Spitfire Mk.IX Seamless Upper Cowling

BarracudaCast, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Brad Fallen

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Eduard’s 1/48 Spitfire Mk.VIII, IX and XVI family are all beautiful kits that have been justly praised for their accuracy, detail and buildability.  I recently built most of an early Mk.IXc Weekend Edition kit over a couple of days (alas not the weekend) and was generally delighted with the fit. 

The only problem I encountered was entirely self-inflicted:  in contravention of the instructions, I glued each upper cowl half to its respective fuselage side before attempting to fit the exhausts.  While attempting to wrestle the exhaust stubs through the now too-narrow gap I broke off each upper cowling half and was back where I had started, with the added problem of some damaged parts to fix.

I wouldn’t have had this problem if – instead of the kit cowls – I’d used Barracuda Studio’s 1/48 seamless upper cowling.  Designed specifically for Eduard’s kits and beautifully cast in cream resin, the cowling represents the type fitted to most Spitfire Mk.VIIIs and IXs. (If you’re building a Mk.XVI or late Mk.IX, Barracuda has an equivalent part that represents the slightly ‘blown’ cowling fitted to these variants; as always, check your references for the specific aircraft you’re modelling.)

Given that I had a near-complete, cowl-less Eduard Spitfire to hand, I couldn’t resist test fitting the Barracuda cowling.  The resin pour stub at the rear of the cowl was carefully removed with a razor saw, and any rough edges cleaned up with sandpaper before the cowling was offered up to the model.  Fit was near perfect, with only a little fettling required to adjust the sit.  When I glue the cowl on permanently, I’ll probably also run a little Tamiya liquid primer into the joins where resin and plastic meet to ensure a smooth transition and absolutely no gaps.

Based on this example, I’ll probably be using a Barracuda cowl on every Eduard Spitfire I build.  Well researched, engineered and produced, the cowl is better and easier to use than the equivalent plastic parts, and at US $7.95 is a small investment in luxury that you will appreciate greatly. 

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Barracuda Studios for the images and information

Barracuda Studio products are available online from their website

Text and Images Copyright © 2016 by Brad Fallen
This Page Created on 7 September, 2016
Last updated 7 September, 2016

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