Spitfire Mk.VIII

As strange as it was to work on this variant of Spitfire, I must admit that the clipped wings have grown on me. I actually prefer it over its ever so iconic sibling. The option for the full wing variant was available but I just had to see this one through. I’m glad that I did because I like the outcome very much.

The build itself went extremely well. It should have been the first to be completed if not for the lack of the right color issue that I experienced. To ensure that this problem will not happen again, I will now check my resources in the beginning of the build to allow enough time for any required corrective action. You would think that I would follow that practice already. This will also be way easier now that I have a dedicated workbench. It has certainly been wonderful to leave everything in one place for the duration of the build. My plan is to leave a notebook that I can jot down what colors I will need so I can check my stock and obtain what I do not have. 

So back to the build. Hasegawa put out a great Spitfire. The only issue that I experienced in the build was the landing gear struts not wanting to cooperate. It may have been my own demise, but the struts weren’t long enough to fit into the holes in the gear bay. I had to trim the gear doors to add some length to the struts. It worked but I wasn’t too thrilled that I had to do that. Other than that, all went well. The decals show a little silvering but not too bad. I am currently looking for a better clear than what Testors has to offer. I may try Future again but I have experienced problems with the weathering when I use it.