tbell Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 This was a (relatively) quick build for me. It had been a while since I managed to get something into the display cabinet, so I deliberately kept the extras to a minimum. It was an enjoyable build; enough detail that I didn't feel the need for heaps of aftermarket, but with sufficient minor challenges to keep me on my modelling toes. Some things that I did, over & above OOB: - Before anything else, I gave the fuselage & wings a heavy coat of Alclad "Black Primer and Microfiller" and sanded it back to the bare plastic in order to smooth the slightly rough surface texture and render the panel lines somewhat finer. - Sanded down the stretched fabric effect on the rudder and elevators to tone it down a bit. - Drilled the engine cowl Dzus fasteners out, plugged the holes with stretched sprue, sanded them all flush and redid them with a beading tool. - Replaced the kit canon barrels with Master turned brass barrels. - Replaced the kit wheels with Tamiya wheels from the spares box and added the gear locking rod from brass wire. - Sanded the prop blades thinner, filled and rescribed the spinner panel line. - Sanded the wing/aileron trailing edges (much) thinner - Drilled out the exhaust stubs - Replaced the pitot tube with steel hypo tubing - Pinned the antenna mast with steel wire for strength - Scribed the circular access hatch at the front of the port engine bulge. - Radiator outlet flap replaced with 0.010" styrene - Fabricated the little scoop on top of the engine cowl from aluminum sheet. - Filled and rescribed the panel lines around the tail wheel (the kit panel lines represent the non-retractable tail wheel) Paints were Gunze Mr. Color 23 Dark Green and Tamiya XF82 Ocean Grey over Tamiya XF83 Med. Sea Grey. I used Montex Masks for the main markings and the kit decals for the stencils. I kept the weathering understated, with MiG Neutral Wash in the panel lines around the engine, some airbrushed grey-brown grime here & there, and paint chipping using a Prismacolor silver coloured pencil. The exhausts were painted flat black, dusted with several shades of brown chalk pastel dust and airbrushed with heavily thinned tan for the lead deposits. Anyway, on to the pictures: Constructive criticism and questions are most welcome. Cheers, Tony 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barak Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 No questions. Just a great built barak Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPaul Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Thats really really nice. Are the fasteners rivets around the nose section quite accurate to scale? They seem really large, but I am not a Spitfire expert by any means so have no idea. Really like the effects, especially the wear marks at the wing roots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggers Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 It looks much less liney than in the WIP pics Tony. I like the use of the beading tool,where did you get that? The mirror looks like a mirror too,whats the secret there? As I said in the WIP thread,the paint and decal application are first rate. She's a good 'un. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 (edited) Tony , Quite a beauty.. Immaculate build..the decals and painting is impressive. Had been following your build..your WIP was good to read too. Edited March 22, 2013 by HOUSTON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Very tasty. I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbell Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 Thats really really nice.Are the fasteners rivets around the nose section quite accurate to scale? They seem really large, but I am not a Spitfire expert by any means so have no idea. Really like the effects, especially the wear marks at the wing roots. Thanks, MPaul. The circles on & around the nose are not actually rivets, but rather removable fasteners. They're roughly to scale, but to be strictly accurate I should have drilled a smaller hole in the centre of each one of them. I was just too lazy to do so... It looks much less liney than in the WIP pics Tony. I like the use of the beading tool,where did you get that? The mirror looks like a mirror too,whats the secret there? As I said in the WIP thread,the paint and decal application are first rate. She's a good 'un. Cheers, Mark. The beading tool can be purchased from UMM-USA, although I got mine locally at a jewellers supply store (unfortunately since gone out of business). It's one of those tools that I can't imagine doing without. I use it constantly. The mirror is a punched disk of mylar, the kind used for gift wrapping. I picked up several square feet of it at a party supply store. The secret to punching it cleanly using the Waldron punch & die (or similar) is to sandwich the mylar between the sticky bits of two Post-It notes. This prevents the mylar from stretching and tearing. Cheers, Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phildagreek Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 (edited) Very smart work, looks the biz! Edited January 9, 2013 by phildagreek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MPaul Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Thanks, MPaul. The circles on & around the nose are not actually rivets, but rather removable fasteners. They're roughly to scale, but to be strictly accurate I should have drilled a smaller hole in the centre of each one of them. I was just too lazy to do so... Cheers, Tony Ah thats cool, Dzus fasteners then? Dont worry about being too lazy, thats still way better and more technical than I would ever get. Its a pleasure to see such well made models on the this forum, by yourself and so many others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Very Nice !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atdb27 Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Nice work Tony. Like it Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmcclure Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 That's just a superb job and all the effort you've put in is has been very clearly worthwhile. The masks have worked really well and thanks a lot for the mylar tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLP Publishing Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Yeah, that's awesome. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David H Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Beautiful Job, Tony!! Have got to tell Steve Bakke about this one. He loves the Mk XII Spitfire. david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeley Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Gorgeous, and lovely photography to boot Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mekon Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Lovely build and finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Rogers Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Lovely clean build Tony, who ever would have thought that Airfix would be producing kits like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eerie Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Beautiful build, i ll try the mylar mirror for my next project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenko Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Top job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryanm Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Beautiful - not least the way you've blended in the windscreen and canopy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Artie Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Excellent Spitfire. An amazing build of an amazing plane...... Just one question: What did you use to make the seat harnesses....???? I like how they turned out. Cheers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 absolute stunner!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbell Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 Excellent Spitfire. An amazing build of an amazing plane......Just one question: What did you use to make the seat harnesses....???? I like how they turned out. Cheers... The seat harness was simply strips of Tamiya masking tape painted Tamiya XF57 Buff (or possibly XF55 Deck Tan, I can't recall) and arranged in the approximate configuration of a Sutton harness. I used a fine Sharpie to make the dots to suggest the grommets and a pencil sharpened to a needle point to draw on some stitching. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbuna Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 A stunning example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turnerdad Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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