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A Cheat’s Way to a 1/72 Spitfire Vc ***COMPLETED!***


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Like many here today I went to WH Smith to  get a Daily Mail and a free Spitfire (or two in my case) to add to the stash. Never look a gift horse in the mouth I say and I am one happy bunny.

 

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No need to show the sprues as they have been well-aired in many builds on this forum. What is new though is the box. The brush, glue and paints are now to be found in the box, rather than on a flap on the outside. Not sure if the packaging is unique to this boxing or whether it is a new style box. ? You still get a Flying Token on the side though.

 

The thing is, I have three of these new tools made up (and one of their 1980’s version too), so I don’t really need another Ia at the moment. So what to do? I had the idea of doing a Vc. A ‘b’ was a possibility but the world and his dog have made one of those. A ‘c’ is a much rarer sub type, modelling-wise at least. Airfix tooled a c wing to add to their venerable Vb mould originating from the 1970’s (early 90’s?). It was horrid. Crude, thick and with a trailing edge of a scale 12” thick, it was irredeemable. The new canopy was a joke. There are a couple of spare blisters and cannon barrels, but otherwise you place it in your cylindrical filing basket. Sword and I think KP will do you one out of the box and to modern standards. I’ve not seen them, but would imagine they will make up into fine models

 

So, how to go about doing a Vc then? It’s mainly the wing innit? Last year I built the rather nice AZ Mk. XVI as my belated Edgar Brooks tribute build. In that box you effectively get 1.5 Spitfires (I have a spare high back fuselage) and a great deal of extra bits and pieces. What I have robbed from the left overs are a pair of blisters and five-spoke wheels. From the spares box I found a new windscreen with the internal armour and a couple of cannon tubes.

 

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I have a few bits and pieces from past Spitfire builds.....

 

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Right then, what do I need to do to the wing? The picture above shows some of the bits arranged on a page from the excellent Aeroguide on the Mk.V.

 

http://www.boxartden.com/gallery/index.php/Profiles/Aeroguide/Classics-01-Supermarine

 

In support I also have an article by Vasco Babic on different wing types.

 

As far as I can see, I need to

 

•fill in most of the gun hatches top and bottom. 

 

•remove the small wheel bulge from near the wing root 

 

•add the new broad style cannon blister

 

•add the cannon barrels

 

•fill in/rescribe the gun access hatches on the upper and lower surfaces

 

•fill in a couple of ejector chutes on the underside 

 

•remove the (unrealistic) fabric ribbing on the ailerons 

 

•adjust the forward rake of the undercarriage 

 

A couple more photos

 

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And this is where I am at the moment

 

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I will now need to scribe some new panel lines.

 

All this is well within the capabilities of the average modeller (and believe me, I am absolutely average). If unlike me, you are not blessed with the right parts from your spares box then I think replacements are available in the aftermarket (Quickboost maybe?)

 

I think I will be able to avoid any purchases to make a Vc.

 

And I have no idea yet as to schemes. I think that I also have suitable stickies and depending on that, I may or may not have a Vokes filter, clipped wings and a slipper tank. I have time to mull over that.

 

Thanks for looking and more soon.

 

Trevor

 

 

 

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This is an interesting project (although I wish it was the Morning Star that was giving the kits away) so I'll be tagging along, if I may.

 

I assume you have a MkV-style oil cooler (if not, PM me your address and I'll pop one in the post) and that you know that the MkVc undercarriage 'stance' is different and that the outer machine-guns were in different positions (this explains: http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/concise-guide-to-spitfire-wing-types.html/2).

 

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A bit more, not all relevant to your build but to other Mk.Vc.

  

.Together with the forward rake of the undercarriage, it sits slightly lower than before.  So the wheel door is curved to provide a central bulge running down where the leg is present. 

 

.Tropicalised Mk.Vs had a deeper radiator - I believe this was standardised on the Mk.Vc but cannot confirm.  This is difficult to see visually - but the engineering sources agree on it.

 

. Early aircraft, such as those first delivered to Malta, have a small bulge on the upper wing near the trailing edge just inboard of the aileron.  (This has been discussed on this forum.  Somewhen.)

 

. Later aircraft have the thin cannon fairing but cannot be fitted with four cannon without changing the fairing.

 

. Later aircraft have the larger horn balance on the elevators.

 

. A few later aircraft have six exhausts a side.

 

.  Some aircraft have the DH Hydromatic prop/spinner, others the broad root Rotol prop with a longer pointier spinner.

 

Watch out for miscaptions - lots of Mk.Vb went overseas but some caption writers tend to assume all overseas aircraft are Mk.Vc.

Edited by Graham Boak
removed an ambiguity
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@Beard

 

Of course you are right about the oil cooler. I think I have one in my spares  (and another on a scrapper) but thank you for the offer. As for the outer guns, I’ve forgotten to fill in the holes in the leading edges - I will attend to those tomorrow. I will reposition the hatches and apertures (but not necessarily the ejector chutes) accordingly.

 

@Graham Boak

 

Brain cells are reminding me that there is ‘something’ about the undercarriage doors.  It makes sense that if the rake is greater that it will sit lower. I will check my references (I have the Morgan and Shacklady tome somewhere to consult). 

 

I’m aware of the deeper radiator, but may only check on that if I do an oversees based aircraft. I will investigate.

 

Cannon fairings? As this is a frankenspit I think that I will be restricted to my spares box - ditto the prop/spinner and exhausts! Remember I’m basically scavenging my spares box for this :gift: The larger horn balance will be a simple matter to deal with.

