Spitfire Mk1A 1/24 Airfix

[BIG X]

Just now, Lawzer said:

 

It was the 1/48 kit i did.

 

just looked at prices for the 1/24 - holy cow!

Holy Cow indeed Lawzer - for what is probably just a kit that is as weak as the others in this vintage series.

 

We really should start a new campaign for NEW TOOLS on some of these old 1/24 kits - judging by the nostalgia value and the amount of folk on here who have struggled through - regardless of the quality - imagine the sales on a completely new Mk1A???

 

I can dream - they just can't stop me

[BIG X]

16 hours ago, Luis Alfonso said:

Congratulations for the Great work in this one Steve!!!

If you have the other kit from bits and parts fo both kits, try to find a good cutaway drawing and some plans that you can enlarge to this size and start to make your own detail sets in plastic card and thin metal  sheet, those  kits are so big to make a super  detailed build with hand made detail sets and you can have two" one of a kind " models to show here.

 

Cheers,

 

Luis Alfonso

Oh My God Luis!!!

[fightersweep]

Lovely clean build on an old classic! Big thumbs up from me!

 

I have the same story as you. Always wanted one as a kid, but never got one. Always used to see them high up on the model shop shelves, and the early artwork on those 1/24 Superkits was stunning to say the least. I didn't ever get one no matter how much I begged as birthdays and christmases came around, so the first thing I bought with my first ever pay packet was the 1/24 Spit.

 

I've got about 15 Airfix 1/24 kits in the stash. I always go for the earliest boxings possible, usually from eBay, and they can be had for reasonable prices. Although the decal are usually shot, the plastic is usually flash free, detail is crisper and the fit is generally better. I have found though, that the transparenices are actually clearer and crisper on the recent red box releases. Some of the canopies in the early boxes are shockingly bad, but a fistful of micro mesh will cure this.

 

There is some after market out there for these kits. The Yahu and Airscale instrument panels are excellent, and there is some good stuff from Waldron to be had in 1/24. Grey matter also do some resin for the Hurricane and Spitfire which is very useful.

 

I like old kits, so I am biased, but the 109E scrubs up well with some extra work and the Hurricane is very good (although I prefer the Trumpeter kit now) Do try the Stuka though. It's still an excellent kit and looks the biz once finished. 

 

As far as the Spitfire's wing dihedral is concerned: I find the best way to cure the wing droop is to replicate the original and build a wing spar. I use evergreen box section rod for this and it works a treat. 

 

Once again, a cracking build of a 1970 classic from Airfix!

 

Best regards;

Steve

[BIG X]

22 minutes ago, fightersweep said:

Lovely clean build on an old classic! Big thumbs up from me!

 

I have the same story as you. Always wanted one as a kid, but never got one. Always used to see them high up on the model shop shelves, and the early artwork on those 1/24 Superkits was stunning to say the least. I didn't ever get one no matter how much I begged as birthdays and christmases came around, so the first thing I bought with my first ever pay packet was the 1/24 Spit.

 

I've got about 15 Airfix 1/24 kits in the stash. I always go for the earliest boxings possible, usually from eBay, and they can be had for reasonable prices. Although the decal are usually shot, the plastic is usually flash free, detail is crisper and the fit is generally better. I have found though, that the transparenices are actually clearer and crisper on the recent red box releases. Some of the canopies in the early boxes are shockingly bad, but a fistful of micro mesh will cure this.

 

There is some after market out there for these kits. The Yahu and Airscale instrument panels are excellent, and there is some good stuff from Waldron to be had in 1/24. Grey matter also do some resin for the Hurricane and Spitfire which is very useful.

 

I like old kits, so I am biased, but the 109E scrubs up well with some extra work and the Hurricane is very good (although I prefer the Trumpeter kit now) Do try the Stuka though. It's still an excellent kit and looks the biz once finished. 

 

As far as the Spitfire's wing dihedral is concerned: I find the best way to cure the wing droop is to replicate the original and build a wing spar. I use evergreen box section rod for this and it works a treat. 

