PlaStix

Hi again Wolwe82, No I don't mind at all - thank you for taking the time to comment. As I replied to Winenut - I really do agree with you both, but a combination of being a bit short on money and never having had a go with one means I'm a little reluctant to get one. I have managed to get some reasonable results with spray cans but I'm always nervous when I use those - it seems to be really quick from everything going on well to utter disaster. I had one kit about a year ago that was almost complete and I ended up chucking away because the paint from the spray can messed it up completely. At least with brush painting I seem to be able to judge if it's going okay or not and can take action to try and improve it. If I can't get a suitable finish on the two Spitfires I have (and the Airfix FW 190 and Me BF 109e I got cheap from Aldi), then I may have to seriously consider getting an airbrush before trying the Eduard kit. Thank you again. Kind regards, Stix

Hi Winenut, Thank you for your kind comments. About the airbrush - I do agree really..... I know I ought to try one and I'm sure I will get one eventually but I'd need to to get a compressor too and funds are a bit short at the moment. Also my shed, where I've used the rattle cans, is a reasonable distance from the house and doesn't have any power so I'd have to sort out an extension lead too. Sounds like I'm making one excuse after another here!!! I'm going to have a go at brush painting a few kits to see how it goes - if I don't manage to achieve the kind of finish I'm hoping for I will re-investigate airbrushes and compressors. Looking at your models I can see the difference it makes! Hi Val, Thank you for your comments. I've just had a look again at your BF 110C-4 and I don't think you'll be picking up any tips from me - quite the reverse in fact - great model! Kind regards, Stix

I've been watching this in the WiP section getting ideas for my current Spitfire build. Fantastic looking Hurricane!

Hi Stew, BillyD, Wolwe82, Beard, Houston, Mark and Jaffa. Thank you all for your kind comments. I must admit I thought I was going to be on my own with this one - there are so many excellent Spitfires being built or complete on this forum that I thought yet another Airfix 1/72 version wasn't going to interest anyone. Having said that, I must admit I love going through all of them (and in fact all the different types of kits on this site) - I tend to learn something from every one and I'm usually astounded by the skills displayed. I have got some more photos of the bits I've done so far and, if I get time, I'll try and get them on here later. ...... and it's Friday I like weekends - they're the only time I get to do any kit building......... first thing tomorrow morning I shall be at the kitchen table trying to work out what I'm doing next...... Kind regards, Stix

Stunning model!!!

Absolutely fantastic! Great idea.

Mike’s review of this kit can be found here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/54953-supermarine-spitfire-mk1a/?hl=%2Bspitfire+%2Bairfix - it includes box and sprue photos so I won’t post mine. This is my 100th post and, to celebrate, it’s going to be my first proper WiP. Although I did do one for the Bandai Space Suit, because of the way I opted to make it, it had very little in the way of traditional kit building/painting techniques involved. This one, on the other hand, should be a bit more involved (for me) but it’s probably not going to be very interesting for most of you (seen it all before, etc., etc. ). I actually got started a couple of weeks ago and, I have to say, I’m thoroughly enjoying building it so far! After finishing a project last September I had a bit of a break from making kits. I’ve got some in a very small stash but, at that time, none were crying out to be made and the rest of life kept getting the way anyway. I still kept looking through the pages on this site and began to fancy the idea of making a Spitfire – there are many fine examples in all sizes and guises on this site. Like nearly everyone on here (it seems) I must have built at least a couple of Spitfires many (too many!) years ago. My first inclination was towards the Eduard 1/48 Spitfire Mk. IXc late, ProfiPACK version with all the extra goodies but, having not built a non-sci-fi plane for over 25 years*, I thought I ought to start with something simpler. (* A couple of years ago, when I got back into kit building, I did build the Airfix Captain Scarlet Angel Interceptor). Reading through many Spitfire kit articles I began to be drawn more and more towards the new tool version of the old kit-building staple, the 1/72 Airfix MkIa Spitfire. I got the kit for Christmas and then spent an enjoyable few days gaining more inspiration from this site and collecting WiP and RfI photos to help guide my version. The intention is to use this one to learn and practice some techniques I’ve not used before, so I can work my way up to the Eduard kit. As I have said elsewhere I’m really an OOB modeller but will add simple extras if I think I can cope. I intend to make it pretty much following the instructions in the box and brush paint it. I don’t have an airbrush – I’ve never felt confident enough to risk buying one – most experienced airbrush users seem to indicate the best results come from the more expensive ones and I don’t want to risk forking out for one only to find I can’t use it. I have used rattle cans before but have seen some outstanding brush painted kits on this website so I thought I’d go back to my roots. To this end I have bought some flat ended brushes to try out. Anyway, enough of the waffle! First up is the cockpit. A lick of Humbrol’s Cockpit Green, a Revell Anthracite wash and a bit of dry brushing of the insides of the fuselage got me underway. I do like the new level of detail in/on this kit – my memory of the older Airfix Spitfire is of virtually nothing inside. The detailing was carried out using Revell Anthracite, Revell Aluminium and a spot of Revell’s matt white. I then painted the internal cockpit bits while they were still on the sprues, following the same process, but unfortunately forgot to take a photo before assembling them. The seat took more time than the rest because it was difficult to decide how it should be painted. Some photos of actual Spitfire seats (and models on this site) suggest it should be brown/black (or grey) all over whereas others are mostly cockpit green(ish) with a brown/black back. I opted for the latter because I liked the look but I’d be interested to know what others here on Britmodeller think it should be. I have since purchased the MkI/IIa Airfix Spitfire and hope to try to do a bit more with the cockpit than I have with the current one so any help with this (and the rest of the cockpit) would be much appreciated. While the cockpit parts were still apart I decided I’d try my first addition. I wasn’t intending to use the pilot so thought I ought to try and add some basic seatbelts. I’d read where someone had used Tamiya masking tape so I worked out what would be a suitable width, stuck a piece of tape on my cutting mat and then carefully cut more than enough strips to experiment on. I then painted them a kind of off-white colour (mixed a few paints together) and used a pin to puncture the holes at regular intervals. I added a bit of aluminium paint on the ends for where the fittings would be. Once fixed in place they looked okay so I gave the seat and the belts a further anthracite wash which showed up the details better. Next up I tried dry-fitting the cockpit unit onto each side to make sure it looked okay – here are a few photos. Well that's it for now. I have done a bit more than this but haven't sorted out the photos yet. Thank you for looking (if anyone has been!) and if anyone is still here please feel free to make comments/suggestions - I'm here to learn! Kind regards, Stix

