Recently I read somewhere that every blog should have at least one of those “there I was” stories. Well, ok.
There I was, in one of the few model shops that remain in Vienna. It’s quite a small shop, but it’s absolutely packed with stuff that can make you drool – if you are into planes or military vehicles, that is. On top of all the plastic they stock Gunze, Alclad and various other odds and sods we all need. On that particular day it just so happened that I was around the corner (yeah, right), so I figured I could drop by for a minute and get some Gunze colors. And maybe take a look around. That wouldn’t hurt anyone, would it.
20 minutes later I was about to pay for my goods. Three jars of paint. Oh, and that Revell F-15E some dude decided to sell second hand. Ok, I had been looking for that kit up and down for quite some time, musing over the prices people asked for it on ebay, and generally wondering why such a beauty doesn’t get re-released. Good excuse, I would think.
While packing my goods, the shop owner mentioned he just received a shipment of Italeri kits, including the Spitfire Mk.Vc. And that it’s an absolute steal. And that it would include decals for an US version from North Africa. Being not entirely convinced by Italeri’s offerings in the past, I still decided to take a look at it – and was impressed! Only later I would find out that this one is a re-boxing of the Classic Airframes / Special hobby kit. But anyway, in the end I left the shop with both kits – and another one, the P-40E shown somewhere else in this blog.
What’s the point to that story, you may ask. I don’t know. Maybe it’s that no matter how well we plan our purchases, sometimes you just have to seize the opportunity. Or maybe it’s the simple realisation that there is still a place for the local hobby shop, no matter how many times we order online…
So, here she is. Ultracast seat, RB Models gun tubes, painted with Gunze acrylics (top sides) and Italeri Azure Blue. And yes, everything that has been written regarding the cockpit having fit issues is true, but can be overcome with some test fitting, cutting and sanding.
