Olmec Head

I am building the Hendon Museum Defiant as it may have appeared in September 1940 when first issued to 307 Squadron. It was in TLS and looking through Britmodeller has raised some 'things'. @303sqn had some very interesting detail in an highly informed post that I cannot find again. One aspect is an contemporary picture posted by 303sqn in that post (I am happy to remove the photo if needed): What is interesting is that the A/C individual code letter is to the front of the roundel. I had assumed that that it would be the EW code to the front as on the port side. I am trying to decide what the sqn code letter size would be to fit EW between the roundel and the tail. I presume it would have been painted over serial number. I am guessing it would be 36in, but possible smaller? The current Hendon codes are a slightly thin and elongated style based on another 307 Sqn photo, but the above photo suggests that the codes in September were more standard. Another 307 Sqn photo from the Web shows a Nightfighter with a standard code: So any advice please on code size please? And my apologises to @303sqn for not being able to access his post which had excellent information on 307 Sqn aircraft in Autumn 1940.

This is a very useful breakdown and I think i will use it on my next Spitfire build. I interpreted (or read somewhere) that the 19 Sqn early issue Spitfires only had the walk inboard stencils forward of the wing walkway lines on the top wing (although identifying small black text on a grainy B/W photo is open to interpretation on a dark camouflage background). Also a lower wing shot lacks the below wing stencils on those early Spitfires. I am more than prepared to be proved wrong!

I have bought this one as well, so I am looking forward to see one put together. The digital camouflage decals will be interesting as to if they fit. Yes it is good to buy a model kit that supports Ukraine. 😀

Thanks Andy, that sounds like a plan!

I was looking at silver for the undercarriage doors, but this photo suggests that the inside were Sky: Its not 100% clear, but the inner and outer doors seem very similar. I am presuming the wheel wells, hubs and legs are silver as in the kit instructions (with the exception of the black struts).

The Defiant that used to be at Hendon Air Museum is the one that I am building, but in its original TLS markings when first taken on by 307 Squadron in September 1940. Hopefully it will go with my just finished Hurricane P2617 AF-M of 607 Squadron that I did dating from the same timescale. Hence all my previous questions around P2617. Hopefully the Defiant won't have as many guesstimates as the Hurricane (prop type, aerial), the only issue may be the contemporary photo showing a 307 Sqn Defiant with elongated sqn codes, which the Hendon Defiant recreated.

Thanks very much Troy, the Soyuyo plans are ideal, I forgot about that website, I usually only associate him with Spitfires. Having looked at their detail and thinking about my rivetting skills, the phrase: 'careful for what you wish for' springs to mind.

I am looking to build the Airfix 1/48 Defiant and I was wondering if anyone could point me at some plans for the panels and rivet pattern. I do not want to go overboard as I am still nervous about rivetting and scribing, but the kit does seem a little bare particularly on the fuselage. Any help or pointers would be much appreciated.

Airfix Spitfire 1a (new) and newer Airfix Spitfire Vc - Noses Thanks Giorgio for raising this topic and I have just rather unscientifically compared the nose/ cowling area of the new Airfix Spitfire 1a and the newer Airfix Spitfire Vc. I think when the Mk1a came out, comment was made that the nose was a bit wide. Looking at the Spitfire Vc, the comparison is 'striking'. The plan view of the Vc nose around the exhaust stacks is more streamlined than the Spitfire 1a and the Vc closely matches the 1/72 drawings in the Aerodata International Spitfire publication. (I did say it is all eyeballed and not scientific). I also think that the nose of the Spitfire Vc is closer in plan view to the current 1/48 Tamiya and Airfix Spitfire 1a s (again just eyeballed on the shelf) than the Airfix 1a. It is also possible that the Airfix Spitfire 1a cockpit canopy (and windscreen) is also a bit wide, but that is just based on a general unease nothing more. And please note I have probably built around 15 Airfix Spitfire 1a kits, so I am not anti it in anyway.

