Quickboost

1/48 Spitfire Mk.IX "Flat Tank" For the Hasegawa or Revell Spitfire Mk.IX

Stock Number: QB48067

Reviewed By  Paul Bradley, IPMS# 35554

MSRP: 4,50 Euros, approx $5.60 US Quickboost is the arm of Aires Resin that concentrates on the quick and easy additions or updates. This latest addition to the line is intended for the Hasegawa or Revell Spitfire Mk.IX kits, though I am sure it could be adapted for any Spit 9 kit. The part is a good representation of the late-war 45 gallon slipper tank that fits between the undercarriage legs of RAF Spitfires to extend the range of this notoriously short-legged fighter. These units could also be found on post-war Spitfires serving with numerous foreign air arms. I have the Hasegawa Spitfire already complete in my collection, and so I was able to quickly clean up and marry the single resin part to its intended recipient. I found that there is a small exhaust that needs to be removed in order for the tank to slip into place. I also found that although there is a small gap around the front of the part, this appears to be a prototypical feature of this add-on. The tank certainly looks the part; be aware that there were a number of different sized slipper tanks for the Spitfire, so what you see in a photo might not be this particular unit!

Photos of this tank are a little hard to come by, even with my extensive collection of Spitfire references, but I would suggest that these units were more commonly found on Mediterranean and Far East Spitfires than in Northern Europe. This is a useful addition to the long list of Spitfire accessories and can be recommended. Quickboost products are listed at www.quickboost.net. Our thanks to Quickboost for the review sample.

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