1:72 Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI

Instrument panel Spitfire Mk.IX / XVI 1:72 (Yahu Models)

This is a pre-painted etched instrument panel set in 1:72 scale from the manufacturer Yahu Models. It is not an aircraft kit but a finished colored accessory which replaces the plastic instrument panel out of the box in the cockpit. The panel is put together from several laminated etched layers into a three-dimensional relief, the dials are painted at the factory and coated with a gloss varnish that imitates the glass of the instruments. The panel is intended for plastic models of the Spitfire Mk.IX and Mk.XVI, among them AZ Model, Airfix and Hasegawa.

What it is for

It replaces a flat plastic or decal panel and gives the cockpit fine, faithful detail without the need for laborious painting of the instruments. The panel is simply degreased, shaped slightly if necessary and glued in place of the instrument panel with cyanoacrylate glue.

The real subject

The Supermarine Spitfire was a British single-seat fighter of the Second World War. The Mk.IX version received a two-stage supercharged Merlin 60 series engine as an answer to the German Fw 190, and the closely related Mk.XVI used the license-built Packard Merlin. It is among the most famous fighters in history.

Who it is for

• Modelers who want to raise the detail of a Spitfire cockpit in 1:72 quickly
• Builders of British fighters of the Second World War
• Beginners and the advanced alike who do not get on with painting small instruments
• Collectors who will appreciate pre-painted photo-etch ready for use

This is an accessory, an etched instrument panel, not a model of an aircraft. The base kit and glue are not included in the package.