Kit No: 648 109
1/48 scale
Resin parts: 6
Photo Etch parts: 1 fret
Stencil Decals x 1 sheet
Available from: Eduard directly & most model shops
Available from: Eduard directly & most model shops
Most pilots who flew the Supermarine
Spitfire will agree that it was a great aircraft, easy to fly and with no nasty
surprises for even a ham-fisted driver. But when we began adding external
gadgets for which it had not been designed, such as fuel tanks and bombs,
problems began to emerge. New terms crept into our vocabulary, such as
"aileron up-float" and "air locks". When dive-bombing
began, maximum permissible airspeed was stressed, which I seem to recall was
457 mph. (Flight Lieutenant William “Bill” McRae)
“There can be no doubt that flying heavily
bomb-laden Spitfires on ground attack sorties against a determined,
disciplined, and dug-in foe was a very dangerous occupation. Consequently, many
brave and skilled pilots were lost over Northern Italy during the last
hard-fought months of World War Two. Many of these men are now buried in the
war cemeteries dotted around the Po valley, Ravenna, Venice, and Bologna, but
many more still remain undiscovered along with the wreckage of their aircraft.”
This testament from the Battle of Britain
Memorial site speaks something to the suitability of the Spitfire as a bomber.
The later model Spitfires (from the Mk.V
onwards) were capable (with the addition of wing pylon mount points) of
carrying a mixture of external fuel tanks and bombs on the wings and fuselage
center line.
The 500lb bomb could only be carried on the
centerline station and each wing station could carry a single 250lb bomb or
120lb smoke charge.
Eduard provides the modeler with a single
500lb bomb (with appropriate rack) in the 648 109 Brassin set. The bomb itself
consists of 4 parts on two blocks whilst the centerline rack is provided as 2
parts each on their own sprue.
The set is rounded out with a small PE fret
and decal sheets for weapon stencils.
The casting in particular the bomb fin is
very fine (and delicate) in 1/48 scale. As you can see from the photo the
review set had a slightly damaged fin (the broken part was in the box and will
be easily re-attached with CA glue).
The general shape and size of the bomb
looks to me to be accurate when compared to wartime photos of operational
Spitfires
The parts for the centerline rack to attach
the bomb to the Spitfire fuselage are provided on two sprues
Assembly again is very straightforward, the
instructions are clear and the hardest part will attaching those tiny PE parts.
This wartime photo clearly shows the size
difference between the 500lb and 250lb bombs as they are loaded onto a Spitfire
prior to a sortie.
Eduard continues to produce high quality
extras for its 1/48 Spitfire kit allowing the modeler to depict just about any
configuration of one of the worlds most beloved aircraft. If you are looking to
“load-up” your Eduard Spit then do so using accessories that match the quality
of the original kit in every way. Highly recommended.
Gary Wickham
Thanks to Eduard for sending us this kit to review