Thanks again Troy for the detailed response, I am going to go for the DH prop and pole aerial, mainly as P2647 from the same batch was so equipped. Naively, I thought that the pole aerial would be similar to the Spitfire one, as I had a spare one from the new Tamiya kit. But looking at photos, the Hurricane early aerial looks to be different. I also noticed that AF-U had a rear mirror fitted, so that's something else to consider!

RAF Museum Hurricane P2617 I am currently building the Airfix Hurricane 1/48 kit as representing the RAF Museum Hurricane Mk 1 that was in the original BoB Hall and has now been shunted to another area. I am trying to recreate it in early Autumn 1940 when it was still with 607 Squadron at the tail end of the BoB. So far, I have painted it in the A scheme and sky undersides. The A/C code will be M, not F (from the research in another Britmodeller post). I was about to finish the model, but two areas are now unclear. I am not sure if the aircraft would have been fitted with the pole type early radio antennae or the later version in the kit. I had used the Rotol prop and spinner, but again looking through Britmodeller, I think it could be a DH spinner, but would it be the Hurricane DH or early retro fit Spitfire DH? Or were Rotols refitted to Hurricanes in the field in the BoB. Photos of P2647 show a Pole aerial and a 'skinny' spinner in the Battle of France . Thanks to Troy for answering my earlier posts, I though I had the a/c sorted before my new ideas. I am also finally going with the internal armoured windscreen and possibly put on a bead sight on the top of the nose. Unless of course that is debateable!

Thanks again Troy, I read somewhere that the fuselage markings were repainted to dull down the Gloster colours, but I can't remember where. I would certainly hope that AF-M got a repaint if it was as shoddy as the airframes in your pictures. Another question is about the wing walkways that I have not seen answered is: Where these black painted or camouflaged or either or another option please?

Thanks Seawinder for the further info, it would be interesting to compare the Airfix DH spinner with the Eduard Spitfire V kits.

Thanks Troy for the quick reply and the full explanation, I think I get it! From the last picture in your post of P2647 which is part of the same production block as P2617, I am guessing that P2617 would have been an A Scheme Camouflage pattern. Having looked at another post on 607 Squadron, P2617 would have been coded as AF-M. I am also guessing that the fuselage roundels and underwing roundels would be standard RAF 'dark' colours, but the the top roundels could have still been the 'bright' Gloster colours.

Thanks, is the Kit supplied DH spinner and prop lacking in accuracy then please?

I am trying to build P2617 (the RAF Museum Hurricane) as it might have appeared in Autumn '40 in its last days with 607 RAuxAF Squadron. Is there a logical sequence for Hurricanes to be allocated A or B camouflage schemes according to serial number or is it more complex than that please?

Hydromatic Airscrews on Malta Spitfires Sorry to join in, but I have always been confused about the DH propellers fitted to Spitfires delivered to Malta. I understood that when the Airfix 1/48 Spitfire Vb was released, the kit's DH spinner was considered as not right for Malta and should have been a slightly different shape. I assumed that this meant it should have the DH hydromatic fit as it was better for taking off from a carrier. I was happy with this idea until reading the Colour Conundrum book on Malta Spitfire colours where Paul Lucas states that the first official mention of the hydromatic airscrew for Malta Spitfires was not until May / June '42. So coming back to Spitfire AB264 in the Airfix kit, would it have been fitted with a standard DH propeller and Spinner?

Thanks I have had a look and sent back a thank you email to you. Rivetting is a bit of a large step for me. I did do a Lancaster some time ago and sat down for a long while afterwards!

John did use a rivet plan please for the wings and if so, is it available to have a look at?

Impressive work in an impressively short time.

Good finish and orange, respect for the rigging. I can't help feel that the Fujimi Spitfire would have been easier.

Thank you, I have a watch stash as well as Kit stash!

Boom Fast work!!

Very impressive work.