Eduard 1/48 Aussie Eight Kit First Look

by Michael Benolkin

First Look

For a brief history of the Mark VIII Spitfire and the a look at the original release of the Eduard 1/48 Spitfire Mk.VIII, please look here.

Here is another of Eduard's special releases which is a combination of two complete kits and a special book. I'm not sure if this is a book release with two free kits or a dual combo release (two kits) plus a free book. Either way, any Spitfire lover that acquires one of these will be happy indeed. This set focuses on the Spitfire Mk.VIII in Australian service.

With several exceptions, this kit is identical to the previous release mentioned above - this release includes a set of Brassin main gear wheels/tires, there are two complete kits in this box, and there are four new decal sheets. Among the features and options in this kit:

• Nice cockpit with separately molded sidewalls
• Color photo-etched instrument panel and seat belt/harness
• Positionable cockpit entry door
• Choice of open or closed canopy
• Choice of rear view mirror type
• Choice of F, LF or HF wingtips
• Reasonable Merlin fishtail exhaust stacks
• Positionable ailerons
• Positionable elevators
• Positionable rudder (choice of early or late (pointed) rudder)
• Positionable radiator flaps
• Choice of styrene or Brassin wheels
• Optional underwing bomb racks w/bombs

The aforementioned decal sheets (including one huge sheet) contain markings for 31 subjects:

1. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-484, CR-C, 80 Wing CO, G/C Clive Caldwell, Morotai, 1945
2. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-411, QY-P, 452 Sqn, F/O Peter Bullock, Sattler Airstrip, 1944
3. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-435, QY-T, 452 Sqn, F/L William Cundy, Sattler Airstrip, 1944
4. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-477, ZP-Q, 457 Sqn, F/L Alf Glendenning, Sattler Airstrip, 1944
5. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-513, UP-X, 79 Sqn CO, S/L Ron Susans, Morotai, 1945
6. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-528, CRC, 80 Wing CO, G/C Clive Caldwell, Clark Field, 1945
7. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-379, ZF-Z, 549 Sqn, F/L David Glaser, Strauss Airstrip, 1944
8. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-482, TS-V, 548 Sqn SO, F/L David Glasser, Darwin, 1945
9. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-429, QY-V, 452 Sqn CO, S/L Lou Spence, Sattler Airstrip, 1944
10. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-457, ZP-Z, 457 Sqn CO, S/L Tom Trimble, Sattler Airstrip, 1944
11. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-516, QY-T, 452 Sqn, F/L Des Cormack, Morotai, 1944
12. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-504, QY-R, 452 Sqn, F/O Rex Watson, Borneo, 1945
13. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-609, ZP-F, 457 Sqn, F/L Bill Cable, Morotai, 1945
14. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-651, UP-Z, 79 Sqn CO, S/L Ken James, Morotai, 1945
15. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-606, ZP-W, 457 Sqn CO, S/L Bruce Watson, Sattler Airstrip, 1945
16. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-606, ZP-W, 457 Sqn CO, S/L Bruce Watson, Borneo, 1945
17. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-517, UP-F, 79 Sqn, F/O Norm Turnbull, Morotai, 1945
18. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-602, RG-V, 50 Wing CO, W/C Bobby Gibbes, Sattler Airstrip, 1944
19. Spitfire Mk.VIII, JF630, FL-C, 81 Sqn, F/O Larry Cronon, Patel, India, 1944
20. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-312, DL-R, 54 Sqn, F/L Gossland, Truscott Airstrip, 1944
21. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-430, QY-V, 452 Sqn, F/O Jack King, Borneo, 1945
22. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-518, CR-C, 452 Sqn, F/O Jack Pretty, Morotai, 1944
23. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-522, UP-A, 79 Sqn, F/L Len Reid, Morotai, 1945
24. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-631, ZP-V, 457 Sqn, F/L George Scrimgeour, Borneo, 1945
25. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-303, -, 1 APU, Laverton, 1944
26. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-370, DL-W, 54 Sqn, Darwin, 1945
27. Spitfire Mk.VIII, MT687, BQ-C, 451 Sqn, Cuers Airfield, France, 1944
28. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-526, UP-L, 79 Sqn, Morotai, 1945
29. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-543, UP-?, 79 Sqn, W/O Hubert Eccleston, Morotai, 1945
30. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-419, ZP-Y, 457 Sqn, F/O Fred Inger, Sattler Airstrip, 1944
31. Spitfire Mk.VIII, A58-602, RG-V, 80 Wing CO, W/C Bobby Gibbes, Morotai, 1945

The decals are nicely printed and include a set of airframe stenciling for each kit.

Last, but certainly not least, there is a special edition title called 'Aussie Eight' included written by Peter Malone. This 104 page reference covers the Spitfire Mark VIII in RAAF service and here's a look a the line-up:

• The RAAF and the Spitfire VIII
• Camouflage and Markings
• Spitfire Pilots
  • Clive Robertson Caldwell
  • Robert Henry Maxwell Gibbes
  • Louis Thomas Spence
  • Thomas Hamilton Trimble
  • Ronald Thomas Susans
  • William Ronald Cundy
  • Leonard Stanley Reid
  • Laurence Francis Marshall Cronin
  • Wilfred Aurthur Goold
  • Kenneth Elwyn James
  • Alfred Glendinning
  • Rex Wyndham Watson
  • Desmond John Cormack
  • William Oswald Cable
  • Ernest Derek Glaser
  • Bruce Dudderidge Watson
  • Norman Albert Turnbull
  • Peter William Bullock

The title is full of color profiles and period photographs and is all written/published in English. What is interesting is that the booklet that is also included which illustrates the decal subjects states that the decal color profiles are rendered without weathering and that you should use the photos in this book to understand the weathering on these aircraft. Are folks really complaining that there is no weathering shown in decal profiles?

Whether you buy the book with the free kits or the Dual Combo kit with the free book, this is a really nice release for modeling the RAAF Spitfires with a variety of camouflage schemes to choose from.

My sincere thanks to Eduard for this review sample!