 

Once again, a cracking build of a 1970 classic from Airfix!

 

Best regards;

Steve

Thanks Steve - A cracking appraisal.  I couldn't find a Yahu  IP - maybe because I kept looking under Kora  I have used a YAHU on my Hurricane though - top class and better than Airscale in my opinion - but more on that later.

Thanks a gain - Steve

[BIG X]

...a little background on this aircraft and more importantly its pilot has sadly been missing all day - so let's remedy that shall we...

 

Ralph Havercroft, known as "Titch" because he was only 5'2" tall, joined the RAF volunteer Reserve in 1937.  In 1939 he spent two months training with an operational squadron and this included his first flight in a Spitfire. A few days before the declaration of war, he was called up to full time service. He transferred to 92 Squadron in March 1940 just days after it had been re-equipped with Spitfire Mk I aircraft. The squadron became fully operational in May 1940 moving to RAF Northolt then Hornchurch. They were kept very busy over the Channel including at the evacuation at Dunkirk.

 

In June 1940, they moved to Pembrey in south Wales to defend the Welsh ports and parts of the south coast. August 1940 saw increased activity from the Luftwaffe so 92 Squadron began operating from both Pembrey and Bibury in Oxfordshire. This involved landing at night for which the Spitfires and airfields were poorly equipped. The result was several aircraft crashes - requiring repair including N3249 QJ-P on the night of 31st August. In September 1940, 92 Squadron was posted to Biggin Hill in Kent where it was very active in the ongoing Battle of Britain.

 

Titch can be seen here - fourth from left - in all his 5'2" glory - good things do come in small packages.

 

[Troy Smith]

I have fond  memories of the 1/24th kits,  I got the Hurricane as 10th birthday present in 1976,  it cost £3.30 then,  and if you stick that into a 'then and now' price calculator 

https://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare/relativevalue.php?use[]=CPI&use[]=NOMINALEARN&year_late=1976&typeamount=3.30&amount=3.30&year_source=1976&year_result=2017

Quote

If you want to compare the value of a £3.30 Commodity in 1976 there are three choices. In 2016 the relative: 
real price of that commodity is £21.80
labour value of that commodity is £32.62
income value of that commodity is £40.30

 

considering Airfix want about £50 +  now......

 

If you  do want to build them now, keep an eye open for vintage issues on ebay,  (as fightersweep posted as I type) 

an older tooling may go for no more than a new one, and it likely to be  better.

 

A post here by @spaddad  about the wear on mould tools  a while back implies it more likely to be careless moulding at the factory now than mould damage.(or different plastic,  newer Airfix plastic is a bit rubbery)

 

I also did in 1976 (we were not well off  but I was an only child and  total model  obsessive and wanted nothing else) the Bf 109, P-51D and for Christmas got the Spitfire, and had been putting down  50p when I could  against the then new Stuka in a local toyshop. (i still  have the remains of these BTW.)

The Hurricane, Bf 109 and P-51 were my prize and joy during that summer, I used get the pilots  in an out...

 

I had no problem building any of them then,  they weren't very done,  but they went together fine and the moving parts worked as well... 

 

That said I had since age 8 been doing a at least a kit a week, (so  had  maybe 100 built when I did  the  big Hurricane, as I didn't blow them up etc )   which were done by the instructions, with the specified Airfix colours...

Yes, they  got done as fast as the glue would allow, and the  paint barely dry.  Which amazes me looking back now after descending into...well  AMS

 

And, they were my first foray into AMS,   I got the Classic Aircraft and How to Model No.4,  the Hawker Hurricane out the library and tried to modify my  built 1/24th Hurricane....

 

The Spitfire is supposed to be good shape wise, the Stuka is rated, but I think the fin is too high.

Don't know about the  Bf109,  I got a 1972 Scale  Models recently and the review says it's slightly overscale..

The P-51 is supposed to have problems  round the nose shape IIRC..