Only just found this. Absolutely outstanding work!! Looking forward to see how this develops.

Very nice! Lovely looking model with great detailing.

Great stuff! Finishing looks fantastic.

Fantastic!! Beautiful model.

Well impressed by all of those!

What a nightmare!!! Beautiful model. Hope you manage to repair it okay. Best of luck! Will check later for any progress.

Hi Mike, Colin and Cliff, Thank you for your comments. Yes that is quite expensive! Mine wasn't that much, but I was lucky that I got the last one, at the time, that was fulfilled in the UK rather than from abroad. Kind regards, Stix

Wow! Fantastic modelling, painting and finishing! Kind regards, Stix

Great range of models! Well done! Kind regards, PlaStix

Stunning work! Quite a few of those I'd like to build. Kind regards, PlaStix

Hi all, My first yearbook posting and I'm afraid there's not much in it. It's been a poor year for getting kit building stuff done - the latter half of the year has disappeared without me getting anything built. The first 8 months of the year I was finishing off Revell's Schlingmann LF 20/16, which also took up a fair chunk of last year too Following the completion of the above I took a rest and built Bandai's ISS Space Suit - Extravehicular Mobility Unit straight out of the box. Hopefully I'll get more done next year! I've recently bought myself Airfix's new tooled 1:72 Mk1a Spitfire to ease myself back into the game. I'm then going to have a go at a motorbike, a submersible, a space probe or a bus! Or something else!!! Knowing me when I've made the Spitfire I'll probably want to make another ..... or a Hurricane!!....... or ........................... Kind regards and a Happy New Year to all! PlaStix

Falls in to the "that could be the real thing category!" Fantastic work!

That is very impressive!!

Fantastically entertaining project! You started about two weeks after I joined Britmodeller and, having built 3 Comet versions many years ago, I did wonder why anyone would build a vac form version........ I now know why!!! Well done. Like all the others I have checked your updates everyday and have been amazed at the creativity you have shown in taking a 'four and a half hour' kit and making it your own (over three months!) Best of luck with next project. Cheers, Stix

Hi Don,I might be wrong, but I think Andy has found a different way to present his 1/8 scale diorama. I think it's photos of the actual model embedded in a sci-fi type presentation. Not sure which kit it is but I'd like to see more of the diorama. Looks good in the pics so far Andy. Cheers, Stix

Would love to be able to find and build one of these! Fantastic work!

Thank you for the info. I tend to go for pointy brushes normally so I will try to get a flat headed Humbrol one and have a practice on something. Cheers, Stix

Just been looking through all your recent builds - all stunning!! You mentioned above - ' Handbrushed with Xtracrylic paints ' - can I ask what technique/equipment you use? The finish you get is exceptional. Kind regards, Stix