HobbyBoss Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop 1:32 – build review

Feature Article with Mal Mayfield

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A note from Geoff C…
Here’s a quick look at how Mal’s project turned out…

Very nice as it happens!

NOTE
This special feature article is presented differently by Mal, it involves many more captioned photos and less separate text. It’s all in chronological order and should be easy to follow covering the whole build in excellent depth and detail.
This is a visual EPIC build – enjoy!!

Over to you Mal…

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Hi,
My name is Mal Mayfield and I used to create paint masks as “Miracle Paint Masks”. I say “used to create”, as I am now retired. But having done so for many years I only paint the markings on all of my models, which is really what this write up is all about. I only use the stencil data decals and try and do as much of the markings as possible with paint, even down to any artwork.

This is my HobbyBoss 1:32 Spitfire Mk.Vb Trop finished in the markings of Wing Commander Ian Gleed. Most of the photos are captioned and I have tried to walk the novice to painted on markings through my process. It includes the painting of the wing commander’s pennant and Figaro the cat personal emblem.

Using paint masks is essentially as easy as applying decals if, like with decals, you know what you are doing. Basically it’s a technique to learn and if you can use an airbrush then there are no real difficulties in doing it.

I think that this HobbyBoss kit is known for its issues, some of which I don’t have the skill to correct, such as the over-wide fuselage, but I did rectify a few of the shortcomings using mainly aftermarket items with a little scratch building thrown in – see the captions.

The aftermarket items used were:

1. Quick boost tail planes
2. HGW Instrument panel
3. Master Cannon barrels
4. eduard seat belts.

Added details and scratch built items:

1. Revell 1:32 Mk.IX Spitfire windscreen canopy part. (My kit had two sets of clear parts!)
2. VHF radio antenna left over from my Tamiya 1:32 Spitfire Mk.XVI
3. Wheel covers left over from my Tamiya 1:32 Spitfire Mk.XVI
4. Undercarriage lever from my Tamiya 1:32 Mk.IX Spitfire (I’m using a Barracuda item on that)
5. Modified the kit seat to better represent the original (it is still far too large but the Barracuda one looks lost in there!)
6. Removing the headrest
7. Head and set armour
8. Rudder actuation crank.

I used MR. Paints throughout, with artist oils for the washes and AK weathering pencils, which I am fairly new to using, as this is only the second model on which I have used them. I am building something else at the moment and I have used them on that and I am getting the hang of it. I masked the canopies with Parafilm M.

This is the second Spitfire Mk.V that I have built using the HobbyBoss kit and I would like to build more Mk.Vs. It isn’t totally accurate shape wise, due to the very much over-wide fuselage but, unlike some, I do think that it does look like a Spitfire, as long as you don’t park it next to a Tamiya kit! It is easy to build though.

What I hate about it is that it forces me to correct the stupid mistakes that HobbyBoss could/should have got right.

Since I retired, Millie my logo, insisted on appearing on the build log. See my next build, she has all but taken over!

Read on…