My endless Spitfire build - ready for 2019

[Procopius]

22 minutes ago, Beard said:

God, Pox & Laudanum

 

 

Could be the title of a best-selling diet book.

[Beard]

4 minutes ago, Procopius said:

Could be the title of a best-selling diet book.

 

I've tried them all... none worked.

[Cookenbacher]

Ah, a Simon Spitfire build. All is right with the world.

[TonyTiger66]

Sorry to hear that you've been ill Simon, I hope that you're on the mend?

 

A new album! Exciting  ! Will it be in shops or an internet download?

 

Nice Sky finish on the Spitfire, looking forward to more  colours.

 

Best regards

TonyT

[CedB]

Very smooth Sky Simon - nice  

I hope you're feeling better soon.

Good luck with the album!

[Beard]

1 hour ago, Cookenbacher said:

Ah, a Simon Spitfire build. All is right with the world.

 

Not so so sure about that but, at least, it's not a sign of approaching catastrophe.

 

56 minutes ago, TonyTiger66 said:

Sorry to hear that you've been ill Simon, I hope that you're on the mend?

 

A new album! Exciting  ! Will it be in shops or an internet download?

 

Nice Sky finish on the Spitfire, looking forward to more  colours.

 

Best regards

TonyT

 

Thank you Tony.

Not really ill, just enough to have to spend a day in bed and three days feeling washed-out and tired.

The new album won't be finished for some time (I haven't quite finished one I started in 2010!) and I haven't decided if it'll be download only or they'll be a physical 'thing'. I do know it won't be available in the shops though.

 

8 minutes ago, CedB said:

Very smooth Sky Simon - nice  

I hope you're feeling better soon.

Good luck with the album!

 

Thanks Ced.

The Sky needs a rub-down and at least one more coat (to cover the filler). 

I feel fine (well, mustn't grumble) now.

 

[Beard]

Not much modelling was done yesterday as, although I had a day off, it was spent sampling the delights of Folkestone's pubs (The Pullman, British Lion, Guildhall, Kipps, Chambers and The Bouverie Tap since you ask) topped off by momo and rice & dhal in a Nepelese café. This has meant that I haven't done much modelling today, apart from a first coat of Humbroll 29 (which'll need a rub down before the second).

 

 

 

[TonyTiger66]

1 hour ago, Beard said:

The Pullman, British Lion, Guildhall, Kipps, Chambers and The Bouverie Tap since you ask) topped off by momo and rice & dhal in a Nepelese café.

 

That sounds like a rather good day out 

 

Now I'm going to try to find out what momo is.

 

T

[Beard]

17 minutes ago, TonyTiger66 said:

 

That sounds like a rather good day out 

 

Now I'm going to try to find out what momo is.

 

T

 

It was... left home at mid-day, got.home at 8 (pm, I'm not a monster).

 

Momo are a Tibetan dumpling:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momo_(food)?wprov=sfla1

 

I'm lucky enough to live in a town where  the Royal Gurkha Rifles are stationed so there are plenty of places to eat delicious food.

 

 

[CedB]

Yes, pub crawl!

A friend has suggested we reenact a game he 'played' that involved drinking in a pub at every location on the Monopoly board.

Luckily there's a 'Bath' version of Monopoly.

Planning in progress... we may need to split it over several days, it has to be said (not able to walk as far as we used to)  

[Beard]

There has been some progress on this but no photographs because I've broken my mobile and can't find my camera. 'Normal' service will be resumed in due course.

[Beard]

Mobile is off for repairs, I'm not sure how I'll cope without reading BM over my pre-work double Espresso. On the plus side, I've found my digital camera. On the downside, the battery is flat and I'm not sure where the charger is.

 

in the meantime, the Spitfire has had a couple more coats of Dark Earth and Dark Green (I'll leave it to your imagination as to how it looks.

 

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to vote which one I'll be doing next.

[jean]

God, pox and laudanum.... No comment.

With such a title, a guitar has to be smashed on the floor, and you have to play your keyboard with your feet... Where is my laudanum?

Great Spit!

 

JR

[Beard]

I have a working phone again, I'm £230 worse off but I have a working phone (actually a new one).

 

Anyway, here's where the Spitfire VA is:

 

 

 

I might make a start on the decals tonight.

 

A quick question for any Spitfire experts who happen to be passing... is that the correct spinner? I can't find a photograph of W3185, showing the spinner.

 

Thanks for looking and, remember, the poll on what I make next will remain open until this one is done.

[johnd]

I'd have thought a short pointy de Havilland spinner would be appropriate for a Va but haven't seen a photo. The trouble is that photos of Bader's Spitfires are often miscaptioned so it's not easy to know anyway whether the picture is of a Mk.II or V.

 

John.

[Beard]

3 minutes ago, johnd said:

I'd have thought a short pointy de Havilland spinner would be appropriate for a Va but haven't seen a photo. The trouble is that photos of Bader's Spitfires are often miscaptioned so it's not easy to know anyway whether the picture is of a Mk.II or V.

 

John.

 

Thanks John,

The best photograph, of a VA, I have is the one sent to the U.S. and it has a pointy spinner rather than a blunt one. That, and your opinion, mean I'll go with the former.

 

[Beard]

I don't work Wednesdays so have got some modelling done.

 

Nearly all the decals are on:

 

The more observant amongst you will notice it has some stencilling.

