricane Mk2c, I had to fill the access panel lines for the 8 mg gun fit and rescribe for the cannon breach access panels and add bulges. On one side I went the whole hog and opened the wing, built a cannon bay interior and added two breeches left over from a Sea Fury detail set. All this just to use an overall white scheme on an arctic convoy escort aircraft because I like the look of it. This is a nice kit and inexpensive. What is in the box alone is a lot of project for your money.

Here's a kit I can personally reccomend. HASAGAWA SEA HURRICANE Mk1/1b. The Mk1 is the "Hurricat" merchant ship mounted catapult fighter, and is really a Hurricane with "Royal Navy" painted on the side. The Mk1b was fitted for true carrier operations with arrestor hook and catapult spools, they were fairly successful, notably for their role in forcing the passage of supplies to Malta against strong land based air opposition. The kit comes with a resin insert for the rear fuselage underside with the hook moulded in, you have to cut a section out of the plastic to fit it making this a "box stock" conversion. There are a variety of marks of Hurricane depicted in different issues of this kit and lots of "spare" parts from other variants are included such as propellors and exhausts. there are also alternative wing leading edge sections for different armament fits. Using these spares, I converted mine to a Sea Hurricane Mk2c, I had to fill the access panel lines for the 8 mg gun fit and rescribe for the cannon breach access panels and add bulges. On one side I went the whole hog and opened the wing, built a cannon bay interior and added two breeches left over from a Sea Fury detail set. All this just to use an overall white scheme on an arctic convoy escort aircraft because I like the look of it. This is a nice kit and inexpensive. What is in the box alone is a lot of project for your money.

The Swordfish is a beauty of a kit, but remember, only 30 dollars to spend, as far a Canadian 30 dollars go, most 1/48 Tamiya is going out of reach.

If you don't mind me suggesting away from Tamiya, you might want to look at one of ICM's 1/48 Spitfire kits. Details like you wouldn't beleive straight from the box (the engine is practically a kit in itself) Aftermarket couldn't improve on them. I believe all major marks of the Spit are covered in that series. I think FSM reviewed one of those kits in the past couple of years but I'm not sure if the review is recent enough to have been archived on this site.

ICM also has a 1/48 razorback P-51 with RAF and Polish decal options. I've heard very good things said about it as well.

If you don't mind having no alignment devices molded onto the parts, these kits are great and very nice by Western standards considering the originate from an Eastern company. They easily hold their own against current Tamiya offerings and usually I see them come at a somewhat more reasonable price than Tamiya.

OK hows this for something a bit different which sums up the British way of "Hanging on in quiet desperation" better than a Spitfire ever could. Tamiya Fairey Swordfish.

The Tamiya 1/48 Mosquito and their Beaufighter are both equally impressive models.
I'd recommend either.
But then again, virtually any 1/48 scale WWll fighter or bomber can be built in British markings.
How about the British TBM (Accurate Miniatures)? Great model.......
Cheers
LeeTree

nsclcctl hi
good to see someone going for something british!!
my suggestion would be to go for a classic like tamiya's 1/48 battle of britain spitfire mk.I; i'm building it on-and-off at the moment in between goup-builds, and it's a great kit; it has the option of the v cool half black half sky underside as well as a slightly less challenging paint scheme, and you can masks etc for the camo if that's what you like...
let's know what you choose...
regards,
nick

You could always do the Tamiya Gloster Meteor.

Hmmmmmmmmmm I would go with the Beaufighter for the twin engine and go with either the Typhoon or tempest in the single engine categories.

QUOTE: Originally posted by shrikes If you want to do a single engine fighter, i think i saw a tamiya RAF mustang the other day... not exactly british, but it's don't in RAF markings...!

"The P-51 was designed and built in the USA but not because of any US contract or requirement. The British were responsible for hiring NAA to produce a new fighter, and NAA then designed the Mustang to RAF requirements. The RAF received early shipments and flew various models of the Mustang throughout the war."
http://www.p51.mustangsmustangs.com/p51.shtml

the Mosquito is a great kit and so is the Beaufighter

The tamiya mosquito, also the hasegawa hurricane is a nice kit.

Actually Shrikes.
It may not have been built by a British company but, it was originally built for the British!!!

Randie

BEAUFIGHTER!!!!!!!!

If you want to do a single engine fighter, i think i saw a tamiya RAF mustang the other day... not exactly british, but it's don't in RAF markings...!

Mosquito!

Not sure what's current in the Tamiya range, however, if you want British...
Tempest, Typhoon, Mustang IV, Corsair (with square wingtips), Could you afford a Mosquito? or the Beaufighter?, most impressive in 1/48th. The last two you could do in night fighter markings, or how about a Hurricane night fighter, or desert camouflage.
we used the P40 in the desert too, 112 squadron had sharks teeth under the nose.
Hope thats given you something to think about.
All the best
Pete