Hybrid Moments

[modelglue]

The Spitfire Mk. XII:

To build a hybrid

Good evening, and welcome to a build log I have been eager to start since discovering what is my favourite version of Spitfire, the Mk. XII.

A few versions of the XII exist, most notably the newer Airfix kit in 1/48. Also, the M News and Xtrakit versions in 1/72. I found it very difficult to get even a sniff of the Xtrakit version, which I would have been content with, and so my quest took me to ask, ask, and ask some more about the XII. Members of Britmodeller have been most gracious in sharing information pertaining to the discovery of version specific traits and helping with guidance. I would like to thank Procopius in particular, who without fail answered so many of my questions and actually supplied some of the crucial build components.

I will be cross kitting the Sword models Seafire XV and the Spitfire Vc. Various other parts will find their way into the build, some aftermarket and some fabricated. Let's open the door:

I started with the spinner of the Seafire XV, which was crude when compared with aftermarket offerings and even kitted contemporaries. I gripped the small alignment nub with my cordless drill and used a sanding board to even out the step between the hub mounting plate and the spinner front. The shape still looked a little off and wobbly, so more spinning and sanding was required.

For comparisons sake, here is the quickboost version of the five blade prop associated with the XIV. It has a longer nose to it, and much smoother details. I will try to emulate this piece with the four-bladed Sword XV spinner.

Here I used two different photoetch saws to create the seams in the spinner like the quickboost version features. The rearwards seam appears too coarse when compared with the resin accessory, and I switched then to a Tamiya brand saw which gave me a much finer impression on the forward seam. There appears to be a slight wobble in the line on the rear seam, which I shall fill and re-scribe.

At the rear end, I used a Mk. IX pointed rudder which Procopius supplied in a comprehensive care package he sent me. The XV rudder was carefully sawed away with etch, and this AZ models piece glued in. The actuator unfortunately does not line up within reason and so must be carefully dissected and replaced.

Gluing the fuselage halves together with MEK gave me a nice squished plastic weld line to sand down and polish into a seamless ridge. I re-scribed some panel lines top and bottom which were lost in the sanding. The cockpit was tricky to assemble, and did not lend well to photography. It drops in nicely from the underside so painting should be a breeze.

The fuel filler and the maintenance hatch forward this were all but obliterated, and needed to be remade via etch saw.

And the fuselage as a whole. This shall sit overnight and firm up before attempting the engine cover. My initial thoughts were to use the quickboost XIV upper cowl, but it has been made for the Fujimi kit and has an angled rear most face. If it is close enough in visual similarity to the XII cowl then I may just trim the angled portion off and re-rivet the new curvature. The teardrop fairing over the top centre of the upper cowl must be fabricated as well, being a hallmark feature of the XII.

Thanks for looking in, and please do add comments pertaining to the build process and general accuracy of my planning and execution.

[Procopius]

Easily my favourite Misfits song, and a thread to watch to boot!

"If you're gonna scream, scream with me..."

[modelglue]

I didn't know you were a Misfits fan...

It is my favourite.

[Artie]

For a moment, I thought you were talking about a Prius, wich really frightened me...now I happily find you're modelling the best looking Spitfire....

Good luck with your project, it seems you've got a lot of work there.

Cheers...

[Cookenbacher]

Oooooooh, very interesting build MG. The spinner alone is quite a project.

[Beard]

Interesting.

I briefly considered converting a Sword Seafire XV but decided against it as I have an Xtrakit XII in stash (not that I'm bragging, of course).

[CedB]

[Giorgio N]

Interesting build, I love watching Spitfire kits being bashed together to get that particular variant the modeller wants. More so as my only XII is itself a kitbash (KP+fujimi)

A small point: as you start from a Seafire you should remove all traces of the "naval" additions, for a starter the catapult spools on the fuselage. A knofe and a sanding stick will sort this nicely.

To build the fairing on the engine cowling you could use the system I used on my XII: I made a simple mould using silicone sealant of a fairing I found on another kit, filled this with epoxy filler and when the filler had set I had a decent fairing ready to be superglued on the cowling

[modelglue]

For a moment, I thought you were talking about a Prius, wich really frightened me...now I happily find you're modelling the best looking Spitfire....

