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Supermarine's best? [Now with added Seafire 47... & Seafang!]


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Those of you who have been following my Sea King build will know that it has already lasted more than a year.  This is entirely my own fault, since I'm the one who chose to detail it to such a degree (not to mention adding the odd rivet or three).  I have, however, got a bit bogged down of late, and since the Sea King is a subject very dear to my heart, I've decided to take a break from it before it turns into a chore and I start to make mistakes.  It will return, I promise.

 

I expect many of you will have guessed from the title - not to mention the near certainty that that it will be a Fleet Air Arm aircraft, in 1/48.

 

But here is the start point.

36711278470_cba55c5cde_b.jpg

 

You ought to be able to work that out easily enough...

 

I acquired this kit for £5 at a show.  As you can see, it has been started (though the previous owner didn't get much further than a dash or two of interior green, an opened camera port and a glued contra-prop).  The kit has a good reputation, but I have ordered a couple of bits of after-market to address known flaws (to be precise: a vac-form canopy, seamless chin intake, better shaped cowling "bulges", and a new airscrew or two).  It's the original boxing, too, so I might have to get in some replacement transfers - the originals look decidedly yellow, so I'll see how they look after a bit of sunshine.

 

There is a strong argument to say that this (with its F22/24 cousins) was the ultimate version of probably the most famous aircraft of all time.  There is an even stronger argument that Supermarine's subsequent offerings were either never adopted (Spiteful, Seafang) or not in the same league (Swift, Scimitar...)... so that this represents the best aircraft ever produced by that most august of British companies.  

 

So, ladeezanngennnellmeeeen…

 

I present to you a Seafire FR46 (the clue is in the fact that I didn't show the sprue with folding wings), using Airfix's original FR46/47 boxing.  To be built essentially OOB (other than the after-market stuff already mentioned, to correct known issues with the kit).

 

One of the reasons I've chosen the FR46 rather than the 47 (wing fold apart) is the fact that I far prefer the look of the low demarcation between colours (though eventually I will probably also build an FR47 with folded wings [Edit; especially since I've now found a photo of a folded, embarked FR47 with low demarcation line!]).  And yes, I know there is disagreement about whether 46s were pure-EDSG or Temperate Sea Scheme on top - but I am taking Winkle's word for it and painting TSS (and there are at least some photos where there are definitely two colours on the upper surfaces of an FR46).  I am in no way a Spitfire / Seafire expert, and this is meant to be a quickish build to restore my mojo.  I don't think there are any howlers in the kit, and if there are then this model will be built with howlers.

 

I do, however, have one question for any late-mark Spit-/Sea-fire experts out there; cockpit.  Black or interior green?  The FAA Museum's Mk XVII suggests that it was black top half and IG lower, so if in doubt I'll go for that.  Can't find any photos, though.

 

The game's afoot!

 

 

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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15 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Supermarine's best? Mojo-restoration!    I expect many of you will have guessed from the title - not to mention the near certainty that that it will be a Fleet Air Arm aircraft.

Ah, not one of these then!

36219710943_7c16991b1b.jpgSupermarine Walrus L2301 by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

 

Excellent choice, the late Seafires were things of beauty.  The CMR kit certainly comes with the TSS scheme option.

Someone gave me one of these kits a few years back, only last week I was sorting through the stash and I opened the box for the first time, I hadn't realised that there were actually three Seafire kits in the box!

 

Is it me, or are those prop blades going to need re-setting?!

 

 

Edited by 71chally
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Nice choice for a mojo restorer but OOB, hmmmm, I'll have to keep an eye on this, seeing will be believing ;). I do like the 46, prettier than the 47 to my eye. I'll try to keep up. :)

Steve.

Edited by stevehnz
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33 minutes ago, 71chally said:

Ah, not one of these then!

36219710943_7c16991b1b.jpgSupermarine Walrus L2301 by James Thomas, on Flickr

 

 

Excellent choice, the late Seafires were things of beauty.  The CMR kit certainly comes with the TSS scheme option.

Someone gave me one of these kits a few years back, only last week I was sorting through the stash and I opened the box to this for the first time, I hadn't realised that there were actually three kits in the box!

