Tamiya's 1/32 scale
Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXc

by Robert Swaddling

Tamiya's 1/32 scale Spitfire Mk. IXc is available online from Squadron

I have finally completed my first Tamiya 1:32 scale Spitfire Mk IX. I say “first” because I am sure there will be many more.

The model was built almost straight from the box and varied from the plans and/or recommended colours in some instances that I brought up on “Plane Talking” as I progressed.

I chose to build a model of EN398 which happens to be the a/c featured on the box art. This Spitfire was the mount of Johnnie Johnson when he led the Kenley Canadian Wing during the summer of 1943. EN398 was an early Spitfire Mk IX and therefore had the early carb intake, elevators, double cannon blisters, I.F.F. “cheese cutter” aerial wires, undercarriage indicators, and fully painted fuselage interior.

I did add the black leather back pad to the seat and the oxygen hose to the starboard cockpit side.

Tamiya’s instructions show the I.F.F. aerial wires in the decal instructions but don’t mention them, or drilling out the holes in the fuselage sides. The bushings are there and the attachment points on the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizers. I drilled both these out and used fine model railroad telegraph lines for the wires.

Paint

I used my 35 year old Paasche H airbrush for the main painting, Sea Grey Medium undersides, Ocean Grey uppers, and then freehanded the camouflage Dark Green on with an Iwata Micron C airbrush. This was the first time I ever used the Iwata and although I got good results, I found it very uncomfortable to use.

I used Testor’s Model Master enamels and Metalizer paint. The clear coat before decaling was Testor’s Metalizer Sealer and the flat coat after decaling was Floquil Polly-S Clear Flat.

I lightly weathered the wear points on the airframe and added oil on the belly using Floquil Grimy Black mixed with Floquil Clear Glaze.

Decals

I used the kit decals and did have some problems with them. As suggested on “Plane Talking” I started using hot water and had better results but the main decaling of the model had already been done by then.

Robert Bracken was my friend. He wrote “Spitfire the Canadians” and “Spitfire II the Canadians” and with these two books did more for Canadian military aviation history than anyone I know of. We had long telephone conversations and he wrote letters when he had no e-mail service. I had prior knowledge of Tamiya doing the Mk IX although I believed that it would be in 1:48 scale. I trusted Robert Bracken with my secret and he also trusted me with some things from him that he said were “for my eyes only”. Sadly, Robert passed away September 27, 2008.

He would have loved this new Spitfire from Tamiya and I would have sent him a kit as soon as I got one. I decided to build it as EN398 as it was Johnnie Johnson who wrote the Foreword for Robert’s first book. Robert knew Johnnie Johnson. So the last piece that I added to the model of Johnson’s Spitfire was a 1:32 scale model of Robert Bracken’s “Spitfire the Canadians” laying on the seat.

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Image and Text Copyright © 2010 by Robert Swaddling
Page Created 25 January, 2010
Last Updated 25 January, 2010

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