 

 

The Hurricane suffers from having 'to scale' engine and gun bays, and as  such  the wing is too thick and the nose is too deep, making the nose ring too big and spinner oversize.  The wing tips are wrong too.  These I  think can be corrected but I've not had the enthusiasm and space to  have a hack..

The rear fuselage is the right outline, but the keel is too deep, and thus the fuselage too shallow, but this is another magnitude of correction,  as with any Hurricane kit, a stuff-up of the fuselage fabric  makes for an immense amount of work getting corrections to match up.

 

Oddly enough Trumpeter who regularly make a pigs ear of so much did a really really good job of getting the shapes of the Hurricane right, and there are some tricky areas...  If only they had  not gone for recessed rivets  

 

Why they have not shrunk it down to 1/48 and 1/72 is beyond me, as if they kept the shapes the  same it would be  the best kit in both scales!

 

Good to see it  done Big X/Steve.....you used Humbrol 30 for the  Dark Green though didn't you  

 

I remember my disgust age about 9 getting a Revell 1/32 Spit (with Green Shield stamps I think!) and using Humbrol 30 as I couldn't get any Airfix M3 (apparently they were the same!)  and being rather put out at the blue-ness of it....

 

 

 

 

 

[BIG X]

15 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

...you used Humbrol 30 for the  Dark Green though didn't you  

Hey Troy - I knew no better last year - before joining here and reading all about the correct options for Dark Green.

 

Since joining I have learned so much and my famous 'spoon tests' have put me on the path to righteousness...

 

 

Humbrol 30 looked 'right' at the time - but I know better now

 

[GREG DESTEC]

17 hours ago, stever219 said:

 

Alternatively you can stretch a length of tape from below one wing tip, across the top of the fuselage and secured under the other wing tip while the cement/superglue/whatever sets.  Ideally this should be done before painting as some tapes leave sticky residues.

 

You've produced a very nice model of an early Spitfire there.  I have the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Mk. Vb boxing in the stash but I wonder if I should drop some heavy hints in the direction of Christmas and/or birthday present fairies (other fairies are available) about the Mk. Ia in our local model emporium.

Hi Stever219,

 

My Airfix Vb had all the bits for the 1a in the box. It wasn't the memorial flight boxing though. Maybe have a check of the sprues in your kit to see.

 

Cheers Greg

Edited July 23, 2017 by GREG DESTEC

[stever219]

Thanks Greg, I'll try to remember to check next time I stumble across the box (it's in the loft, somewhere........). I'd really like to find a reasonably priced early boxing of the Mk. I though; a younger boy down our road had one that his dad built for him not long after it was released and all those acres of unpainted white plastic left a lasting impression.

[noelh]

Nice job. I too noticed the Humbrol 30 immediately but wasn't about to mention it because. ...ahem.....😯

 

Anyway as you can see it brings out a lot of nostalgia. I got one cheaply from Debenhams a couple of years ago. Plus I acquired an original decal sheet for the Mk 1 from an eBay seller who seemed to have a batch of them.

You see I bought one back in 1972 after saving up the  £2.50 and heading into town on the bus to buy it. I really enjoyed building and painting that kit and it hung on the wall of bedroom for ages until a fatal accident wrote it off. 

 

Now I'm off to pull it out of the stash and reminiscence. 

[BIG X]

43 minutes ago, noelh said:

Nice job. I too noticed the Humbrol 30 immediately but wasn't about to mention it because. ...ahem.....😯

Not to worry about the Humbrol 30 - I knew no better at the time.  Luckily I joined BM and I have learned a lot since.

...However - not before I did my 1/24 Hurricane

Damn you Hornby / Airfix / Humbrol - Damn you I say

[SimonL]

I have one of these 80 % completed. Thing that's stopping me - worrying about the old decals. Sigh. Great job on yours :-)

[Steve27752]

A great paint job.

Edited July 23, 2017 by Steve27752

[BIG X]

1 minute ago, Steve27752 said:

A great paint job.

A great paint job.

A double paint job - how did you know

[F-32]

Factory fresh and beautiful

[pascal JMW]

hello 

 

 

stunning ! looks beautiful