I built my Spitfire Mk.XIVe from the Academy (2161) kit straight from the box. It's a great kit that I think captures the fine lines of this classic. I always liked the big-prop Spits and this one looks pretty good.
The cockpit is nicely detailed with about 20 parts and includes raised and engraved details. There's a fair bit of construction involved and it helps to follow the instructions, for the cockpit anyway. The camera and side windows aft of the cockpit are included, but what little detail included is pretty much hidden.
Cannons, cannon bays and access covers for the wing are included. I didn't really like the cannon detail, so I glued the covers on. Weighted tires are included.
There is a huge mold line down the middle of the main canopy. Up til now I had always been terrified of messing with clear parts, but this had to be dealt with. I sanded it, then polished it with steel-wool, then polished it with rubbing compound and finally toothpaste. The result is acceptable from 1 foot away.
The only other problem I encountered was with the decals. I had trouble with Academy's Mig-21PF decals and thought that maybe the problem was with my finish. I put three coats of gloss on the paint and the decals still silvered. They're just terrible. Throw them out is my advice.
I assembled my kit with Tenax and painted it with Testor's ModelMaster enamels. Except for the decals, I highly recommend this kit.