Good luck with your project, it seems you've got a lot of work there.

Cheers...

My pal and co-worker drives a Prius, and they are completely terrible in my point of view. We are contractors, who haul a lot of tools etc and he packs ladders, sprayers, 5 gallon pails all into this Toyota. Horrible.

Yes, between the XII and the 21 I have a hard time picking, but they are top shelf for me.

Oooooooh, very interesting build MG. The spinner alone is quite a project.

I've been thinking about it all morning, I shall return to work on it shortly!

Interesting.

I briefly considered converting a Sword Seafire XV but decided against it as I have an Xtrakit XII in stash (not that I'm bragging, of course).

No, of course not! I would like to find one, and would even buy one if it came up despite the effort gone into this conversion so far.

A great idea. Popcorn it is.

Interesting build, I love watching Spitfire kits being bashed together to get that particular variant the modeller wants. More so as my only XII is itself a kitbash (KP+fujimi)

A small point: as you start from a Seafire you should remove all traces of the "naval" additions, for a starter the catapult spools on the fuselage. A knofe and a sanding stick will sort this nicely.

To build the fairing on the engine cowling you could use the system I used on my XII: I made a simple mould using silicone sealant of a fairing I found on another kit, filled this with epoxy filler and when the filler had set I had a decent fairing ready to be superglued on the cowling

Thanks for the tips, those lumps and bumps have got to go, but waiting for someone to show up with the "cut this" directions was preferable to mad scientist style slice and dice. I suppose a fairing on another kit would be handy to make a cast from, but sadly I don't have any. I think I will sculpt some putty into an approximate shape and then refine a cast copy (or copies) of that. There seems to be some discrepancies between the shape and length of the fairing when comparing the Xtrakit and Airfix examples. I suppose photos are going to be my go to's.

When referring to catapult spools, are the two visible bumps on the lower opposite fuselage sides said appurtenances? I don't plan on using the Seafire XV wing, but the Vc wing in it's stead.

[rob85]

Blimey mg you are not a fan of a small undertaking.

This looks like it will be another great follow. Looking forward to it!

Cheers

Rob

[wellsprop]

Too cool.

I may copy you... some day

Ben

[DaveCromie]

Modelglue

I love where you are going with this and I will be watching with interest as I too have been unable to find the Xtrakit Mk XII. I don't understand why this mark has not been more widely kitted, it may not have been particularly numerous but it was technologically important and gorgeous to boot! This and the Mk XIV do seem particularly let down in 1/72.....come on Airfix, you know you want to!!!

DC

[Beard]

I think that the 'thin' cannon blister from a MKV might be a good starting point for the bulge on the top of the engine cowling. Slightly sanded so it's a little shallower and reduced in length by about two thirds.

[The wooksta V2.0]

For the blister atop the engine, I've used the teardrops from the Matchbox Mosquito kit.

An interesting project. I've had all of the 72nd mk XIIs kits and several of the conversions go through my hands at some point in the last 25 years. The nicest has to be the CMR kit, with the Xtrakit a close second*. The Merlin and Model News ones are damned near unbuildable garbage. Airkit did a one off mk XII many years ago for a friend of mine.

Conversionwise, Aeroclub's mk XII vacform fuselages can still be found (I nabbed a couple a few months back), whilst the Brigade fuselage conversions are still available. I was also given a white metal engine cowling and associated bits intended for the Airfix Vb a few years back. Never managed to identify the manufacturer either.

Basically, there's enough spare bits in various Spitfire/Seafire kits to assemble any variant. For a XII, I'd have started with the spare wings and fuselage in the Sword Seafire III, the engine cowling coming from a spare AZ Griffon fuselage in either their 14 highback or F21/45 kits - failing that, ye olde Frog/Novo 14 is ideal. Tailplanes and rudder from the AZ IX, tailwheel doors from the Airfix PR19. Oil cooler from the Airfix mk II. Cockpit interiors can be scratched, prop and exhausts from Aeroclub and Rob Taurus or Falcon canopies - an alternative being one from an Airfix IXc as later examples of the desert boxing have two canopies. U/c and wheels can be nicked from an Airfix 19 if you do it wheels up on a stick!

