The BEST Aircraft Model Kit EVER? Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire Mk. I (1), Full Build

#scalemodelling #kitreview #tamiya #spitfire
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This is my full build video of the Tamiya Spitfire Mk 1 in 1/48 scale, this is the best model Kit I have ever constructed for it’s clever engineering and fantastic fit, could this be the best model aircraft kit available? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

[hemana]

This was the only thing i wanted as a kid. That was 50+ years ago now, and it was just a plane, and stickers. No other bells or whistles. What a true enthusiast you are. Its nice watching people who do things with such precision. Anyways, its 50 years later and i can still smell the glue that came out of the wee ali tube. As for models, i was terrible. Clumsy with my hands, no finesse, lol. Fine with a guitar, or a rugby ball or pretty much anything else. It took me 20 years to become an "adequate" wood carver, so now im just starting out. And that was only coz i refused to give up on carving.

[seamusblack]

Tamiya - the ONLY model making Company

[jamescarr]

I never knew about the depth of these kits. As a young lad I pinched an Airfix Spitfire from Woolworths in the UK. I was caught and ended up crying my eyes out. They let me go and I never shoplifted again--ever.

[johnford]

Yep! Going to the model shop in the 70s was the thing to do

[weschaffin]

As a yank, to me this has to be the most sexiest fighter of WW2. Plus hearing a Brit narrate brings it altogether.

[garrygraham]

I remember as a 13 year old back in 1971 building one of these. I was as rough as guts, but I will never forget the satisfaction I felt at building several WW2 aircraft, the Mk 1 Spitfire being the best of all.

[GilbertdeClare]

😮😮😮DUDE ! !, THANK you for modelling LZ- N she was one of my DAD's charges during BoB with 66Sqdn. When the Revell 1/32 Spitfire first came out, I HAD to paint on the LZ-D codes as I have several photos of him fondly standing next to "HIS Kites".😊Many Thanks, and a great build BTW

[petewarby]

Really nice video. I'm 54 now and hasn't built a model since childhood. My wife bought me an Airfix model of a Lancaster a couple of years ago when i was trying to recover from Covid. Worst kit ever, missing parts, poor alignment. Good to see there is a decent kit maker out there still.

Thanks for sharing the build.

[ianjackson]

One of your best builds matey, well modelled.

The 'blue' underside was more common than folks think, officially we know that Sky Type S was the Ministry preffered colour but some references say as many as 30% of the Spits, Hurricanes & Gladiators wore a blue underside.

I was told by a Blenheim pilot and model builder (his squadron shared an airfield with a couple of Hurricane units in Spring 1940), that all of those Hurri's were blue underneath whilst the Blenheims were still painted aluminium - the squadron boss was impressed enough to send the maintenance team to the local Woolworths and buy-up as much pale blue paint as they could so they could match the Blenheims to the Hurricanes.

The punchline is, that the Blenheims were sent to another station before they could paint a single aircraft and the Hurri's 'inherited' all the tins of unopened Woolies blue emulsion !!



Best from NZ.

[internetjunky]

My first model as a small kid was a Spitfire. It’s still after 60 years of living my favorite looking fighter. All the right lines in all the right places. Simple beautiful.

[EdBert]

I'm in the final stages of the Tamiya 1/32 Corsair. It is simply the most precise kit I've ever seen, some parts fit so tight it is almost a snap-in. Some parts are so tight that a layer of paint was too much.

I've been out of modelling for the last 25-26 years, and I'm a little surprised, but happy, to hear that they are still the best in the industry.

[johnaldred]

Had hours of fun making airfix models as a kid back in the them...!

[timeandspace_.]

YouTube randomly suggested this to me. Loved your enthusiasm for the kit, kept me watching

[zooniethelazoon]

See the 2 seat version flying over the Isle of Wight nearly every day. Yesterday 2 in formation. The sound makes your hair stand on end!!

[pirobotbeta]

Well, my brother evaluates model kits professionally....
Seriously, I don't know if he still runs that business, but this looks right up his alley!
Well made, well researched...

He would build kits and modify them to match some historical 'war-bird'.
He has several B-17 models in the Smithsonian; replicas of famed aircraft, every bullet-hole and flack-stain meticulously realized.

We experimented with an air-rifle, sand-blasting grit and aluminum foil to make 'scale battle damage'.
Air-rifle to propel a small charge of grit at high-speed, foil is perforated randomly to simulate flack damage.
We shot dozens of bits of foil; he used ones that closely matched damage seen in photographs.
Soot from the blast came from candle flames!
He worked out a brittle paint for the foil that would break off, making 'bright rings' around every bullet hole!

He did all sorts of diorama scenes: He did the artful stuff, I came up with 'micro-explosives' to damage his creations.
We used 'wire-explosions'* to punch raggedy holes in Styrofoam sheets, then painted the surfaces to look like broken concrete and rebar, or bricks and mortar.

*Discharging a high-voltage capacitor through a very fine wire often results in a powerful but tiny explosion.
It could easily split a 2x4, but the explosion couldn't throw the pieces apart!
No burn, but a dark smudge of vaporized copper in the hole that made convincing small-scale weapons damage.

[iainstirling]

You've got to love a Spitfire! Iconic.

[MrSimonmcc]

Haven't done any model construction in years. After watching this I've I've just ordered the same kit 🤪

[rerun]

I made this when I was a kid. My dad taught me what MK 1 meant in the car home from the model shop. It's a nice memory.

[flybobbie]

Weathering just use cheap artist acrylic sets. Water based if you don't like what you see you have a few minutes to wash it off start again. Just add a drop of washing up liquid to break the water tension. Fix at various steps with matt or satin lacquer.

[johnniewelbornjr.]

This build just popped up randomly (I usually get all sorts of model railroad vids suggested) but I used to do a lot of plastic until about 15 years ago when I began moving about too much, then concentrating on photography in depth. I miss building and may someday return to it, for it was always very rewarding. I grew up in the 70s with the old generation of injection molding that left so much to be desired and correcting manufacturing defects or poorly executed details was simply part of the process. This model is beautifully finished and shows just how incredible modern day molds have become. I remember when the photo-etched details entered model railroading and they obviously add all the more when coupled with the plastic models, as well. Thanks for sharing this build, even if I'm witnessing the video a couple of years after the fact. Well done!