Fans of navalised Spitfires will welcome the return of this low-back Seafire variant, with fresh decals, as CHRIS CLIFFORD reports.
Airfix’s first foray into the subject of Griffon-engined Seafires was the 1/48 FR.47 kit, first issued in 1996 to (mostly) critical acclaim. However, we had to wait 15 years for another Seafire sub-type in this scale, in the shape of Airfix’s F.XVII, which was also well received, offering wing folds and great detail all round. Now, that kit has been re-released with fresh markings for three different British Fleet Air Arm airframes, as stock number A06102A.
If you’re unfamiliar with this tooling, the parts come on two mid-grey runners and one clear. Panel line and rivet engraving is relatively fine, corresponding favourably with scale drawings. The cockpit is a busy area due to well-moulded instrument panel with raised/recessed features, a decent depiction the type’s tubular ‘floating’ floor, seat and bulkhead/seat mount. Extra detail is already in situ on the inner fuselage, but other separate items, such as the throttle, are added too.
Above: Fine panel line and rivet detail is evident on the major parts.
Above and below: While you can model this Seafire with standard-format mainplanes, the s…
