I live in Auckland New Zealand and I know both Mark Robson and Richard Alexander through IPMS Auckland. The decision NOT to include an engine was taken basically for economic reasons. Basically the cost of developing a full engine would have DOUBLED the retail price of the kit. Kotare is a small (Fewer than 8 full time employees) company, and, unlike Wingnut Wings which was backed by a Billionaire (Sir Peter Jackson- Mark is Not a Billionaire - we works as a Veterinary Surgeon - and could afford to include engines in the WW1 kits, Kotare simply did not have - at this point - the financial means to develop the molds and design. (And especially not as they wanted to do the Marks II and V, followed by "some others")
Thanks Brett, I thought as much and it makes complete financial sense to do so. Better to get a solid product out that will sell to a large majority of modellers (most of whom will not care about an exposed engine or gun bays) and then work on it from there. Their strategy of developing several kits around the "A" wing is very financially sound too, with three or four different variants relatively easily developed from that initial wing mold making a lot of sense, instead of catering to a very small few (a whinging few!) who want an engine... Thanks again for your comment Brett - I lot of modellers are jumping to wrong conclusions! Cheers, Chris
Engines are a nice feature in a model but unless the builder puts a lot of thought into how to display it, the effort is wasted. This looks like a great kit. No engine? No problem!
Thanks for the great overview, Chris. I'm one of those engine included nutters only because the mechanics of how things work fascinates me. I also appreciate the significance of the Merlin in the history of aviation powefplant development and its impact on aircraft development and performance. For similar reasons, I would have liked to see open gun bays with .303s on at least one wing. All said, though, it is a stunning kit. I'm glad I bought one.
I reckon aftermarket will come to the rescue here for the gun bays and Merlin engine. I'd love to see a large scale Merlin - say 1/16 or so - as a standalone model because I'm with you about being fascinated with the mechanics of it! Cheers Chris
@@beckersmodels Have you seen the 1/16th Model Airways WW1 engines? Lovely stuff. The same treatment for iconic WW2 engines would be incredible. As far as the Kotare path forward, how neat would it be for them, as you said, to do sprues with engines on test stands as seperate kitsets?
Great review Chris and thanks for highlighting the colour question on the serial codes. You got me worried that it was me who had been rude to Jen - absolutely not the case, loads of respect for her - in any case I deleted my text just in case my message could be misread. Still waiting for my kit tO turn up but boy I think it'll drop any minute now! Looking forward to part two. Dave.
Heh heh no Dave it wasnt you, I think it was another Dave! Jen's review was great, really love her passion for it, something we all share! Part 2 is up, just unlisted, look for it in the playlist...its bloody long, sorry about that, but I had to cover a lot of ground and highlight all the good points in the kit. Cheers Chris
Your so knowledgeable thank you just sub to your channel. I have a quick Q to ask, I currently have the Mk VIII Tamiya and was looking at this. Should I build the Tamiya before looking at purchasing this kit.
Looks like an excellent kit and would love to buy one. However the current price in my part of the world is quite high at around $170-180 + tax CDN and shipped from Kotare direct is close to $200 CDN factoring in shipping, duty/taxes thus putting it out of reach for many. On the other hand the Tamiya 1/32 MkIX/Mk VIII Spitfire, which includes an engine, can be found as low as $130-140+tax CDN with free shipping. So in the end the Tamiya kit, which is considered the best 1/32 Spitfire available, is still the best bang for your buck kit. If the Kotare kit price was down around the $130+tax CDN price range I think they would sell much better.
I agree on price point, but the Tamiya kits have been around for a long time, and hence pricing will be better. Kotare are just starting out and also needed to weigh up tooling costs on an engine compared to finishing the kit at a reasonable price point to actually make money. I think there strategy of delivering an early Merlin Spitfire will eventually pay off. I actually wish the Tamiya Spits didnt have the engine as standard, but as an extra - all of my Tamiya Spits will be built without the engine (or the bare bones), but I will be hyperdetailing one or two as a standalone kit. thanks for your comment, much appreciated!
Hi Chris,WOW a great review, I'm glad you are considering Al Deeres' Kiwi,the black and white undersides will be a point of difference.Looking forward to pt 2.👍👍
@@beckersmodels I'll be going the Al Deere route. You should check out "Doulas Bader this is your life" here on you tube. That's a bloody eye opener and Al Deere is a guest on it. You wont regret it.
Thanks mate, yes the price is a little high, but as I explained above, its a new company and they need to make their initial investment back. I reckon it will eventually come down as more kits are released. I dont mind paying extra for superlative engineering - for example the GWH Curtiss Hawk in 1/32 is quite expensive, but at least twice as good as any Trumpeter boxing...
