10thumbs

Here is my completed Spitfire Mk. I PR type A from the AZ Spitfire Mk. I kit. A simple conversion with holes drilled under the wing for the cameras, filled with Microscale Krystal Klear. Roundels from Xtradecal, and serials from Ventura (an Australian grey, somewhat lighter than the specified Medium Sea Grey). PR type canopy from Rob Taurus

Here is my reference for a Spitfire Mk. I PR type A in a plausible scheme of Electric Blue No. 1, represented by Vallejo GameColor Verdigris. Used by permission from Paul Lucas and Guideline Publications. Color Conundrums SAM June 2020. (The color key accompanying the article lists Vallejo 70.902 Azure for BS4800 16 E 50, colloquially referred to as turquoise. Azure is not a close shade to Verdigris, and may not have existed at the time in question -1940.)

My references suggest that Extra Dark Sea Green is approximated by FS34092, (Vallejo 71.124) Vallejo 71.329 is matched to FS34159, which as stated above, is too light.

I' m back!!!. Thanks, Pip. I hope to get back to the thread where I can show some additional WIP and finished product. Here is the caption to further explain the above photo: Front Row: Airfix new tool Spitfire I converted to PR type A with IBG decals underwing and fuselage (Middle ring is Camotint.) Upper wing masked with circle cutter and painted with Xtracolour and Colourcoats. The Hataka orange line Camotint is lightened by ~ 15%. Middle Front Row: AZ models Spitfire I. PR type A conversion with wing cameras only. Electric Blue No.1 shade is Vallejo GameColor Verdigris. Xtradecal insignia, Ventura light grey serials N3117) Right Front Row is IBG's PR.C overall Hataka Medium Sea Grey, kit decals. Back row L to R: Airfix old tool Spitfire Mk I converted to PR.C with a Pavla conversion, IBG decals; Hataka lacquers for Day Fighter Scheme, Hataka Sky undersurfaces are definitely different than Camotint; Sword PR. IV converted to a PR.C with Humbrol Hu-14 used to replicate Electric Blue No.2 IBG decals; IBG PR. C converted to PR.F. Hataka PRU Blue, Model Maker decals; Tamiya Mk. I converted to PR.Type E with clear parts for the underwing cameras from IBG. Hataka PRU Pink lightened with 80% white, 20% pink. Subtle, but works for me. IBG decals. I'm not sure why I had so little luck re-connecting to Britmodeller. Maybe something corrected on your end. I did unplug the re-router last month, but maybe I didn't wait long enough to plug it back in. Yesterday, I unplugged for 15 minutes and re-booted.

Here is the plan view with the first coat of Verdigris. I hope my friends in the UK can see this. Once I get the hang of this, I may sign up for the upgraded Hobbyphotohost account. I'd like to edit my posts to remove the blacked out Imgur non-images. Also, I'm working on getting permission from Paul Lucas, and Guideline publications to post the screenshot from the article in reference.

Here are my wheel well masks- trimmed pieces from the Airfix kit, wheels up, and painted Hataka Camotint

OOPS. Didn't know IMGUR was blocked in UK... any suggestions of how to add images to my post? I've already had a bad experience with Photo****** Here's a trial with Hobby Photo Host

This is an easy conversion with camera ports drilled out under the wings, and armament fittings filled with Tamiya putty. I was inspired by Paul Lucas' Color Conundrums in Guidelines SAM publication June 2020, Vol.42 Issue 04. Therein a discussion ensues of BS 4800 16 E 50 or a sort of turquoise. An internet search for a match to this paint varied as from RLM 70 Black Green, Chartreuse reminiscent of Colorcoat's Eau de Nil, or BS381C 104 - Azure blue. Vallejo Model Color Verdigris glaze was suggested, but this particular paint is translucent. An almost identical color is Vallejo Game Color Verdigris, so this is what I have used. One coat over Mr Surfacer 1000 white primer. It will need a second coat. The kit fighter canopy windscreen broke while sawing to separate the canopy and rear section, so I have cobbled together the windscreen and aft piece from an Airfix old tool Mk. I kit, with the teardrop blister hood from Rob Taurus. It will be a closed cockpit.

