Spitfire F/HF Mk.VII

Czech Master Resin, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

CMR's 1/72 scale Spitfire F/HF Mk.VII is available online from Squadron.com

Czech Master Resin continues their relentless quest to produce every Spitfire variant known to man with their latest, the Supermarine Spitfire F/HF Mk.VII high altitude interceptor.

The Spitfire Mk.VII was a dedicated high altitude fighter which was fitted with the Rolls-Royce Merlin 60 series engine. This high performance powerplant was equipped with a two-stage supercharger. The Spitfire Mk.VII therefore required a longer nose than its predecessor, the Spitfire Mk.VI, to accommodate the new engine. This lengthened fuselage also applied to the Mk.VIII, Mk.IX (which actually preceded the Mk.VII into service), PR.X, PR.XI and the Mk.XVI.

Other changes compared to the Mk.V included pointed and extended wing tips, reduced span ailerons, fully retractable tail wheel, symmetrical radiator / cooler housings under the wings, increased fuel capacity, a narrow intake for the pressurised cockpit beneath the starboard exhausts and the introduction of a new style rudder during production. The Spitfire Mk.VII was fitted with the "C" wing as standard.

Czech Master Resin's 1/72 scale Supermarine Spitfire F/HF Mk.VII comprises 56 resin parts, a pre-painted photo-etch fret, four vacformed canopies, canopy masks and markings for nine aircraft.

The resin parts are superbly cast with crisp, finely recessed surface detail.

The wing is particularly noteworthy, being a single-piece casting with ejector ports and deep wheel wells cast in place. This is the high altitude "C" type wing with pointed wing tips. Trailing edges are admirably thin, and the large castings are free of warpage. Cannon barrels, machine gun stubs and "C" wing gun blisters are all supplied as separate parts.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

The fuselage halves are already separated from their casting blocks, but some cleanup and thinning of the bottom fuselage will be required. This should be a fairly straightforward task. The wings should be equally fast to remove from the their resin strips. A few more minutes cleaning the flash from the leading edge, and these major components will be ready for assembly.

Smaller parts are packed securely in separate compartments of a plastic  bag. These are as impressively cast and as well detailed as the wings and fuselage. Two options are supplied for the four-bladed propeller. One is cast with the spinner and prop blades in place, while the other provides separate parts for a more refined effect.

Control surfaces are cast in neutral positions except the alternate rudders, which are supplied separately. One of each of the standard rudder and the broad-chord pointed rudder are included. A choice of either the early "unkinked" or later "kinked" elevators is also provided. A slipper tank is another option.

A nice bonus in recent CMR kit releases is the inclusion of an Eduard colour photo-etched fret. These are not generic, but have been produced for the specific models. In this case, we are supplied with a fabulously detailed instrument panel and harness in full colour, with other important details such as the sidewalls, pilot's armour, undercarriage covers, radiator faces, wheel hubs, oleo scissors also being finely rendered.

Two styles of canopy are included. Two of each are supplied in case of a slip-up with your hobby knife. These clear parts are nice and clear with well defined canopy frames.

Markings are supplied for a whopping nine Spitfire F/HF Mk.VIIs. Five are in Dark Green and Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey, one is in an interesting early high altitude interceptor scheme of PRU Blue upper surfaces and Deep Sky lowers, while the remaining three are painted Medium Sea Grey on all upper surfaces and PRU Blue below. A number of marking options include the narrow invasion stripes used by high altitude fighters on and after 6 June 1944.

In fact, there are more than nine possible marking combinations because several subjects offer different markings for different dates. Also, where there is some question about the colour of codes, two choices are supplied.

The decals, printed by Tally Ho! are perfectly in register with excellent opacity, even for the white, and appear to be very thin.

Resin tends to be a less forgiving medium to work with than polystyrene, but the relatively simple parts breakdown and superb quality will make this kit ideal for the modeller who wants to try their first all-resin kit.

Czech Master Resin has delivered another gem with this 1/72 scale Spitfire H/HF Mk.VII.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to CMR for the review sample

CMR Models are available online from Hannants in the UK,
NKR Models in Australia and quality specialist model retailers worldwide.