I accidentally clicked on the reviewer who was very negative on this kit because there was no engine. Having watched your review and learning more about the kit i've now placed an order for one. Thx for showing me the error of my ways :)
I have built a few kits 'with engine' and due to mold or design error , including the engine has been a pais in the a%%. then to add to insult, once built , the engine covers have been non removable, so only I KNOW THE LUMP IS THERE ! why bother. as for the mhining gits, I remember a kit, where once built and on flying stand, addition of a battery made the prop turn, awesome right ! Yep except for whinies who complained there wasnt a sound chip, and rivet counters who complained the prop blades were wrong angle and rotation speed in real life wouldnt be enough to pull the plane. yes we would all like a 1/24 spitfire with stick that controlled surfaces, sound chips, motorised detaile engine and prop, soft wheels that flatten and articulated pilot ! but then who would be happy with a £500 + price tag ? and then the whinies would complain the lights werent spot on. I swear if you managed to shrink a real spitfire down dissassemble it into kit form, the whinies would complain its not perfect or the glue dont stick. makes me laugh "kotare dont add an engine, bad kit !, but dont knock PM MODELS, ACCADEMY, TAMIYA etc because their kits range from attrocious to inaccurate, they are just models and so what if their spitfire looks like a kitty hawk after botched surgery, it has an engine ". HOW TO KILL OFF A PROMISSING NEW COMPANY (Then they can all sit around and sing sad songs about a model company that died too soon) , P Lease , get a bit of prespective.
LOL. Told my wife about your comment and she loved out loud - she had no idea I was putting Mr Squiggle references in my videos! Cheers Chris - Ill do it earlier for you next time!
I’m still waiting for mine from Hannants. 🤞🏻And I couldn’t care less that there’s no engine because I intend to build this Mk.1a in flight. I knew there was no engine long before I ordered the kit. Just need a 1/32 pilot figure for this. I already have the Airfix Mk.IX with its engine for a parked-Spitfire display. 😊
Another inflight - that must be nearly 10 of us! I would recommend the spare Tamiya pilot perhaps with a resin head from Aires....thats probably my solution, with some HGW fabric seatbelts..
It's here? I remember asking you about 4- 6 months ago about a good 1a kit and you mentioned Kotare was coming out. Now I just have to work on budget and where to buy. While waiting, I directed the budget toward the 4 Tamiya 1/48 special edition kits with jeeps and crew. Even though I'm still getting up the learning curve, the first thing that came back was your definition of MOD, model obsessive disorder :-) but like my Lancs, when the new kits come out you grab a few with some accessories . I think the name Spitfire came from the granddaughter or niece of the designer who said she was a real " Spitfire ". The elliptical wing had an odd characteristic. When in a tight turn they shook indicating you were about ready to stall, which, if you had enough altitude gave you the advantage of turning into the enemy. It was the first generation of what we called a "stick shaker". Glad you are recovered from the medical adventurers Great box review. I need to find a place in the colonies to order or may go direct around June. Cheers, Bob.
Hey mate!!! Shout out from Canada! I really like your presentation style and content. You get right to business and don't waste time talking about useless stuff. Keep it up!
Oh thanks Evan, I think I talk too much sometimes, I try to keep it short and sweet, but there was so much to talk about in this review. Part 2 is even worse - nearly 50 minutes long! But thanks again! Cheers Chris
@@beckersmodels A Spitfire is a Spitfire is a Spitfire to me. I don’t favor any mark over another. I’m not going to be glazed over by the “it’s ex Wingnut Wings hype”. My Airfix kit is beautiful. Airfix has come a long way. I use to dog on them as well. Kotare is proving to be another over priced boutique brand just like WW was. Which is why they no longer exist. At least they didn’t charge 200 pounds for this kit like WW would have. I’ll give them that. Maybe they have slightly learned from their previous mistakes
Exactly - but for some reason the whingers are really hitting Kotare but giving Revell a pass, probably because of the price point. I'd still love to build a standalone Merlin, but preferably in a very large scale like 1/16 or so...thats more appealing...
Hi Chris, thank you for the review. I didn't know that our cousins across the ditch took over wing nuts. I have built the Tamiya 1/32 mk VIII and from memory the engine had more parts than this entire kit, after painting and detailing the engine I had a hell of a time fitting it all together (Beautifully engineered for the perfect modeler though!) I look forward to your build videos and will keep an eye out for Kotare in future. Cheers.
Hi David, I am currently in hospital 🏥 and ready to build my Mk VIII. And looking at this kit from an easier point of view. And being in hospital of course, the kotare looks polished and looks good. How did you go with your build on the Mk VIII. I am prob just your average moddeler, what was the hardest of the build? Cheers Ocean
@@OceanTomkins-f5yHi Ocean, I wish you a swift and painless recovery. To be honest, the engine was the difficult bit as I am near retirement age and had only just came back to modeling after many years. The model was a joy to assemble and the fit was perfect. If you do have problems with fit check the instructions again. Chances are that you are doing something wrong. I hope you enjoy building it mate.
