1:48 MERIT SUPERMARINE WALRUS (4750)
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I AM THE WALRUS!
ONE of Merit's larger 1:48 scale kits, and one they produced themselves rather than being a knock-off, their 1956 Supermarine Walrus was, for its day, a good model. Some cabin interior detail is provided which is worth working up as the transparent cabin is so crisp and clear. Wing and tail rib detail is well represented and neatly recessed hull rivets lend themselves to weathering wash techniques. Outlines are fairly accurate and assembly eased by the struts' linked tie-bar and slot assembly. Because the original decals are somewhat aged, we have included a much more recent alternative from Classic Airframes with four diverse subjects. Full wingwalk stencils are provided along with detailed camouflage drawings showing accurate uppersurface patterns. Kit contents themselves are complete in very good condition with any loose parts segregated within polybags. Detailed instruction leaflet offers exploded assembly diagrams and vital rigging sketches. It may have been surpassed in recent years by Airfix but the pioneering Merit 'Shagbat' still has plenty to offer adventurous modellers!
ANOTHER of Merit's indigenous 1:48 scale productions was this 1958 release of the WWII Supermarine Walrus Mk.II amphibious biplane comprising 68 parts and which built into an impressive-looking model spanning over 11ins. Moulded in pale grey, it boasted a reasonably well-detailed cabin for large fuselage/hull shells that took up a fair proportion of the contents. Indeed, one of the more remarkable features of this vintage kit was that everything fitted within the standard generic Merit box!
Surface detail is OK, rib treatment on wing and tail parts are acceptable and recessed hull rivets are just fine enough to look convincing under a coat or two of camouflage paint.Our example is in good order with all parts double-checked and loose items in zip-lock bags including the four crisp transparencies: a pair of hull windows; rear gun cover and one-piece cabin with excellent framework detail. Although not perfect in every department, for its time the Merit 'Shagbat' was generally accurate and well-moulded which is more than you can say for their Bulldog and Tiger Moth from the same period. The Walrus was easy to build thanks to linked interplane and engine pod struts that slotted firmly into tight slots. One thing Merit did misrepresent was that their instructions insisted the engine pod be glued parallel to the hull whereas in reality it was offset to starboard...so the struts require modification to reflect this. Merit persisted with moulded decal positions but these are far less obtrusive than others in the range and are easily dealt with. For younger modellers back then there were moving parts:two-piece propeller, wheels and Lewis guns designed to be unglued as was the cabin section. Presumably this was to show off the interior but this also avoided any wayward cement which would have crazed the transparency. Decals provide pre-war markings for an overall-aluminium doped Royal Navy machine X9498.
EXTRAS! Included with the kit is a pristine decal sheet from Classic Airframe Decals, supplemental to their own 1:48 scale kit # 451, as 48-006 and printed by Microscale. Four schemes offered:Argentinian M-0-4 circa late 1940s; No. 277 Sqdn. Mk.I W3085 of HMS Victorious 1945 and W3090 of No. 1700 NAS , HMS Ameer-also 1945. Full painting guides provide quality reference layouts for the camouflage patterns. Printing quality is excellent with accurate colours and a separate sheet of wing stencils with no-tread 'footprints' for aluminium-doped 'Walri' and straight lines for the others.
*An excellent reference on the 'Shagbat' is Profile Publications 224 Supermarine Walrus & Seagull Variants by David Brown published in 1971. We have a very few copies in store-please see link below...