 

Is it me, or are those prop blades going to need re-setting?!

 

 

It might have been one of those had Airfix's imminent Walrus been out.  Though rigging is probably not that mojo-friendly, even for a Shagbat!  And you can be 100% certain that there will be a Crisp Sea Fury when the new Airfix kit arrives, too.

 

I'm not sure what's been going on with the prop blades, because there are at least another three spares in the box - I don't think there was ever a 3-screw version.  But I understand that the shape of the Airfix blades was one of the few weaknesses in the kit, so I have a Barracudacast resin job en route from Lowestoft!

 

(I'm away to my Mum's tomorrow, so there will be no progress before Sunday at the earliest).

 

Crisp

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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45 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

Nice choice for a mojo restorer but OOB, hmmmm, I'll have to keep an eye on this, seeing will be believing.

OK, since I've already admitted to adding after-market airscrews, canopy, chin intake and Griffon bulges, it hardly counts as OOB before we even start.

 

So let me clarify; there will be no scratch-building.  Pretty much no PE, either (harness, maybe?).  Definitely no need for rivets.  Since I'm building a 46, I might even have to UNDO the camera hole added by my predecessor.

 

By my standards, that's pretty much shake 'n' bake!

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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Will look forward to seeing this come together, most people build the 47 so the 46 will be a nice change!

With regards to cockpit colours I think your right in that the top is black and lower area interior green.

 

  Roger

 

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This one is going to be a pleasure to watch, after all every Spitty somebody builds beautifully endorses my decision not to build any more

 

 

 

Anyway, fresh popcorn ordered from the Dinner Deliverer, I hope he brings a few bottles of Corona too

 

(no not the fizzy pop)  ;)

Edited by perdu
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7 hours ago, perdu said:

I hope he brings a few bottles of Corona too

There's lots in our warehouse. There was more, until Thursday morning.

One of the forklift drivers 'had a moment' and four boxes fell off their pallet!

Oh, the horror!

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I'm in.  I have the Airfix Seafires XVII and 47 in the stash and need to read up the reviews before they are started but before then I have various projects to finish and a Corsair II to build....  Good luck with the build...

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Pop!

 

:popcorn:  Can't top hendie's post above so I'm not going to even try!

 

All eyes on deck!

 

I think I've got the 'Grand Phoenix' squirrelled away somewhere (Airfix 46/47 kiit+resin stuff+Aeromaster(???) transfers). Which adds to the interest, for me. While I try to stick floats on a wobblychopter and also try to avoid thinking about my own wretched Seafire 'experiment'. Gurgle croak.

 

Cheers,

Alex.

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On 08/09/2017 at 8:56 PM, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

OK, since I've already admitted to adding after-market airscrews, canopy, chin intake and Griffon bulges, it hardly counts as OOB before we even start.

 

So let me clarify; there will be no scratch-building.  Pretty much no PE, either (harness, maybe?).  Definitely no need for rivets.  Since I'm building a 46, I might even have to UNDO the camera hole added by my predecessor.

 

By my standards, that's pretty much shake 'n' bake!

I am going to make an assumption, which is something that I usually don't like to do. That assumption is that your building the Airfix 1/48 scale kit, others have said that your building that but no where have you. Looking forward to the results regardless of which scale or manufacturer the kit originates from.

 

Gondor

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Nearly broke out in a cold sweat when I read Supermarine's finest. Thank heavens it turns out you're right; it's a Seafire. I may have spare propellers from a old build in the spares box should you have disaster.

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10 hours ago, Scimitar said:

I knew my frequent references to HMS Fulmar would have a subliminal effect..

9_32.png

That's a strong candidate for the eventual scheme - depending on where I end up with transfers.  There are relatively few F46 candidates... because there weren't very many F46s!

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Massively up for this one, more so in that one of the main users of the type was 1832 Squadron at Culham. In fact the first issue of the kit contained decals for a 1832 machine, due in no small measure to some "mild persuasion" applied by a certain extra-terrestrial of this parish when contacted by Airfix's decal designer for ideas and references about suitable colour schemes for the Mk.46.

 

The Fleet Air Arm Museum is quite right about the cockpit colours.

 

Martian

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