Galligraphics

Stuff has happened. Just before Christmas, I obtained a job lot of partially built Spitfires from a well-known online auction site for an absolute song... which included an Airfix Mk1. So choppings were effected upon the poor underwing part... ... and a mould made - I have several Frog/Novo and Matchbox Spitfires in the stash, none of which have the proper contours underneath, so in theory if I can make resin copies of this part it should make life easier next time I build one of those. The Novo part had a matching section extracted (I also couldn't resist starting to scribe a few panel lines... a bit cart before the horse, as I haven't 100% confirmed whether this should be a c-wing or e-wing... I've seen conflicting references... And with the first resin moulding... that doesn't look too bad. Now to remove the weird flat bit from the fuselage... after first removing the Rebecca aerial housing... although looking at photos I'm not sure it's the right shape... After surgery. Much scraping and filing. A LOT of filing... But I think that'll do . I have gathered a few bits and pieces together - a wheel from an old scrapped Tiger tank (which consensus seems to suggest might be required to extend the nose to the correct length), an Airfix pilot figure which was painted several years ago for a project which ended up being parked (he'll need touching up in places, I think. NO, Ced... ), a resin moulded cowling and copies of radiators and carburettor intakes left over from my Mk22 builds... the grey radiator is the kit original (too shallow and too thin) and some fishtail exhausts which were spares from a Special Hobby Mk22 (I love that kit - so many spare bits and pieces) Next steps will be to start work on the cockpit - nothing too detailed because, as @AdrianMF said, not a lot will be visible... Thanks for looking, Nige

Having found a slightly better resolution version of the photo of AP-D that @Ventora3300 shared, I think he's right and that RM619 does have that fitted. Therefore, after fixing the under-fuselage contours, I'll have to find a way of adding it back. I suppose I could try cutting it off before surgery and keeping the "lump" in the box for later. I've had a look at the V1 corrections in the thread that @AdrianMF shared the link for, and as I have a second Novo Mk XIV in the stash, I should be able to use the redundant V1 parts from that one to extend the short fuselage and motor . I'll try - and at least if I display this one in flight, the pilot will obscure most of if not all detail in the cockpit, so that's at least one time saving... . Hopefully I shall be able to find some time to begin work on this tomorrow . Nige

I found that both auxiliary undercarriage doors on my 1/72 Airfix Spitfire Mk22 were short shot when I looked at it last month. However, in that instance the Airfix spares department were unable to help me, despite there still being a Mk22 in their current catalogue . No biggie as I can graft pieces of plasticard into the gaps, but still a shame that it wasn't picked up in quality control...

Six Inch Half Round Coarse…

Thank you for those photos - I'm certainly going to add the (IFF?) rod aerial under the starboard wing... but not sure about the round lump which i believe is the ARI or Rebecca beam approach aerial housing; I'm not convinced that every Mk XIV had one installed . I did look carefully at the photo of RM619 but it isn't conclusive. As wiser heads on here have said - photo references are vital (or simply find an airframe with no surviving photos and then no-one can tell you you're wrong ). I mentioned earlier that I have a Fujimi Mk XIV in the stash and wondered if I could use alternative markings as supplied with that kit... the answer, sadly, is NO... : Ugh! Hmm.. I suppose as I've got some Modeldecal code letters I could recreate DW-D RB159 which seemingly had a fairly standard scheme... and then maybe use the Frog decals for AP-D on the Fujimi kit... A bit more research required... Nige

