u/Mosquito_Models849

What to say about this kit? It’s fantastic. Possibly one of the best 1/72 kits out there and I say this as someone who favours 1/48. The only issue I had was the closed canopy was a bit too long but I opted for an open canopy anyway, that issue is easily fixed. There’s very few small and fiddly parts and everything went together effortlessly. I’d highly recommend this kit to anyone in the hobby.

Products used:
Kaleido Primer, Vallejo cockpit green for the cockpit with some other Model Colours brushed on.

Vallejo Metal Colour for the Metallics.

Mr Surfacer 1500, Tamiya XFs for the exterior finished with GX114.

Weathering:
Vallejo pigments, ABT 502 oils. Metal Colour for chipping.

I don’t usually dabble into 1/72nd as I find some kits a little too fiddly and I like bigger canvas for painting, that being said this kit is delightful. I bought this as a bit of filler between work trips before I get back to the bench for longer than a few days. It goes together so well, beautifully engineered. Decided to try some free hand camo and really impressed with how it’s coming along, can’t wait to weather it.

I added the night camo and finally worked up the courage to take the masking tape off, really happy with only 3 minor corrections to do. I used Mr Hobby 416 which is a black-gray in lieu of a Matt black to create a bit more depth and I’m very happy with it!

I had a test last July and had a very unlucky fail where I was pressured into going by a car behind me. I went back into the trenches and managed to get another test date for April which got cancelled.

The pressure on today felt overwhelming, but I managed my nerves. Had a really nice chatty examiner and cracked a few jokes and had some great banter all the way around.

It was my perfect test route, ring road and the roundabouts to me felt like second nature. No satnav an I was made to follow the signs, however I’d done the route with my instructor so many times it was just muscle memory.

Went 2mph over the 30 limit but it was either not clocked or I brought my speed down quickly that he didn’t care. Back into the home straight for the test centre I decided to wait just to be safe and got my only minor. Quick reverse in the right and back in to tea and medals.

Don’t give up, drive until the very end. Only move off when you feel ready, if you get a minor for it, so be it.

Upon competing the painting of my Eduard Spitfire, I went to gloss it using X-22 and Mr. LT. whilst it went down okay in places it pooled on the nose of the aircraft, it reacted with the layers underneath and stripped the paint. I left it for a couple of days, played some Zelda, read a book, and asked myself why this hobby chose me. I then went back to it, sanded it, primed it and repainted. It seemed like a big task but in the end it was very easy. Going forward at least I know that it’s not the end of the model. Very happy with the result too!

Mr Hobby for with levelling thinner for the earth/sky

Tamiya RAF green for the green with X-20A

I love how these paints behave, very forging and the levelling thinner is magic.

Eduard spitfire Mk.II. First time with Mr surfacer, yes it smells like it wants to kill you, but my god that finish.

Shoot out to Matt at The Inner Scale Model Nerd fo the excellent stand.