 

Following John's advice, and some research of my own, I've painted the De Havilland spinner and propeller from the MkI boxing.

 

I've been doing most of my modelling in our extension (which I call the 'West Wing') and the lighting is poor because I can clearly see that prop needs another coat of black.

 

Thanks for looking and don't forget there's only a day or so to vote for what I'm doing next.

 

Edited August 17, 2017 by Beard
to correct spelling.

[Darby]

On ‎22‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 8:46 PM, Learstang said:

I vote for the all-black Spitfire. Very striking. Best of luck with whatever scheme you go with!

 

Regards,

 

Jason

Agree. And you'll finish it in no time with no pesky masking either.

[jean]

Great show!

I know this Mk V will look good.

I have made the decision to keep very quiet in the face of so much Spitfire knowledge. Rather daunting, what. Of course you could display your model with a tarpaulin casually draped over the spinner... When in doubt, pull the tarpaulin out of the drawer... Been tempted to do just that a few times during the course of my miserable and unprincipled life. Always resisted the temptation though. I wouldn't have if any marsipan had been involved.

 

Keep having fun!

JR

[Beard]

14 hours ago, Darby said:

Agree. And you'll finish it in no time with no pesky masking either.

 

There is that.

 

14 hours ago, jean said:

Great show!

I know this Mk V will look good.

I have made the decision to keep very quiet in the face of so much Spitfire knowledge. Rather daunting, what. Of course you could display your model with a tarpaulin casually draped over the spinner... When in doubt, pull the tarpaulin out of the drawer... Been tempted to do just that a few times during the course of my miserable and unprincipled life. Always resisted the temptation though. I wouldn't have if any marsipan had been involved.

 

Keep having fun!

JR

 

Thanks Jean. Spinner now corrected, see below.

 

 

Exhausts installed (I'll tone down the blue), aerial mast attached, undercarriage done (the edge of the wheels need to be painted), canopy on (it will be painted). Only the wing roundels, a Matt cote and some weathering left to do.

 

Thanks for looking.

[Beard]

On 16 July 2017 at 11:42 PM, TonyTiger66 said:

 

Thanks for the referendum  Simon, it's a great idea .

 

 

Referendums rarely give the result those who call them expect and this one is no exception. I really didn't want to do the black 111 squadron Spitfire, partly because I've done one in the past but mostly because I'll need to work out how to paint a black aircraft without it looking like it's carved from a lump of ebony, but it's the clear winner (with 9 votes) so I have to accept the result even though I have no idea how to deal with it (sound familiar?).

 

This is the full result:

No. 28 - 9 votes

Nos. 2, 6, 11, 14, 18, 19 & 26 - 2 votes

Nos. 1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12, 16, 22, 29 & 30 - 1 vote.

 

Those with two votes will take part in a second round of voting whilst I do the 111 squadron plane, I intend to start work on it tomorrow (Friday).

 

Thanks to everyone who took part.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2017 by Beard
to correct spelling.

[CedB]

Looking good there Sir!  

Simon I'm impressed that you've let the democratic process take its course and, despite an unfavourable result, are going to act on the wishes of the masses. I applaud you!

Black Spitfire? That'll be interesting  

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Beard you could go with a very dark grey almost black. It will give it an air of fading. Ive also heard that black mixed with dark blue & black mixed with a very dark brown. That combination of black, dk grey, blk.blue, & blk.dk.brown on different panels can give a very good effect. Night fighters did'nt stay black forever look at the P-61's in usaaf service. Or the PBY black cats in the pacific both faded & peeled at horribly fast rates. Hope this helps. 

[Beard]

7 hours ago, CedB said:

Looking good there Sir!  

Simon I'm impressed that you've let the democratic process take its course and, despite an unfavourable result, are going to act on the wishes of the masses. I applaud you!

Black Spitfire? That'll be interesting  

 

Thanks Ced. Churchill described democracy as the least worst option and I think the result proves that the electorate don't deserve a vote because they don't understand what they're voting for. Perhaps I'm just a member of the metropolitan elite.

 

6 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Beard you could go with a very dark grey almost black. It will give it an air of fading. Ive also heard that black mixed with dark blue & black mixed with a very dark brown. That combination of black, dk grey, blk.blue, & blk.dk.brown on different panels can give a very good effect. Night fighters did'nt stay black forever look at the P-61's in usaaf service. Or the PBY black cats in the pacific both faded & peeled at horribly fast rates. Hope this helps. 

 

Thank you, I've been looking into how other people have tackled all-black aircraft and a very dark grey, such as Tamiya NATO black, seems to be the way to go but I hadn't come across the mixing black with blue or brown idea. 

I understand that 111 only flew Spitfires, as night fighters, for 3 months in the winter of 1941/2 so I don't know how worn the paint would have become and there aren't a lot of reference photographs to help.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Beard
to correct spelling.

[Grey Beema]

Here in Ireland they have an interesting approach to referenda - in that if you don't like the result, ask the question again until the public get the "correct" answer.

 

Anyway,

 

I had a similar issues with the white wing black wing IFF markings on my Fulmar.  I went down the not quite black, low lighted with black route.  I mixed a little dark earth into the black that gives it a grey/khaki dirty/weathered look.  You can lighten this with a little grey.  Mix the colours into the black little by little then try it out on some scrap before committing. Do a wash of thinned black to low light the panel lines..  

 

It is a really hard finish to achieve though, right up there with Sand & Spaghetti....  Good luck..