Aha - that’s what I was thinking of . Thanks Adrian. Nige

Despite my rather dismal record at completing GBs (played 2, finished 0 ), I couldn't resist having a go at this one, especially as it is now slightly warmer outside meaning I can spend a bit more time in my workshop without freezing to death. This will be the Novo version of the Frog Spitfire Mk XIV - pics below. The horrible kit canopy sprue, and a view of the strange fuselage shape aft of the wing (oh, and I've just noticed one of several sink marks which will need attention): Not sure what happened to the original Novo decals but luckily I have a couple of spare sets of the Frog originals that I obtained years ago as part of a job lot from numerous different Frog kits. I first made the Frog version nearly 40 years ago, and at that time I refined the weird shape aft of the wing/fuselage join, and replaced the canopy - I think I even replaced the undercarriage. I was actually quite pleased with it at the time - and it has survived reasonably well: However, I didn't correct the wing (ailerons) or add the gull wing contours. And I rather enjoyed watching @AdrianMF produce his pair and promised myself that I'd have a go again myself. So - this one will be finished as AP-D; I will correct the wing and add the gull wing effect, either by resorting to a SIHRC file beloved of @perdu as I did with my two Pegasus Mk 22s, or try a different approach of replacing the Novo flat as a pancake flat bit with a resin copy of the appropriate area of a more correct model. Whilst replacing bits, I shall also try and replace the cowling and carburettor intake... oh, and the underwing radiators.. AND find a suitable replacement canopy from the spares box*. If I'm feeling keen, I shall also rub down the raised panel lines and rescribe them. I haven't yet decided whether to display this one in flight chasing the V1 or with undercart down. Of course, if I DO use the V1 I am painfully aware that the V1 model is inaccurate and will need correcting... now where I did I see that article...? 🤔 In an ideal world, not only will this build restore my modelling mojo enough to finish off the two Mk 22s which have languished on the SoD since last August, but maybe (MAYBE) if I finish this in good time I could even dig another Frog kit out of the stash - there's loads in there... Nige *Thinking about it, I've got the Falcon set of Spitfire vacformed canopies, so I'm considering using one of those for my Fujimi Mk XIV and then see if the Fujimi one fits the Novo kit...

Nicely built and finished, Andrew . A lot of the reference photos are of the studio model after it had spent a long time with Phil Rae (a heavy smoker, I believe) so it was quite grubby and yellowed, but I think your “weathering” is just right compared with the much cleaner models seen on screen. Nige

That's looking brilliant, Andrew

That looks great, Bill - and the Hendieparts certainly make a huge difference Nige

I was going to say that! I'm enjoying this build - very cool, especially as it all comes from your imagination...

Really nice job - I particularly like the metallic finish .

It looks from the shot in the link as if there’s a cranked axle… http://data3.primeportal.net/hangar/jon_davies/westland_scout_ah1_xt626/images/westland_scout_ah1_xt626_03_of_54.jpg

The Spectrum Passenger Jet looked good on the Movie and TV SIG stand at SMW. Do you have anything planned for the Anderson spectacular for the next one? Nige

Would that be for 668 squadron? https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/No._668_(Training)_Squadron_AAC?file=668_(Training)_Squadron_AAC_Badge.jpg Nige

Thinking about it, the DANGER markings will be placed on white paint, so if you could remove the blue background, they should work without a problem. For the UNIT C/D markings, on my Dinky Interceptor I included the red stripes as decals so the white lettering was simply a gap in the red... In this instance you could perhaps print them on white decal paper with a red background around them (matching the red to the already painted stripes might be an issue, although looking at the actual studio model the markings had a slightly yellowed surround from the decal sheet, so it would be possible to argue that it's true to "life"..). The ROCKET marking could be done in a similar way but on a colour background to match whatever colour you decide to paint the anti-glare panel. Nige

The Airfix Army one will look good alongside Scoutie…

Andrew - thanks for posting that very useful image. One thing for anyone intending to use it (just in case you weren’t already aware*); the light blue markings are actually white in reality - e.g. the UNIT C/D markings appear over the red stripe, the DANGER rectangles have a white background and the ROCKET stencil goes on the black/dark green anti-glare panel… *and this, Grandma, is how you suck eggs… Nige

Or, perhaps better, cut holes in the Matchbox fuselage end to accommodate the far more accurate Hasegawa exhaust cans...

Starting to look very impressive, Andrew. And rather big... Nige

Anna roundel onna underneeef?! Never knew that was there eiver…

That's looking really good, Brian - far less "toy-like" than the original kit. Nige

That's a very neat job

And of course, on the starboard side there is the large “RESCUE” marking on that hatch and, just below that, the wording “hatch cover”…