@@davidpalmer4184 hi David my apologies calling you Chris. Thankyou for such a quick reply. I will certainly look at the instructions, I did something similar on my P51 mustang. Im like you only started 2 years ago. Loving modelling and I too have retired so this keeps me going and grounded. Ocean
Great looking kit Chris. You knew as soon as the word was out that the ex WNW guys were starting Kotare, that whatever they were going to release would be the benchmark. As for price, everything has gone up, you pay for quality. I am building ICM's 1/35 CH-54A Tarhe, and that cost bloody $260 with postage because I didn't want to wait 6 months for it to be released in Australia. And the quality is not in the same league as this Spitfire, but if you want to build something, you will pay for it. Listening to your comments about the whingers on social media gave me a laugh, nothing changes, just glad I quit all that
Cheers Grant - yeah price is important to some, I'm not fussed anymore. This is a bloody cheap hobby when its all said and done. Like I said elsewhere, that GWH Curtiss Hawk is expensive, but worth every penny with its details and options and "buildability". Can't wait to see that CH-54 mate - ICM are really going great guns despite the war! Cheers, Chris
I am assuming that all these engine manics never build 1/72, where the words detailed engine dont exist ! or 1/48 where you have either basic engine or cockpit rarely both !!!!
Speaking of the three profiles included, Wingleader Photo Archive Volume 1 features all three aircraft for those who would like some more reference material.
You made my day with this hilarious comment! I have that kit in my sell pile. First, its not a Mk 1, and its inaccurate for a Mk V too - the rivet detail is almost all bogus, the windscreen is a joke, the elevators are wrong...yes its cheap and at a distance it looks like a Spitfire, if that's what you want from a kit, go for it! LOL
Hi Chris, that was a exceptional kit review, so well done on that, I will look forward to the build video, and for the most pary do we really need engines in kits? I think not, best regards from a Kiwi lad living in Melbourne 👍👍👍
Thanks fur the review the best i have seen i can't wait to get mine i like Kotare's choice of modelling this kit as an aircraft ready for flight like 99% of war time photos not like it's at a car show showing its engine off
Excellent review Chris. I think many of the people who are down on this kit don't really understand what they're looking at. Kotare themselves say it's about the accuracy and build engineering. The surface detail is second to none. Looking at mine, at a guess I'd say that there are as many as 40 or 50 parts on another brand kit that are already moulded in here (cockpit sidewalls) or included as one part (wheel well walls). Hence why the parts count is only 117. And it is the first kit from a brand new company, with all the costs that entails. Perhaps judge them after they've released 5 or 10.
Exactly Phil! You'll see when I compare the sidewall detail to the Tamiya Spits in 1/32 that Kotare have exceeded it. In fact, the seat and the IP and a lot of other detail is BETTER than Tamiya, but with less parts. I am so looking forward to further kits, I've already put my order in for the Mk 1 Early and Mk Va!
Hi Chris, a wonderful walk around of the kit. Kotare are Kiwi then, I hadn't heard of them, but then I've been away from modelling for some years. It looks a great kit, great instruction style, and if I decide to do 1/32 I will get one. I agree with your remarks re instrument panel decals etc. So individual decals takes longer, so what. You make a model for the experience, not for productivity. The joy is in the building. The admiring afterward is insignificant by comparison. What a pity they didn't do a non flat tail wheel for in flighters, missed a trick there. As regards no engine? Anyone who really wants one (and it might be attractive) then get out the plasticard and rod and bits of sprue and ...... and make one. Modelling is surely not just kit building. I remember many years ago I built ships too and I built a model of HMS Liverpool (Southampton class second group) form a HMS Tiger kit and the only real commonality between them was hull shape. Superstructure turrets etc all different. Plasticard, rod etc made the differences. Lets just regard making your own engine as super detailing! As regards Spitfires, Mk 1s and Mk 2s were made to exactly the same set of drawings. Mk 1s at Woolston (Supermarine) and mk 2s at Castle Bromich (the shaddow factory near Birmingham). The mk 5s were basically mk 1s and 2s with the upgraded Merlin 45. So similar that a lot of mk 5s were surviving mk 1s and 2s modded. Interesting idea, a box for the transparencies. It would save a lot of grief over cracks etc.
Makes it unbuildable doesn't it? No rivets on the wings either, I wonder if they are filled as it shows in contemporary reference pictures? Or you could add them for a bit more flavour? Not sure why you're hung up on this particular "skimping". You want an engine too?
@@beckersmodels Don't care about the engine. Stabs just weird. Yes the rivets are there. Guess was spoiled by GWH's P-40B, and the Tamiya Spits. Sorry about the dissent.
Yep its been announced - its the next kit alongside side a Mk Va. End of 2023 or so I think? I'm getting at least one or two of those, I want to do a Dunkirk one...
Yep its at least a 5/7! I give it a 98/100 to be honest...just needs better protection of clear parts and slight reworking of the landing gear inserts. Oh and maybe a mask set included!
Thanks Nick - Part 2 is in the playlist if you want a sneak peek, I'll make it public in a day or so...and there might be a Part 3 where I explain in full the inflight conversion...
