Free UK delivery from £25: three baskets that clear the line
UK orders of £25 or more now ship free. Under £25, Royal Mail Tracked 48 costs £2.49, down from £3.49, and the free delivery line has come down from £50. Collection from the Rugby shop stays free, and our best prices are always here on super-models.co.uk.
£25 is roughly what a first build needs: a kit, a couple of paints and a tool. So rather than leave you to do the sums, we have put together three real baskets from stock. Each is a complete starting point, and each clears the line.
Basket A: the Spitfire starter, £28.56
- ICM 1/48 Spitfire Mk.XVI, £14.99
- Revell Aqua Color 39 Matt Dark Green, £2.99
- Tamiya XF-83 RAF Medium Sea Grey 2, £2.10
- Humbrol Precision Poly Cement 20ml, £3.49
- EXPO No1 Hobby Knife with T11 blade, £3.49
- Tasma Flat Paint Brush size 4, £1.50
The Mk.XVI is the Spitfire most people overlook. It is essentially a late Mk.IX with a Packard built Merlin 266, the American licence version of the Rolls Royce engine, and from February 1945 it carried the low back bubble canopy as standard. About 1,053 were built, and many flew ground attack sorties with the 2nd Tactical Air Force.
ICM capture that late war look in 1/48: the cut down rear fuselage, the bubble canopy, a detailed engine and cockpit, and 2nd Tactical Air Force markings. For the decals, trim away as much clear film as you can, then use warm water and a setting solution so they settle into the panel lines.
The Revell dark green and Tamiya XF-83 Medium Sea Grey cover the upper camouflage green and the grey undersides of the RAF day fighter scheme, and the remaining colours can follow as the build progresses. The Humbrol Precision Poly Cement has a long, fine nozzle that puts glue exactly where it is needed, the flat brush covers large areas evenly, and the T11 blade is a good all round tool for taking parts off the sprue. If you want the decals to look painted on, add a bottle of Ammo Ultra Decal Set (£5.49).
Basket B: the wargamer's tank, £26.88
- Warlord Bolt Action 1/56 M3 Stuart, £16.99
- AK Interactive British Sand Yellow (AK11362), £2.70
- AK Interactive Olive Drab Base (AK11334), £2.70
- Tamiya Extra Thin Cement 40ml, £4.49
The British named the American M3 light tank after a Confederate general, and crews soon gave it a kinder name: the Honey. It reached the Middle East in 1941 and fought in Operation Crusader that November, where it earned a reputation for reliability. Only 12 of the 166 Stuarts in the 4th Armoured Brigade were lost to breakdowns.
That fast, dependable character suits the tabletop. The Bolt Action kit is 1/56 scale, with stowage, decals and more than one turret option, so it makes a sound first vehicle for a gaming army. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement runs into the joins by capillary action from its built in brush, which keeps the glue off the detail. AK's third generation acrylics brush well straight from the bottle. British Sand Yellow suits a desert Honey of the Crusader period, while Olive Drab Base gives the American factory finish, so you can pick your theatre and use the other colour for tools and stowage. Check reference photographs for your chosen unit before you settle on a scheme.
Basket C: the complete beginner, £26.97
- Airfix 1/72 Best of British Spitfire and Hawk Starter Set, £19.99
- EXPO No1 Hobby Knife with T11 blade, £3.49
- Tamiya Sanding Sponge Sheet 1000 grit, £3.49
The Airfix set already holds two kits, six acrylic paints, two brushes and poly cement. You get a Spitfire Mk.Vc in the markings of 303 Polish Squadron at Northolt in 1942, and a Hawk T.Mk.1 in Red Arrows colours. With about 50 parts in all, it is a gentle introduction.
Two additions make the difference. A sharp knife gives cleaner cuts than twisting parts off the sprue, and a Tamiya 1000 grit sanding sponge takes the seam lines off the fuselage halves and follows the curves for a smooth finish.
Mix and match
The free delivery line counts your whole basket, so feel free to swap a paint or add a second kit. Stock on some of these lines is small, so if a basket catches your eye, do not leave it too long.
Or collect free from the shop at 294 Hillmorton Road, Rugby.
Prices and stock checked on 1 November 2026.