SteveJM

Deleted for two reasons: 1. read the rules regarding swearing and comply with them please. 2. This is not the forum wanted area.

I've just noticed too that, despite all new aircraft entering service in the period '43 - '48 having their Mark number set out in Arabic numerals, whoever made the display sign in front of 895 in the folded-wing photo has referred to her as a 'Seafang XXXII.'

Morning All, Just found a photo of VB895 that I've never seen before and it's raised a couple of thoughts in my mind. Seafang - view 1 Now, I don't know whether it's just me but is that spinner painted red in this shot?! Also, the Royal Navy fuselage title is clearly offset from the serial number here whereas in the photo below they're obviously justified. So, did she have a repaint in her short life and, if so, why? Presentation purposes maybe? Seafang - view 2 I love the way this hobby brings up so much historical research. And the wife just calls it 'building toy planes'. 🙄 Cheers, Steve

Thanks for the info gents. The pics of VC471 are particularly useful Troy. So, without definitive upper wing photos of VB895 coming to light, I'm going to follow 471's marking scheme with regard to roundels and will go with the 30" underwing serials. Shame I can't find a pic of VB895 wearing the prototype P marking, I think it'd look rather good against Ocean Grey. Cheers, Steve

Evening all. So, after a rather nasty bout of labyrinthitis (a horrible inner-ear inflammation for those that don't know), which left me bed-bound and off work until I was able to stand up without falling back down and throwing up, I've finally managed to get back to the bench and almost complete the Trumpeter Seafang I started weeks ago. I'm attempting to build VB895 and I know the supplied decals are incorrect in both detail and colour so they're being discarded. I've located appropriate Xtradecal sheets for the fuselage serial numbers, roundels and fin flashes but still have a couple of things that need answering if possible. 1) What size serials would have been painted on the underside of the wings, and can anyone recommend decals to fit? 2) I've not yet found a pic of VB895 which shows the upper wing roundel. What type and size would most likely have been carried? As always, all help is very appreciated. Cheers, Steve PS. Just realised I accidentally posted this originally in the WIP forum - it's been a long day at work!

Evening all. So, after a rather nasty bout of labyrinthitis (a horrible inner-ear inflammation for those that don't know), which left me bed-bound and off work until I was able to stand up without falling back down and throwing up, I've finally managed to get back to the bench and almost complete the Trumpeter Seafang I started weeks ago. I'm attempting to build VB895 and I know the supplied decals are incorrect in both detail and colour so they're being discarded. I've located appropriate Xtradecal sheets for the fuselage serial numbers, roundels and fin flashes but still have a couple of things that need answering if possible. 1) What size serials would have been painted on the underside of the wings, and can anyone recommend decals to fit? 2) I've not yet found a pic of VB895 which shows the upper wing roundel. What type and size would most likely have been carried? As always, all help is very appreciated. Cheers, Steve

I realise it's not exactly the most accurate representation of a Seafang that there could be but, sadly, my ham-fisted modelling skills aren't really up to performing major surgery on the airframe. And isn't it just a perfect example of Murphy's Law that no more than five minutes before logging-in here and reading your comment about the spinner... that I cemented the *@~!"%$ thing together! Ah well! I suppose I'll have to rely on the old adage, "If it looks like a (insert aircraft of choice here) etc." Maybe modified in this case to read, "If it vaguely looks like a Seafang..." Cheers, Steve

Thanks for the info and links Troy. I've seen the two smaller Spiteful pics before but I don't think I was looking at them closely enough. The larger pic makes things a lot clearer too. Just looking at the sprues right now with fresh eyes and I can see that the parts in question aren't quite as bad as I thought they were - bit lacking in detail maybe but reasonable. The instrument panel provided actually looks pretty decent. As to what colour to paint it, I'd automatically have gone for interior grey/green but the b/w pic above seems to indicate an all black 'pit. That sound OK? The seat possibly being of the russet coloured phenol resin type? Steve

Afternoon all. I've just made a start on the Trumpeter 1/48 Seafang F. Mk32 which doesn't seem too bad of a kit despite some failings here and there. The biggest gripe I've got with it is the totally fictional cockpit detail which, I know, won't be very visible with the canopy in place but will probably irritate me for ever and a day just knowing that it's in there. So, before I commit myself to the OOB pieces, can anyone recommend a suitable low-back Spitfire cockpit (either resin or from a donor kit) that would hopefully provide at least a starting-point for a bit of conversion work? Cheers, Steve

Thanks for the replies gents. As I said earlier, determining correct colours at such a distance in time without the actual aircraft being available for inspection is such a can of worms. Truth is, we can (and do) debate this kind of thing endlessly on this site and others, and the depth of knowlege shown never ceases to amaze me, without ever coming to a 100% definitive answer. In this case I've decided to go with the Italeri sheet for the identification codes as they look the most right to my eyes. On the other hand, Xtradecals will win the day when it comes to the Wg Cdr pennant and (possibly) the serial numbers too. As the wife never seems to tire of reminding me, I'm not building a museum quality replica but rather a reasonably decent 1/72 model that nobody else, bar the grandsons, is even remotely interested in so I should be more pragmatic... ...but what does she know? 🙄 Cheers, Steve

Thanks Stew, That's what I thought but it's nice to have a bit of confirmation from another pair of eyes. Such a shame that colour photography was only in its infancy during WWII. Trying to interpret what a colour was (or wasn't) by looking at digitised, and most times compressed or otherwise manipulated, versions of 80 year old B/W film stock is a real can of worms - and I like to think I know a bit about colour reproduction having worked in a commercial print shop for 18 years! Steve

Afternoon all, Anybody got a definitive (or reasonably close at least) answer as to what colour was used for I R Gleed's personal identification codes on Spitfire AB502? I've got two sets of decals to choose from - Italeri and Xtradecals. The former are quite clearly blue (the same shade as used for the roundels in the set), wheras the latter are several shades darker almost to the point of being black. The only colour illustration I've found of this particular aircraft is a painting on the cover of the SAM Spitfire Datafile (2nd Ed.) which show the codes as matching the roundels but this is only a painting and therefore subject to artistic interpretation. My gut instinct is that only one shade of blue would be likely to have been used for both codes and roundels but a second, or third or more, opinion would be most welcome. Thanks Steve

Thanks for the info Troy. Superb photos too. Cheers Steve

Afternoon all, I'm just finishing off a 1/72 LF Mk Vb Trop. It's the Italeri 001, a fairly dreadful little kit IMO but I've beaten it into submission with help from the spares box and have ended up with something that will look somewhat like a Vb when it's at the back of the display cabinet... with the light off! Anyway, something has occurred to me - on cannon-armed Spits, were the barrels painted to match the camo scheme or were they a plain gunmetal colour? As ever there appears to be contradictory evidence out there, but does the Britmodeller hive mind know better? While awaiting answers I'm decamping to the garden with some Banks's Bitter and a good book. Cheers, Steve

Thank you Gentlemen. I've found a couple of reference images for positioning the filter now. So the locating pin has been removed, a test fit done and all is well. Just waiting for the filler to dry in a panel gap the size of the Grand Canyon that wasn't visible till I got some paint on the thing. Well that's my excuse anyway and I'm sticking to it. Steve