Good luck to Kotare with their new venture. Kit looks to be of good quality. Just a shame it's another spitfire. What with every UA-cam modeller and his dog doing the Airfix 1/24 spit and now this one, the Spitfire is becoming somewhat of a borefest. Other aircraft have existed. (I realise they need to do the spit-cliche first to attract sales to fund other kits) And therefore in answer to the thumbnail, no, it isn't 2023's best kit. Not with the new tool 1/48 Airfix Gannet promised, and another Bucc., but subjectivity and all that...
Borefest? Wash your mouth out with soap! Its a Battle of Britain Spitfire - the only thing more exciting would be a Battle of Britain Hurricane! The Airfix 1/24 Spitfire Mk IX doesn't interest me, as the Tamiya in 1/32 is superior in almost all respects. Airfix has to improve immeasurably to be even considered kit of the year - their quality control is still woeful.
@@beckersmodels my history is a little sketchy but there were other air battles, I'm sure... The Spitfire for all its undoubted glory has, sadly, become something of a cliché. Same with the Lanc. So yeah, borefest. Take your pick of models to build with every manufacturer thinking they can do it a little bit better than the last (and no doubt they are) and the modellers will keep paying vastly inflated prices because IT'S A SPITFIRE! and there's a general lack of imagination out there. It really is a pleasure to watch aircraft other than spits, Lancs, mossies etc., being built by really good UA-cam modellers for example the Beagle, Skyvan and Tri-Motor models that Greg coaxed into fantastic builds from sketchy 1960s kits. Anyway, you get my point. I love a spit as much as the next man (and I love a well engineered kit too), and even though the spit has just become a massive money spinner for kit manufacturers, I understand the economics of it all, I just think I've reached spit saturation point...
If parts counts is all that counts, a fair comparison. But how many of those Airfix parts actually fit? How many require endless hours of tedious cleanup and mold seam removal? How many require re-engineering because they weren't designed properly? How many are short shot or suffer some sort of quality control problem that is endemic to modern Airfix? Give me 140 parts that have none of those problems please, I dont give a damn about cost, I'm here to build a model with enjoyment and a smile on my face! And you also can't compare the Airfix behemoth to three guys and a Kea parrot in NZ just starting up a new company either - of course its going to be more expensive. You get plenty for your money - you get a new tool Mk 1 Spitfire in a large scale that looks almost exactly like the real thing that saved the West during WW2.
Did you actually watch the video? All that surface external detail is there (your reference photo is a Mk V, but very similar to a Mk 1). All the painted builds I've seen so far shows the lapped panels and raised rivets very clearly just like the 1:1 version. Go see your optometrist perhaps?
I live in Auckland New Zealand and I know both Mark Robson and Richard Alexander through IPMS Auckland. The decision NOT to include an engine was taken basically for economic reasons. Basically the cost of developing a full engine would have DOUBLED the retail price of the kit. Kotare is a small (Fewer than 8 full time employees) company, and, unlike Wingnut Wings which was backed by a Billionaire (Sir Peter Jackson- Mark is Not a Billionaire - we works as a Veterinary Surgeon - and could afford to include engines in the WW1 kits, Kotare simply did not have - at this point - the financial means to develop the molds and design. (And especially not as they wanted to do the Marks II and V, followed by "some others")
Thanks Brett, I thought as much and it makes complete financial sense to do so. Better to get a solid product out that will sell to a large majority of modellers (most of whom will not care about an exposed engine or gun bays) and then work on it from there.
Their strategy of developing several kits around the "A" wing is very financially sound too, with three or four different variants relatively easily developed from that initial wing mold making a lot of sense, instead of catering to a very small few (a whinging few!) who want an engine...
Thanks again for your comment Brett - I lot of modellers are jumping to wrong conclusions! Cheers, Chris
Engines are a nice feature in a model but unless the builder puts a lot of thought into how to display it, the effort is wasted. This looks like a great kit. No engine? No problem!
Thanks for the great overview, Chris. I'm one of those engine included nutters only because the mechanics of how things work fascinates me. I also appreciate the significance of the Merlin in the history of aviation powefplant development and its impact on aircraft development and performance. For similar reasons, I would have liked to see open gun bays with .303s on at least one wing. All said, though, it is a stunning kit. I'm glad I bought one.
I reckon aftermarket will come to the rescue here for the gun bays and Merlin engine.
I'd love to see a large scale Merlin - say 1/16 or so - as a standalone model because I'm with you about being fascinated with the mechanics of it!
Cheers Chris
@@beckersmodels Have you seen the 1/16th Model Airways WW1 engines? Lovely stuff. The same treatment for iconic WW2 engines would be incredible. As far as the Kotare path forward, how neat would it be for them, as you said, to do sprues with engines on test stands as seperate kitsets?
Great review Chris and thanks for highlighting the colour question on the serial codes. You got me worried that it was me who had been rude to Jen - absolutely not the case, loads of respect for her - in any case I deleted my text just in case my message could be misread. Still waiting for my kit tO turn up but boy I think it'll drop any minute now! Looking forward to part two. Dave.
Heh heh no Dave it wasnt you, I think it was another Dave! Jen's review was great, really love her passion for it, something we all share!
