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A tale of two Spitties: Airfix vs. Tamiya 1/48 Spitfire Mk.Vb's


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OK, I'm calling this one done. Back in February I posted pics of my Tamiya Spitfire Mk.Vb (link), and now I've finished off it's Airfix sibling.

Whereas the Tamiya kit was basically OOB with a few minor shape corrections, this one has a few additions to it (but no shape corrections):

- Master brass cannon barrels
- Wing trailing edges thinned and surface detail added to ailerons
- Sutton harness from Tamiya tape
- Added missing fasteners on the engine cowls
- Added wing root fillet fastener detail
- Prop, spinner and main wheels from the old Hasegawa Mk.Vb
- Tail wheel from the Hasegawa Mk.IXc
- Kit exhausts drilled out and detailed with weld seams
- Main markings/insignia painted with home-made masks
- Barracudacals airframe stencils
- Added the sliding hood knockout panel cut from an old "Fast Frames" sheet

Questions and constructive criticism are always welcome!

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The markings I chose are for a 402 Sqdn (RCAF) aircraft flown by Flight Lieutenant Henry Percy Duval of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. F/Lt. Percy was shot down near Dunkirk in late May 1940 during the Battle of France and managed to return to fight in the Battle of Britain. Later, on 27 April 1942, he was flying AA834 on a "Rodeo" to Lille and collided with another Spitfire over Le Touquet and was KIA.

F/Lt. Percy was not famous, nor was he an ace, but to me he is representative of the thousands of airmen who gave their lives.

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Cheers,
Tony

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Couple of great models there. Great choice of schemes with the green/grey compared to the green/borwn.

I like you philosophy for choosing the scheme as well.

Good stuff

Colin

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Excellent, both of them. You've made a superb job of the markings with your home made mask. Very well done.

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wow that is beautiful, superb clean work.. and i love the exhausts paintwork! Would you like to share some short "step by step" for the exhausts painting maybe? :D It looks very convincing

My technique for the exhausts is actually very simple and easy. After tidying up the part, drilling it out, etc., I start off by spraying it Tamiya flat black, thinned with pure rubbing alcohol, which gives it a dead flat, almost chalky finish. Using a small worn out brush, I then dust on various shades of brown, red-brown and orange powdered chalk pastels, working from dark to light. I try to avoid any kind of uniformity, instead going for a blotchy, patchy appearance.

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I finish off with some MiG Pigment Black Smoke for the soot at the openings and sometimes I'll rub just a wee touch of powdered graphite on the edges of the openings to suggest the underlying steel. I don't bother to seal the pastels as it diminishes the intensity of the colours considerably.

Cheers,

Tony

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These are two fabulous Spits,.....I love the choice of schemes and the workmanship is absolutely top notch, superb!

The link with the real aircraft and pilot is very nice to see too.

Cheers

Tony

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Those are both superb Tony, lovely paintwork & very effective subtle weathering. I agree with the comments about the exhausts too, you really have made some plastic parts look just like rusted metal - excellent stuff!!

keith

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Great looking Spitfires Tony! Great to see them posted here!

As always, superb builda of the prettiest propeller driven aircraft of all time,

Cheers,

From Jim, The Spitfire-oholic

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Fantastic work Tony, and it's great that you have mentioned the pilot because as you say so many pilots could slip through the fingers of history if we allow them to. He was as remarkable as any pilot in that he gave his life.

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