Supermarine Southampton Mk.II in RAF Service

Silver Wings, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com

Designed by Reginald Mitchell, the Supermarine Southampton was to become a replacement for the RAF’s aging Felixstowe flying boats. They entered service in 1925 and the type quickly gained a reputation for its reliability and capacity for long distance flights. It served for 11 years, a feat only surpassed by the famous Sunderland.

This release mimics the Mk II which was built with a metal hull of duralumin, as opposed to the double wooded bottom of the Mk I. The former was found to significantly decrease the overall weight of the aircraft, both materially and by negating water absorption.

The first thing that catches your eye when opening the box is the excellent packaging. To ensure the save arrival of the contents, the delicate components are divided into a number of zip-lock bags. These are then encased in “bubble wrap”, which gives the parts the best possible opportunity for continued existence.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 

Thumbnail panels:

The kit’s quality also comes to the fore when one looks at the way the fuselage has been represented. Cast traditionally in two halves, it’s the inclusion of the rear gunners’ apertures that make these exceptional. This eliminates any potential fit problems had these been engineered as separate entities.

Inside these halves we find a depiction of the interior structure. This covers the entire length of the fuselage and provides a great basis for extra detailing. Silver Wings provides the obligatory floor, crew positions, their operating equipment, as well as all the other “accessories” needed during the course of a flight.

The fit of the two fuselage halves is perfect, a feature which is aided by the incorporation of location pins.

These placement guides are also present on the wings. It allows for a precise fit and makes alignment a breeze. Both upper and lower flying surfaces are in 3 lengths, with the demarcation points matching those of the original. The dihedral needed for the extremities is clearly shown in the instruction sheet.

The subtle depiction of the ribs is commendable and the trailing edges are razor sharp. There was no distortion of any kind on these parts although there was the odd air bubble present. These were very minor in nature and can easily be eradicated with your favourite filler.

The 500hp Napier Lion engines are amazing pieces of casting. They are single piece affairs and contain a level of detail that only a magnifying glass can appreciate. These attach to radiators of equally high quality and along with a fuel tank and mounting platform, they sit atop a collection of struts.

 Normally resin struts are the bane of kits such as this. That’s not the case here as many of these important load bearing items are reinforced with wire. This is a tricky piece of manufacturing so kudos to Silver Wings for attempting it. A couple of smaller struts had this rod protruding in unwanted areas so check yours carefully in case some judicious repair work is needed.

There are well over a hundred parts in this release. Everything is included from machine guns to grab rails; even the beaching trolley makes an appearance. This latter item has covered wheels so if you want the spoked version you’ll have to fabricate these yourselves.

Some of the parts are very small and will require a delicate touch when cleaning them up. Take your time with this task as the results will be well worth it.

The instruction sheet consists of 10 A4 sized pages. These are quite clear as to where everything should go although exact positioning of some of the smaller parts may need clarification from other sources. Colour notes are included in the construction sequence and the all important rigging diagram has a page all to itself.

Options

A single option is catered for and this is RAF machine “S-1249”.

The decals are printed on 2 sheets of paper and were found to be in perfect register. Like the items before it, they were also protected in a zip-lock bag…testimony to the care taken by this manufacturer.

A sheet of Perspex has been supplied for the windscreens but the thickness of this will have the builder looking for an alternative.

This certainly is an impressive package.

It’s obvious that the kit was designed by modellers…for modellers. This is most evident in the parts breakdown and method of assembly. As such, what potentially could have been a very difficult subject to build is made eminently easier.

The amount of detail that has been incorporated into each part is commendable. Even the smallest items are catered for and the quality decal sheet is icing on the cake.

Having previously satisfied enthusiasts with the Mk I, Silver Wings adds to their formidable reputation with the best Supermarine Southampton Mk II on the market.

Text and Images Copyright © 2010 by Rob Baumgartner
This Page Created on 25 January, 2010
Last updated 26 January, 2010

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page