Part 2 is up, just unlisted, look for it in the playlist...its bloody long, sorry about that, but I had to cover a lot of ground and highlight all the good points in the kit. Cheers Chris
Phew, thanks for putting my mind at rest, till part two then, chocks away CB
Stunning kit . Impressive instructions .
Indeed - love this type of instructions, I want them in every kit! Thanks for the comment Mark, hope you're doing well - cheers Chris
Your so knowledgeable thank you just sub to your channel. I have a quick Q to ask, I currently have the Mk VIII Tamiya and was looking at this. Should I build the Tamiya before looking at purchasing this kit.
Looks like an excellent kit and would love to buy one. However the current price in my part of the world is quite high at around $170-180 + tax CDN and shipped from Kotare direct is close to $200 CDN factoring in shipping, duty/taxes thus putting it out of reach for many. On the other hand the Tamiya 1/32 MkIX/Mk VIII Spitfire, which includes an engine, can be found as low as $130-140+tax CDN with free shipping. So in the end the Tamiya kit, which is considered the best 1/32 Spitfire available, is still the best bang for your buck kit. If the Kotare kit price was down around the $130+tax CDN price range I think they would sell much better.
I agree on price point, but the Tamiya kits have been around for a long time, and hence pricing will be better. Kotare are just starting out and also needed to weigh up tooling costs on an engine compared to finishing the kit at a reasonable price point to actually make money. I think there strategy of delivering an early Merlin Spitfire will eventually pay off.
I actually wish the Tamiya Spits didnt have the engine as standard, but as an extra - all of my Tamiya Spits will be built without the engine (or the bare bones), but I will be hyperdetailing one or two as a standalone kit.
thanks for your comment, much appreciated!
Interesting. In my part of the world (NZ) this kit set me back $185NZ when I got it. The Tamiya Spits are currently around $270NZ.
@@seanmcfarlane294 new RRP price for Tamiya Spits here in Oz are around $180-220AUD...the RRP for the Kotare is $180AUD or so
@@beckersmodels well someone is making a quid 🤔
Hi Chris,WOW a great review, I'm glad you are considering Al Deeres' Kiwi,the black and white undersides will be a point of difference.Looking forward to pt 2.👍👍
Cheers mate, yep I've locked in Al Deere's Kiwi build for sure - I will try to emulate Darryl Legg's boxart pose inflight....
@@beckersmodels I'll be going the Al Deere route. You should check out "Doulas Bader this is your life" here on you tube. That's a bloody eye opener and Al Deere is a guest on it. You wont regret it.
fantastic review Chris of WNW Mk.2 (Kotare) kit, the price of the kit is going to put most modellers off to be sure.
Thanks mate, yes the price is a little high, but as I explained above, its a new company and they need to make their initial investment back. I reckon it will eventually come down as more kits are released. I dont mind paying extra for superlative engineering - for example the GWH Curtiss Hawk in 1/32 is quite expensive, but at least twice as good as any Trumpeter boxing...
I accidentally clicked on the reviewer who was very negative on this kit because there was no engine. Having watched your review and learning more about the kit i've now placed an order for one. Thx for showing me the error of my ways :)
Thanks Stewart!
I have built a few kits 'with engine' and due to mold or design error , including the engine has been a pais in the a%%. then to add to insult, once built , the engine covers have been non removable, so only I KNOW THE LUMP IS THERE ! why bother. as for the mhining gits, I remember a kit, where once built and on flying stand, addition of a battery made the prop turn, awesome right ! Yep except for whinies who complained there wasnt a sound chip, and rivet counters who complained the prop blades were wrong angle and rotation speed in real life wouldnt be enough to pull the plane. yes we would all like a 1/24 spitfire with stick that controlled surfaces, sound chips, motorised detaile engine and prop, soft wheels that flatten and articulated pilot ! but then who would be happy with a £500 + price tag ? and then the whinies would complain the lights werent spot on. I swear if you managed to shrink a real spitfire down dissassemble it into kit form, the whinies would complain its not perfect or the glue dont stick. makes me laugh "kotare dont add an engine, bad kit !, but dont knock PM MODELS, ACCADEMY, TAMIYA etc because their kits range from attrocious to inaccurate, they are just models and so what if their spitfire looks like a kitty hawk after botched surgery, it has an engine ". HOW TO KILL OFF A PROMISSING NEW COMPANY (Then they can all sit around and sing sad songs about a model company that died too soon) , P Lease , get a bit of prespective.
all true!
Nice rundown of an obviously very nice kit, but c'mon Chris, I had to wait till 21:07 for "upside down, Miss Jane". A man could get mighty thirsty...
LOL. Told my wife about your comment and she loved out loud - she had no idea I was putting Mr Squiggle references in my videos! Cheers Chris - Ill do it earlier for you next time!
Looks like an awesome kit. Could you tell me where you got the pointy sticky thing and what it's actually called?