*I don't think they're that hard to find either. I tend to turn up a couple a year at various shows.

[modelglue]

Blimey mg you are not a fan of a small undertaking.

Thanks Rob, Ahem! I'm still waiting for your WiP so I can follow your progress.

Too cool.

I may copy you... some day

Well you are more than welcome to, and speaking of copying...

I have your XIV's bookmarked for future reference.

Modelglue

I love where you are going with this and I will be watching with interest as I too have been unable to find the Xtrakit Mk XII. I don't understand why this mark has not been more widely kitted, it may not have been particularly numerous but it was technologically important and gorgeous to boot! This and the Mk XIV do seem particularly let down in 1/72.....come on Airfix, you know you want to!!!

DC

I would welcome any 1/72 Airfix XII and/or XIV, especially so if it met their 22/24 in terms of structural detail and parts count. I agree that it is surprising more manufacturers are not jumping on producing widely available kits, but perhaps the Fujimi XIV series is viewed as competent enough to compete with the likes of AZ's IX and Special Hobby's 21.

I think that the 'thin' cannon blister from a MKV might be a good starting point for the bulge on the top of the engine cowling. Slightly sanded so it's a little shallower and reduced in length by about two thirds.

You Sir, are very much a like thinker. Currently, said blister resides in RTV along with the spinner I modified (I don't want to do it again for my other XV and XVII models) and the upper cowl. Cut down and reshaped it shall be!

[modelglue]

For a XII, I'd have started with the spare wings and fuselage in the Sword Seafire III, the engine cowling coming from a spare AZ Griffon fuselage in either their 14 highback or F21/45 kits - failing that, ye olde Frog/Novo 14 is ideal. Tailplanes and rudder from the AZ IX, tailwheel doors from the Airfix PR19. Oil cooler from the Airfix mk II. Cockpit interiors can be scratched, prop and exhausts from Aeroclub and Rob Taurus or Falcon canopies - an alternative being one from an Airfix IXc as later examples of the desert boxing have two canopies. U/c and wheels can be nicked from an Airfix 19 if you do it wheels up on a stick!

*I don't think they're that hard to find either. I tend to turn up a couple a year at various shows.

I think the trouble with the III is the slot for the arrestor hook and the associated work in that deletion. To be fair, I hadn't considered the option but my initial and immediate research following your post revealed that. I borrowed these images from Hyperscale for educational purposes, which show that I will have to fabricate an antenna for the XII as the XV doesn't provide one. I think with the amount of kits listed as donors this might be the more economic path but I do appreciate the direction. I think scratch building the interiors would be beyond my patience, but it would be the most approachable aspect of your list for me personally. The older kits do have their charms but detail consistency is a driving force in my hobby, as is scale coherence and fidelity.

*Where pray tell are these shows?!?! I am in Canada, and while we have a few decent 'Cons I don't get to them regularly.

[Beard]

If you're lazy, Quick boost do a set of Spitfire antenna.

Also, I've been pondering the cowling bulge some more (I know, I have too much time on my hands. Perhaps I should take up a hobby). I reckon that if you reduce the height of the cannon bulge, by sanding to flaten the profile and reduce the length by third (not two-thirds), it'd look okay.

[modelglue]

If you're lazy, Quick boost do a set of Spitfire antenna.

Also, I've been pondering the cowling bulge some more (I know, I have too much time on my hands. Perhaps I should take up a hobby). I reckon that if you reduce the height of the cannon bulge, by sanding to flaten the profile and reduce the length by third (not two-thirds), it'd look okay.

I've been called that. I suppose it is probably the best option for me, actually. I just need to find other things to buy to round out the order!

Time spent thinking about Spitfires is value added to life, in my opinion. I shall proceed.

[The wooksta V2.0]

The original Sword Seafire III had the parts above. The recent reboxing with the D-Day invasion stripes have the Sword Vc kit included, along with all the Seafire related bits on a separate sprue. You're effectively getting 1.5 kits for the price of one, which is why I have five of that boxing in the stash...

