Spitfire Mk.Vb Messerspit (Powered by DB-605A-1)

Brengun, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Mark Davies

Sword's 1/72 scale Ki 44 Shoki is available online from Squadron.com

In November 1942 a Spitfire VB EN830 NX-X of 131 Squadron made a forced landing in a turnip field at Dielament Manor, Trinity, Jersey, under German occupation at the time. This aircraft was repairable and started being test flown in German markings and colours at the Luftwaffe's central research facilities at Erprobungsstelle Rechlin. There it was proposed that the Spitfire's Merlin engine should be replaced by a Daimler-Benz DB 605A inverted Vee-12 engine; the Spitfire was sent to Echterdingen, south of Stuttgart, where Daimler-Benz operated a flight testing division.

When the Merlin engine was removed it was discovered that the fuselage cross section was virtually identical to that of the engine nacelle of a Messerschmitt Bf-110G. Consequently a new engine support structure was built onto the Spitfire's fuselage and the DB 605 engine and cowling panels added. A propeller unit and supercharger air intake from a Bf 109 G completed the installation.

Other changes made were to replace the Spitfire instruments with German types, and to change the 12-volt electrical system to the German 24-volt type. In this form the Daimler-Benz Spitfire started flying in early 1944. It was popular with German pilots and was flown regularly until destroyed in a USAAF bombing raid on 14 August 1944.
Source: wikipedia.org.

Previous 1/72 scale DB-605 Spitfire Hybrid Kits & Conversions

There have been few attempts that I am aware of to kit or offer conversion to make a DB-605/Spitfire hybrid in The One True Scale. I only know of a resin kit by RS Models and conversions by Delta and Model Maker Resin.

Whilst not a subject that I would rate as being on everyone’s list, there will surely be those that will welcome the availability of an injected kit that covers this novel Spitfire version.

Contents

The kit comes in a typically Czech end-opening box with attractive enough artwork on the front. The painting and decal guide is in colour on the reverse side of the box using profiles and small upper and lower plan views. The instructions have a parts map and use easy to follow assembly diagrams. These are adequate, have colour call-outs cross-referenced to the Humbrol paint range and RLM codes, and all of the text is in English. There is no brief history of the aircraft. A resealable cellophane bag encloses the parts and decals, with the clear and resin parts in a small bag of their own.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 

Thumbnail panels:

The first thing that struck me about the kit’s contents was their familiarity; here was our old friend, the AZ Model Spitfire Mk.Vb in all its tan-plastic glory. The Brengun contribution consists of an additional tan sprue providing the necessary parts and decals to complete a DB-605 hybrid model.

 
I have recently reviewed the AZ Spitfire Mk.Vb kit in some detail as part of my Brengun Spitfire Floatplane review, here on HyperScale. Please look if you wish to know about the base kit contents.

I concluded that the base kit is a very accurate and well-detailed kit of the Spitfire Mk.Vb.

The DB605 Hybrid Parts

The additional Brengun sprue is in the same tan plastic as the base kit with matching tooling style and finesse.

The parts include two full fuselage halves with the DB-605 nose, a typically German engine supercharger air-inlet scoop, along with suitable propeller, spinner and exhausts. The welcome news being that obviously there is no need to chop off and replace a Merlin-engined nose. Consequently, this kit will be just as straightforward to build as a regular AZ Model Spitfire Mk.Vb kit.

I have no idea if much cockpit instrumentation was changed, or if the distinctive German oxygen system was installed. Obviously, there must have been changes to some instruments and engine controls etc. I can forgive Brengun if they have not addressed this aspect, which would matter to very few I think.

Colours and Markings

One set of markings apply to this unique aircraft.

The decals are printed clear and crisply, with good colour density. There is also a separate sheet of stencil markings.

This is a very straightforward kit of the unique DB-605/Spitfire hybrid. Its strengths are a good and accurate base kit by AZ Model, and avoiding the complexity of nose surgery by providing compete replacement fuselage halves.

Perhaps not “a must” for all Spitfire fanatics in the One True Scale, I still recommend this kit highly for those who like one-offsr wish to cover more obscure Spitfire variants.

Thanks to Brengun for the review sample.

Review Text Copyright © 2014 by Mark Davies
Images Copyright © 2014 by Brett Green
Page Created 20 February, 2014
Last updated 20 February, 2014

Back to HyperScale Main Page