Now I've gone off the rails in full manic mode. You have inspired me to get going on a half-dozen early Spitfires. I have two IBG Spitfire PR. I type C kits coming, due in mid-March. I'm nearly done converting the A/B/E into a Type F. I have an Airfix new tool Mk.I on the bench, converted to the Camotint PR. I type A, and a Tamiya Mk.I to a PRY Pink PT. Type E. Sword Spitfire PR IV converted to Type C P9385 (standard cowl profile) with Pavla underwing fuel tank and camera pod. Electric Blue no.2 ~ Humbrol 14 IBG PR.I Type A/B/E has the parts for a PR. Type F with decals from Modelmaker Unstarted Projects: IBG PR.I type C OOB as R7030 in Medium Sea Gray. Airfix old tool Spitfire Ia converted to PR.I Type C using IBG parts and decals. P9426 in Temperate Land Scheme And now you've got me tempted to do another Type C, in Electric Blue no.1 -- maybe using a KP/AZ Spitfire I in the stash with another Pavla conversion set. I plan to build the second IBG type C as an early Mk. Ia, since I passed up on the IBG Mk.I issue when it was first released. I will have all the parts I need, and spare decals and parts for the above conversions. I have DK decals for an early plane flown by Bader with the Night/White/Aluminum scheme. I last built a Spitfire in that scheme when the Hasegawa Spitfire Mk. I kit was first released mid-1970's.

Thanks for the heads-up on the fuselage hatch issue. When I build mine I will address this first thing, before joining the fuselage halves. Either thinning the door or enlarging the opening. I will reinforce the opening with some strip styrene, so there will be little risk of popping the door into the model after completion. I found a set of resin recon cameras on line, don't know if they are still available, but I used one on a Spitfire FR.IX with the door mounted open and a sprue rod to keep the door open. I think that will be the last opened-up camera bay that I will ever build. I don't know if P9385 ever flew with more than one fuselage camera. IBG's instructions are unclear with regard to which holes to open up. Step 17 looks like the vertical camera port is to be drilled from the inside, as if one were looking from the top down. If that were the case, the camera window would be on the port side, rather than starboard. The second, smaller drill hole is for the Plessey signal according to the instructions

I found the Color Conundrum in SAM for June 2020, so didn't have to go back far. Upon review, I discovered that P9385 had a standard chin profile, and I have a Sword PR IV in the stash. So I just need to add the slipper tank, underwing camera fairing, and delete one of the ventral and the port side camera ports. I will use the decals from the IBG 'C' kit when it arrives, and build the IBG 'C' with a deeper chin, in Medium Sea Gray (another Conundrum, but IBG provides decals for R7030 with the option for MSG or Camotint (sky)

P.S. I have a quart of Future which is yellowing after a decade or so. I have mostly switched to Alclad Aquagloss for a decal base, which sprays very nicely, less pooling than future. A few mm of acrylic flow enhancer helps with the old Future, and may work as well with Quick Shine. Regards from the US

If you can get ahold of the Pavla resin U72-114 Spitfire Mk. IX Detail set 1/72 (here's a link to a US source) https://umm-usa.com/onlinestore/accessories-aircraft-accs-scale-resin-spitfire-detail-p-7761.html?sort=2a&keywords=Pavla spitfire this would fix a lot of the issues with the prop, radiators, and cannon fairings. And a couple of rolled worms of Miliput, smoothed with a moistened finger, at the upper wing-fuselage joins to replicate the fairings missing in the Italeri kit.

Thanks, Giorgio, I hadn't seen that IMW pic before. I had followed the thread above, regarding his Spitfire Mk. XIVe, RN135. A project scheduled for when I get around to it, is to kitbash the redundant high-back XIV fuselage which came with the Sword bubble top kit, along with the wings from Eduard Mk. VIII overtrees, modified to 'e' armament configuration. I have resin radiators, prop and spinner, and a bag of Spitfire parts and decals to finish this project --someday. I will do Lacey's Mk. VIII first. I don't have any Spitfires with late-war DE/DG/MSG camo and SEAC roundels in my collection. I will have a left-over Eduard Mk. VIII fuselage and propeller, with which I hope to improve Hasegawa's 1/72 Mk. VIII, which I thought was the cat's pajamas in its day. I'm down to my last three out of dozens of Mk.VIII/IX which I accumulated over the decades. One is still factory sealed; the others to be bashed with parts from Airfix, AZ, Sword, and Heller.