The Little World

Australian historians of the RAAF, of WW2, of the Spitfire, and of No. 79 Sqn should have a field day with this Italeri model.

They can spend hours finding faults in it and listing them, from the failure to have the exact wing to the lack of seatbelts to the inclusion of the Maytag washing machine motor instead of the Merlin. Really rabid ‘raks will pick up the fact that the tailwheel doesn’t revolve.

I have established a bureau to deal with these complaints – it meets behind the bike shed at midnight. In the meantime this will join the Buffalo, Boomerang, Wirraway, and Vengeance target tug on the Australian shelf. The packet of DK Decals has proven itself again.

So have italeri – this is a delightful kit that fits well and gives real value for money. This frigality was extended to the paint scheme – the RAAF Foliage Green is my own mixture and now that I have a decent formula I will make a big jug of it for future use.

My one kick is the landing gear. Italeri have done their best with keyed sockets for the legs and decent doors, but quite frankly I am surprised that any Spitfire has ever landed twice. I have seen thicker legs on a budgerigar. No wonder the Seafire was rickety.