 

I will see how this builds with what I have and that will obviously dictate the physical appearance (within limits and my abilities lol) and the markings.

 

Thanks guys!

 

Trevor

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13 minutes ago, Beard said:

Trevor, I've just re-read your post and noticed that you know about the change to the undercarriage but I'll add that I have some spare Spitfire Vc undercarriage bits, should you need them.

The undercarriage will be the Vb units ‘bent forwards’ using the Max Headroom patented Mk.1 eyeball (c) as a guide.

 

Trevor

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The lower sit of the undercarriage when retracted is not due to the rake but the removal of the wing root bulge as part of strengthening of this weak area.  So there is just less depth in the well and the wheel must sit lower.

 

Given the wide cannon bulge you have in the photos, I'd ignore the 6 exhausts and later elevators as an option.  I just thought that other modellers might find this thread and use it as a one-stop shop for the Mk.Vc, so a slightly wider set of comments could be useful.  Should I add the pointy wide chord rudder as another late option?  Very variable things, Spitfires.

 

 

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@Graham Boak

 

Please feel free to mention anything Vc related!

 

Pointy tails? Like this?!

 

9f6da57f9637096bfe1ca173100d2692--hava-k

 

Trevor

 

hang on......that’s a IX! I have definitely seen a Turkish Vc in a photo with a pointy rudder.

 

EDIT!

 

This what I was looking for (top image)

 

48009_kilavuz-236x300.jpg

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@Cookenbacher thanks for the encouragement. I came to the conclusion a while ago that the Mk.I was an ideal base to modify to other ‘baby’ Spitfires. The wing can have things added with very little modification to the basic structure.

 

I have ideas for my second ‘free’ Spit.......

 

Trevor

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1 hour ago, Max Headroom said:

I have seen a photo, The trouble is, I can’t find it or remember where it was!

 

Trevor

 

I've been looking for one but can't find one. It'd certainly be an interesting aircraft to do.

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Interesting project, and in the apparent absence of Sword kits these days this is a useful route to follow. Don't forget that for a c wing the inboard .303 gun needs to move outboard by one frame, so to the other side of the fore-aft panel line on the wing. Top and bottom panels (I'm afraid!)

 

Justin

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Yes, there's a photo of a very late (postwar, I'm sure) Turkish Vc with a "Mk.XII type" rudder, but I would not consider it a normal option for the mark.

 

As you've probably figured out by now, Graham was talking about the landing gear sitting lower when retracted, which necessitated a "cupped" cover instead of a "flat" one.  You might be able to bend kit parts, or you might be able to shrug.

 

Personally I'd rather steal wing panels (at least uppers) from another kit than do all the filling and re-trenching, but I understand your approach.  It rather depends on one's Spitfire spares inventory, too.

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8 hours ago, gingerbob said:

Personally I'd rather steal wing panels (at least uppers) from another kit than do all the filling and re-trenching, but I understand your approach.  It rather depends on one's Spitfire spares inventory, too.

@gingerbob

 

As you point out I’m relying on the spares stash. I happened to have those blisters left over from the AZ kit and it seemed to me that filing panel lines and rescribing was an easier way forward than hacking the wing. I do have panels from the Airfix Vc ‘thing’ and other bits, but I think this is simpler and quicker (remind me of those words in a few days when it all goes a bit Pete Tong). The plan is not to scribe as such, but to take a sharp blade and cut into the plastic; it is thick enough after all.

 

As for the undercarriage fairing, I will check how bendy the plastic is. Maybe use the kit ones as templates for thin plastic card (or wine bottle top foil?).

 

Trevor

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2 hours ago, Beard said:

 

I've been looking for one but can't find one. It'd certainly be an interesting aircraft to do.

@Beard

 

Found it! Spitfire in Action by Squadron Signal, specifically p.20. It’s the same machine, although the camouflage pattern on the rudder is different.

 

Trevor 

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A little progress this afternoon.

 

I have scribed the new panel detail and you can see the results.

 

38976850694_4e3b36ff45_b.jpg

 

Not perfect by any means. The new gun panel on the port wing for example is a bit of a mess, but in my defence, that was the first one I did.

 

I will tidy them up and then give them a wave of Tamiya primer to see what they look like then.

 

Right then, cockpit next!

 

Trevor

 

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The cockpit is just waiting for the painted seat to dry. I will then add the Tamiya Tape seatbelts.

 

@gingerbob  mentioned the dishing of the undercarriage doors. Given that they are integrally moulded with the legs I will have to use them. So, the plan is for a smear of filler and I will then sand or scrape towards the edges in order to give the semblance of being convex.

 

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Hang on.........is that a short shot on part 12? :angry:

 

I will see if this affects things or not given that some jiggery pokery is in order anyway (lashings of superglue maybe?).

 

Not too grievous as of course I have my other freebie in the stash :idea:

 

Trevor

 

 

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Getting there!

 

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These kits go together quickly.

 

Now then, a question for the Spiterati out there. That Verey pistol aperture in the upper right hand fuselage in front of the tail. Should that be there on a Vc?

 

I think that’s all the modelling for today.

 

Thanks for looking.

 

Trevor

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18 minutes ago, Max Headroom said:

Now then, a question for the Spiterati out there. That Verey pistol aperture in the upper right hand fuselage in front of the tail. Should that be there on a Vc?

This might answer your question:

 

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