Thanks - its a U-Star riveting scriber tool: www.scalemates.com/kits/ustar-ua-1800-rivet-scriber--969735
I’m still waiting for mine from Hannants. 🤞🏻And I couldn’t care less that there’s no engine because I intend to build this Mk.1a in flight. I knew there was no engine long before I ordered the kit. Just need a 1/32 pilot figure for this. I already have the Airfix Mk.IX with its engine for a parked-Spitfire display. 😊
Another inflight - that must be nearly 10 of us! I would recommend the spare Tamiya pilot perhaps with a resin head from Aires....thats probably my solution, with some HGW fabric seatbelts..
@@beckersmodels 🤔🥂
And you can't put the flaps down..lol
LOL! Like 98% of all Spitfire kits. In fact, only the 1/32 Tamiya and one or two Airfix 1/48 kits allow you to do this....
Flaps down spoil the looks of the spit!
It's here? I remember asking you about 4- 6 months ago about a good 1a kit and you mentioned Kotare was coming out. Now I just have to work on budget and where to buy. While waiting, I directed the budget toward the 4 Tamiya 1/48 special edition kits with jeeps and crew. Even though I'm still getting up the learning curve, the first thing that came back was your definition of MOD, model obsessive disorder :-) but like my Lancs, when the new kits come out you grab a few with some accessories . I think the name Spitfire came from the granddaughter or niece of the designer who said she was a real " Spitfire ". The elliptical wing had an odd characteristic. When in a tight turn they shook indicating you were about ready to stall, which, if you had enough altitude gave you the advantage of turning into the enemy. It was the first generation of what we called a "stick shaker". Glad you are recovered from the medical adventurers Great box review. I need to find a place in the colonies to order or may go direct around June. Cheers, Bob.
Thanks Bob! Yep it arrived as I was just coming home from hospital, so very lucky to have both happen...
Hey mate!!! Shout out from Canada! I really like your presentation style and content. You get right to business and don't waste time talking about useless stuff. Keep it up!
Oh thanks Evan, I think I talk too much sometimes, I try to keep it short and sweet, but there was so much to talk about in this review. Part 2 is even worse - nearly 50 minutes long! But thanks again! Cheers Chris
Nah I’ll pass on this one. I got the 1:24 Arfix version. It’s bigger and you get an engine at the same price approximately
But its not a Mk 1. And its Airfix so you have to throw fate into the air and hope quality control was good that day. But good luck to you....
@@beckersmodels A Spitfire is a Spitfire is a Spitfire to me. I don’t favor any mark over another. I’m not going to be glazed over by the “it’s ex Wingnut Wings hype”. My Airfix kit is beautiful. Airfix has come a long way. I use to dog on them as well. Kotare is proving to be another over priced boutique brand just like WW was. Which is why they no longer exist. At least they didn’t charge 200 pounds for this kit like WW would have. I’ll give them that. Maybe they have slightly learned from their previous mistakes
Haha Mr Squiggle reference, love your reviews
thanks mate, I seem to put that reference in by accident everytime!
Great review. Shame it's made in China.
Exactly - but for some reason the whingers are really hitting Kotare but giving Revell a pass, probably because of the price point. I'd still love to build a standalone Merlin, but preferably in a very large scale like 1/16 or so...thats more appealing...
Exhausts are actually a conventional resin casting, not a 3d print.
Oh really? That explains lack of printing lines...
No problem at all, and all the rest of it.
And right the way through....highly recommended.
I hope that it'll sell like hotcakes, so that they can make more kits! 😍🥰😎
I might have to get one, possibly, maybe....🤨🤔😉
Do it! It looks like all the preorders sold out, the kit is now on backorder for a month at least. Just get one for the great build of it!
Hi Chris, thank you for the review. I didn't know that our cousins across the ditch took over wing nuts. I have built the Tamiya 1/32 mk VIII and from memory the engine had more parts than this entire kit, after painting and detailing the engine I had a hell of a time fitting it all together (Beautifully engineered for the perfect modeler though!) I look forward to your build videos and will keep an eye out for Kotare in future. Cheers.
Thanks David - your experience is not unique with respect to the Tamiya Spits either! I will definitely be filming my Kotare build!
Hi David, I am currently in hospital 🏥 and ready to build my Mk VIII. And looking at this kit from an easier point of view. And being in hospital of course, the kotare looks polished and looks good. How did you go with your build on the Mk VIII. I am prob just your average moddeler, what was the hardest of the build? Cheers Ocean
@@OceanTomkins-f5yHi Ocean, I wish you a swift and painless recovery. To be honest, the engine was the difficult bit as I am near retirement age and had only just came back to modeling after many years. The model was a joy to assemble and the fit was perfect. If you do have problems with fit check the instructions again. Chances are that you are doing something wrong. I hope you enjoy building it mate.
