Tomas Enerdal

Agree, would not be visible in 1/48 scale. The kit, however, do have panellines, and rivets, fasteners etc that should not be visible either. I'm toning down them as well as I can without totally eliminate them, I'm sanding down most of the surface. The method I am testing for the rocker covers seems to reduce/tone down the joints without totally eliminating them. Totally removing the joints would give the impression of no joints at all, I want to keep some joint line, in balance with the others.

I found that by shimming up the rocker covers just a little (I used 0,05 mm plasticard) I got them closer to the "surface level" of the surrounding engine covers. This made the seam much less prominent and closer to scale. Not all the way up, mind. There should still be a faint seam. In some small places the seam was still a tad too wide but that was easily handled by narrowing the gap with strips of the same thin plasticard. The remaining gaps will be made even less prominent with typewriter correcting fluid/alcohol. A simple and quick method, but I can already see that I will be very pleased with the end result! Good luck.

Dear All, I have earlier probed around regarding the possible presence of a fuselage mounted downward identification lamp on FR.XVIII. Linescriber has just helped us with pics from the Indian AF museum. Now we know what it lookes like, thanks!

Dear Linescriber, Thank you, thank you again for the wonderful help with the belly identification lamp in post #49! You've made my day, I've been looking for this confirmation for months! For the wonderful help with the landing lamps under the belly of the XVIII. Now we, who want to model a FR.XVIII, know for sure that is there, and where exactly. For me, who is a nitpicker of the Nth grade, that is extremely important. I suppose that others who finds accuracy important are equally pleased! I'm very, very grateful! All the best, Tomas Enerdal

Dear Linescriber, Thank you, oh thank you again! You've made my day, I've been looking for this confirmation for months! For the wonderful help with the landing lamps under the belly of the XVIII. Now we, who want to model a FR.XVIII, know for sure that is there, and where exactly. For me, who is a nitpicker of the Nth grade, that is extremely important. I suppose that others who finds accuracy important are equally pleased! I'm very, very grateful! All the best, Tomas Enerdal

Dear All, Have just got a kind of confirmation that Yahu will issue an instrument panel for the 1/48 Airfix Spitfire FR.XIVe. Planned release in September. Tomas Enerdal

(sorry if this is a slight hijack of the thread, but yet, it is very close) Dear Linescriber First of all, please let me know if this asking is in any way imprudent, if so just ignore that I asked. (I have been hunting for these details for some time now, almos a rant...) If you have easy access to the Spit XVIII, could you help us with the last details, for modelling purposes? -Spitfire XVIII has been reported to have had three downward facing identification lamps, as had late XIVe:s. One under each wingtip (red and green I suppose) and one under the rear fuselage (amber). The underwing lamps can clearly be seen on Peter Arnols photo of the IndianAF relics. The under fuselage lamp, however, has proved impossible to confirm. Our lamented Edward Brooks stated that is was situated behind fuselage frame 16. An official diagram shows the two underwing lamps, but no fuselage lamp, however. The underside of the fuselage is normally dicfficult to see in contemporary photos unless in flight and I have not yet found any photos showing the underside of an unrestored XVIII , not even in your Spitfires in the Sun. The restored ones have had many details removed, gun bulges, lamps, antennas, camera openings, etc. -The Peter Arnold photos of the wings show the underside of the wing beautifully. The topsides however are not so clear. There are pictures of the restored TP280 that more or less clearly show the panel lines, but it has also been reported as having been reskinned during restoration to flying condition. Can these panel lines be trusted? I'm hoping that you may be able to confirm the over wing panel lines on another XVIII wing. -The FR.XVIII had camera control boxes in the cockpit. Placement of these can be seen in a diagram. The photos in the official Pilot's notes don't show them however. The restored ones have had many items removed. Do the IAF museum aircraft have any such fittings remaining? Would be nice to be able to detail the cockpit accurately. Tomas Enerdal

Count me in!

Could a US stockist ship to Canada? If so, see; https://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk/pages/where-to-buy Good luck!

Reading with interest. In trying to determine the most probable colour used, wouldn't it be suitable to try to understand what would be availabe/allowed to use in the 527 (calibration) squadron in 1943? Would american day-glo paint have been available? In qualities for different use (metal wings, fabric covered fuselage and flying surfaces, etc)? Did they paint other a/c in a similar way? Then, but not before, would it be appropriate IMHO to think about the best paint to use on the model. EDIT: Mr Duff and I wrote more or less simultainously; If British BS381C-592 International Orange were available at that time, I would go for it. And I know that Sovereign/Colourcoats enamels are just great!

Dear All, (Perhaps a kind of hijacking twist to this thread, but yet:) Is there a way of obtaining the 1/48 Chakra decals with yellow background? They look just lovely, according to the pics they do also have the correct dimensions.

Ok, I remember well that kit. Even had one a LONG time ago. Vasco Barbic once did a marvellous Seafire XV conversion. Can someone who has one handy measure its rear width at its broadest point? The Spit XVIII conversion costs £36 +p&p, a trifle too much if it cannot be used. Frankly I dont know how to widen a massive resin engine... But if that "trifle narrower" is very little it may not matter, the armored forward fuel/oil tanks behind a Griffon could be a trifle broader than the engine cowling IRL. This has recently been discussed in detail re the Airfix 1/48 kit.

(I'm working on the Airfix 1/48 XIVe at the moment, but;) I've been so "hooked" by the FR.18 version, I'm even considering making one in 1/32! The natural base kit would then be the Tamiya XVIe. Has anyone any opinion whether the Grey Matter nose would fit? I'm expecting the Tamiya kit to be accurate in size and cross section, but is the Grey Matter nose? I'm not familiar with the Revell Mk II it is built to fit to (beeing a 1/48 builder normally)

Dear Shane and Antti, Thanks for the explanation and pics! It makes sense. I wonder if it was a field/Maintenance Unit/factory modifacation or production variant (or several)? Could also explain the lack thereoff on restored aircraft, those restored to fly rather ofter shows small differences from exact wartime configuration. The one at Flygvapenmuseeum in Linkoping don't have any ridge left, but it has been restored and originally comes from India (PM627/HS-964).I'll see if I can take a close look next visit if there are any traces on the surface. The shadow cast by a ridge could give an optical illusion of a plate. So could also a difference between dirty/oily (darker) and cleaner (lighter). Antti, thanks for the pic! It shows very clearly the slightly elliptical shape. (Is it from Forslunds book? Which I don't have.) Thanks once again Edgar, sadly missed. All the best, Tomas