My approach listed may seem the more expensive path, but as you get all the bits as spares in those kits you are actually getting your money's worth, plus an extra model o two into the bargain.

I'm UK based and get to about 6 shows a year.

[modelglue]

Ahhh, very good to know Wooksta! Thank you for the explanation, you have added yet another kit to my wish list.

[Giorgio N]

When referring to catapult spools, are the two visible bumps on the lower opposite fuselage sides said appurtenances? I don't plan on using the Seafire XV wing, but the Vc wing in it's stead.

Yes, the catapult spools are exactly those bits. Really what you want in the end is your rear fuselage to be the same as the Mk.V, apart from the rudder of course.

Good idea to use the Mk.V wing, will make things easier with the radiator too. The horizontal tailplanes should come from the Mk.V as well as the XII had the earlier type with the smaller mass balance horns. Now memory tells me that some XII had the early type and some the late ones, however the few pictures I just checked all show the early type

The original Sword Seafire III had the parts above. The recent reboxing with the D-Day invasion stripes have the Sword Vc kit included, along with all the Seafire related bits on a separate sprue. You're effectively getting 1.5 kits for the price of one, which is why I have five of that boxing in the stash...

This is good to know ! I have a previous Sword Seafire III and had hoped to find the Vc parts inside but no luck

[The wooksta V2.0]

The Sword Seafire II always had the spare V fuselage, as does the reboxed one, but unless you're buying the II for the markings, I'd always recommend going for the III, precisely for the spare wing/fuselage. Not to mention the spare props and wing bulges.

I actually double checked one of my original Sword Seafire III kits to see if the spares were in there. No such luck!

Edited April 1, 2015 by The wooksta V2.0

[Sten Ekedahl]

For the blister atop the engine, I've used the teardrops from the Matchbox Mosquito kit.

An interesting project. I've had all of the 72nd mk XIIs kits and several of the conversions go through my hands at some point in the last 25 years. The nicest has to be the CMR kit, with the Xtrakit a close second*. The Merlin and Model News ones are damned near unbuildable garbage. Airkit did a one off mk XII many years ago for a friend of mine.

Conversionwise, Aeroclub's mk XII vacform fuselages can still be found (I nabbed a couple a few months back), whilst the Brigade fuselage conversions are still available. I was also given a white metal engine cowling and associated bits intended for the Airfix Vb a few years back. Never managed to identify the manufacturer either.

Basically, there's enough spare bits in various Spitfire/Seafire kits to assemble any variant. For a XII, I'd have started with the spare wings and fuselage in the Sword Seafire III, the engine cowling coming from a spare AZ Griffon fuselage in either their 14 highback or F21/45 kits - failing that, ye olde Frog/Novo 14 is ideal. Tailplanes and rudder from the AZ IX, tailwheel doors from the Airfix PR19. Oil cooler from the Airfix mk II. Cockpit interiors can be scratched, prop and exhausts from Aeroclub and Rob Taurus or Falcon canopies - an alternative being one from an Airfix IXc as later examples of the desert boxing have two canopies. U/c and wheels can be nicked from an Airfix 19 if you do it wheels up on a stick!

*I don't think they're that hard to find either. I tend to turn up a couple a year at various shows.

You've forgotten the route I took: Hasegawa Mk.IX combined with the Paragon resin nose and prop.

[Sten Ekedahl]

And don't forget that all Mk.XII aircraft manufactured were either rebuilt Mk.V, or rebuilt Mk.VIII airframes. Easy to tell apart since former Mk.V airframes had a fixed tail wheel, and ex-Mk.VIII airframes had a retractable tail wheel.

Edited April 2, 2015 by Sten Ekedahl

[Giorgio N]

And don't for get that all Mk.XII aircraft manufactured were either rebuilt Mk.V, or rebuilt Mk.VIII airframes. Easy to tell apart since former Mk.V airframes had a fixed tail wheel, and ex-Mk.VIII airframes had a retractable tail wheel.

This is not correct: all Mk.XII were brand new builds, but IIRC the serial numbers used had been previously allocated to other variants. The tailwheel variation occurred during production, but all XIIs started as XII and nothing else.

Edited April 1, 2015 by Giorgio N