@@davidpalmer4184 hi David my apologies calling you Chris. Thankyou for such a quick reply. I will certainly look at the instructions, I did something similar on my P51 mustang. Im like you only started 2 years ago. Loving modelling and I too have retired so this keeps me going and grounded. Ocean
Great looking kit Chris. You knew as soon as the word was out that the ex WNW guys were starting Kotare, that whatever they were going to release would be the benchmark. As for price, everything has gone up, you pay for quality. I am building ICM's 1/35 CH-54A Tarhe, and that cost bloody $260 with postage because I didn't want to wait 6 months for it to be released in Australia. And the quality is not in the same league as this Spitfire, but if you want to build something, you will pay for it. Listening to your comments about the whingers on social media gave me a laugh, nothing changes, just glad I quit all that
Cheers Grant - yeah price is important to some, I'm not fussed anymore. This is a bloody cheap hobby when its all said and done. Like I said elsewhere, that GWH Curtiss Hawk is expensive, but worth every penny with its details and options and "buildability". Can't wait to see that CH-54 mate - ICM are really going great guns despite the war! Cheers, Chris
Thanks for sharing.👍
Thank you too
I am assuming that all these engine manics never build 1/72, where the words detailed engine dont exist ! or 1/48 where you have either basic engine or cockpit rarely both !!!!
heh heh something like that - although there are plenty of aftermarket engines available in those scales too
Speaking of the three profiles included, Wingleader Photo Archive Volume 1 features all three aircraft for those who would like some more reference material.
Indeed Bernie - I need to get that volume...and the Hurricane and the Lanc volumes too...Richard Alexander did Vol 1 didnt he?
@@beckersmodels No, Mark Postlewaite did Vol 1, Richard did the first Lancaster Volume.
👍👍👍
Buy the Hobby Boss 1/32 MK V!! More details and far cheaper!!
You made my day with this hilarious comment! I have that kit in my sell pile. First, its not a Mk 1, and its inaccurate for a Mk V too - the rivet detail is almost all bogus, the windscreen is a joke, the elevators are wrong...yes its cheap and at a distance it looks like a Spitfire, if that's what you want from a kit, go for it! LOL
amazing review,thank you so much for making and sharing.
You're welcome Neil, sorry it was so long, I tried my best to condense it, but got carried away!
Excellent looking kit. With the illustrations I might be able to build one of these. Really nice plastic. Thanks for an awesome review.
You're welcome Larry, I really enjoyed doing this review!
Hi Chris, that was a exceptional kit review, so well done on that, I will look forward to the build video, and for the most pary do we really need engines in kits? I think not, best regards from a Kiwi lad living in Melbourne 👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it Les cheers
Looks great
Screw the engine, give me a proper seated pilot. Would certainly be less plastic than an engine.
I'm with you! Although the Tamiya pilot fits nicely if you have any spare...
Thanks fur the review the best i have seen i can't wait to get mine i like Kotare's choice of modelling this kit as an aircraft ready for flight like 99% of war time photos not like it's at a car show showing its engine off
Exactly! A lot of the whingers aren't getting that at all! Its a bad trend IMO....but what can you do?
Thx. For the really comprehensive review!
Now, I want this kit!
Another one another one! You wont regret it!
Excellent review Chris. I think many of the people who are down on this kit don't really understand what they're looking at. Kotare themselves say it's about the accuracy and build engineering. The surface detail is second to none. Looking at mine, at a guess I'd say that there are as many as 40 or 50 parts on another brand kit that are already moulded in here (cockpit sidewalls) or included as one part (wheel well walls). Hence why the parts count is only 117. And it is the first kit from a brand new company, with all the costs that entails. Perhaps judge them after they've released 5 or 10.
Exactly Phil! You'll see when I compare the sidewall detail to the Tamiya Spits in 1/32 that Kotare have exceeded it. In fact, the seat and the IP and a lot of other detail is BETTER than Tamiya, but with less parts. I am so looking forward to further kits, I've already put my order in for the Mk 1 Early and Mk Va!
@@beckersmodels Hopefully they'll give an option in the early for a flat canopy and two-bladed prop - I'd build that one over the mid!
not to mention, some people just like to bitch.
Just a comment for the algorithm
Hi Chris, a wonderful walk around of the kit. Kotare are Kiwi then, I hadn't heard of them, but then I've been away from modelling for some years.
It looks a great kit, great instruction style, and if I decide to do 1/32 I will get one.
I agree with your remarks re instrument panel decals etc. So individual decals takes longer, so what. You make a model for the experience, not for productivity. The joy is in the building. The admiring afterward is insignificant by comparison.
What a pity they didn't do a non flat tail wheel for in flighters, missed a trick there.
As regards no engine? Anyone who really wants one (and it might be attractive) then get out the plasticard and rod and bits of sprue and ...... and make one. Modelling is surely not just kit building. I remember many years ago I built ships too and I built a model of HMS Liverpool (Southampton class second group) form a HMS Tiger kit and the only real commonality between them was hull shape. Superstructure turrets etc all different. Plasticard, rod etc made the differences. Lets just regard making your own engine as super detailing!
As regards Spitfires, Mk 1s and Mk 2s were made to exactly the same set of drawings. Mk 1s at Woolston (Supermarine) and mk 2s at Castle Bromich (the shaddow factory near Birmingham). The mk 5s were basically mk 1s and 2s with the upgraded Merlin 45. So similar that a lot of mk 5s were surviving mk 1s and 2s modded.
Interesting idea, a box for the transparencies. It would save a lot of grief over cracks etc.
I think we'll see lots of different early Merlin variants coming from Kotare - the sprues are all marked Mk I/II/V in various forms!
@@beckersmodels Yes, I would say it looks that way. Good business to get the best from their investment.
No rivets or anything on the stabilizers? Nothing? Man they did skimp on some things.
Makes it unbuildable doesn't it? No rivets on the wings either, I wonder if they are filled as it shows in contemporary reference pictures? Or you could add them for a bit more flavour? Not sure why you're hung up on this particular "skimping". You want an engine too?
@@beckersmodels Don't care about the engine. Stabs just weird. Yes the rivets are there. Guess was spoiled by GWH's P-40B, and the Tamiya Spits.
Sorry about the dissent.
I hope they will soon come out with an early MK1 with wooden prop and straight hood, but probably not.🤔
Yep its been announced - its the next kit alongside side a Mk Va. End of 2023 or so I think? I'm getting at least one or two of those, I want to do a Dunkirk one...
@@beckersmodels Excellent news, i missed the announcement obviously even though i subscribed to their newsletter
Definitely way better than 4/10 😁
Yep its at least a 5/7! I give it a 98/100 to be honest...just needs better protection of clear parts and slight reworking of the landing gear inserts. Oh and maybe a mask set included!
@@beckersmodels it is a gorgeous kit.
Great part one. Looking forward to part two.
Thanks Nick - Part 2 is in the playlist if you want a sneak peek, I'll make it public in a day or so...and there might be a Part 3 where I explain in full the inflight conversion...
Good luck to Kotare with their new venture. Kit looks to be of good quality. Just a shame it's another spitfire. What with every UA-cam modeller and his dog doing the Airfix 1/24 spit and now this one, the Spitfire is becoming somewhat of a borefest. Other aircraft have existed. (I realise they need to do the spit-cliche first to attract sales to fund other kits)
And therefore in answer to the thumbnail, no, it isn't 2023's best kit. Not with the new tool 1/48 Airfix Gannet promised, and another Bucc., but subjectivity and all that...
Borefest? Wash your mouth out with soap! Its a Battle of Britain Spitfire - the only thing more exciting would be a Battle of Britain Hurricane!
The Airfix 1/24 Spitfire Mk IX doesn't interest me, as the Tamiya in 1/32 is superior in almost all respects.
Airfix has to improve immeasurably to be even considered kit of the year - their quality control is still woeful.
@@beckersmodels my history is a little sketchy but there were other air battles, I'm sure... The Spitfire for all its undoubted glory has, sadly, become something of a cliché. Same with the Lanc. So yeah, borefest. Take your pick of models to build with every manufacturer thinking they can do it a little bit better than the last (and no doubt they are) and the modellers will keep paying vastly inflated prices because IT'S A SPITFIRE! and there's a general lack of imagination out there. It really is a pleasure to watch aircraft other than spits, Lancs, mossies etc., being built by really good UA-cam modellers for example the Beagle, Skyvan and Tri-Motor models that Greg coaxed into fantastic builds from sketchy 1960s kits. Anyway, you get my point. I love a spit as much as the next man (and I love a well engineered kit too), and even though the spit has just become a massive money spinner for kit manufacturers, I understand the economics of it all, I just think I've reached spit saturation point...
.. £95 in the UK for 140 parts - same price as the 430-part Airfix 24th MK IX. So you don't get a lot for your money.
If parts counts is all that counts, a fair comparison. But how many of those Airfix parts actually fit? How many require endless hours of tedious cleanup and mold seam removal? How many require re-engineering because they weren't designed properly? How many are short shot or suffer some sort of quality control problem that is endemic to modern Airfix?
Give me 140 parts that have none of those problems please, I dont give a damn about cost, I'm here to build a model with enjoyment and a smile on my face!
And you also can't compare the Airfix behemoth to three guys and a Kea parrot in NZ just starting up a new company either - of course its going to be more expensive.
You get plenty for your money - you get a new tool Mk 1 Spitfire in a large scale that looks almost exactly like the real thing that saved the West during WW2.
@@beckersmodels by all means support Kotare, but, hey....don't be silly about it!
This is not a review, this is a defence of an average model which is being sold for above average price.
Your opinion on what is average is very strange. But like buttholes, we all have opinions.
The lack of surface detail is a bummer :/
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Spitfire_AR614_Paul_Allen_Collection.jpg
Did you actually watch the video? All that surface external detail is there (your reference photo is a Mk V, but very similar to a Mk 1). All the painted builds I've seen so far shows the lapped panels and raised rivets very clearly just like the 1:1 version. Go see your optometrist perhaps?
@@beckersmodels Ok, will do, thanks :)
Great review!
Thanks Paul!