yeehah1

24-10-07 Guys, a bit of advise please? I am working on the Spitfire / Messerschmitt hybrid described elsewhere on this forum. I want to know if this would be ok, scale wise, to use as radio antennea... This is what I was thinking of using...would it look ok? Liam

24-10-07 Update time: Ok ... i changed the firewall set up. The reasoning behind this is that it is known that the Germans had to adapt or create a new harness to hold the DB605 in the Spitfire airframe. I could get no further information as to what this might have looked like or how complex or simple it might have been. I know that they changed the electrical systems, sooooo, after considering it, I cut up the firewall given in the Aires set and sanded it down and stuck it in place. It looks the part and dresses this area up nicely. (and as no-one knows what it really looked like..... ) This is what the bottom part of the cowling looks like from the inside. It's a real Frankenstien effort...some bits from the Revell 1/32 Bf110 kit, plastic strip and filler. It's a bit rough here, but has since been sanded smooth and it fits ok to the spinner. I also realised that I was thinking of the cowling in terms of the Me109 and that's a mistake as it was a "modified" cowling from a Bf110 that was used. Head on shot. Looks a bit off-kilter, but as mentioned, there was a heavy sanding session last night and I think I have it more squared away. I am not 100% certain here, but I think I have the exhaust stubs at the wrong angle. It's not so noticable when the cowling is off, but I am not going to worry about that now. And that's it for now. I have added the necessary bits above and around the exhausts and have scribed whatever lines where needed. There's a bit of detail to go inside the lower cowling, but this might affect the fit, so, I might not add it and leave that part flush to the bottom of the engine...instead of displaying it swung down for maintenace. The upper cowling will be removed and cut where it needs to be .... Liam

18-10-07 Hey Nev: Cheers mate. That looks lovely, very very nice. Especially as my missus is Japanese!!! Thanks for the heads up...great to see the kit buit-up!! Liam

15-10-07 Perfick, Mike. Just Perfick. I can see that I have a little extra to add to the exhausts. I could see that lip in other photos, but not so clearly. Interesting that there's a line down the middle underneath and it's good to see how it joins to the main body underneath as well. Thank you...it helps loads...I can see an end in sight now to the major work....it's all fiddle-dee dee stuff after I get the cowling underneath sorted... Guess I'll be filling, filing and sanding for the rest of the week! I know I aksed this elsewhere, but I am tired and the brain is a little addled....when you say that Spitfire Vb's /Vc's had smooth tyres, does that mean not tread at all or did they have the concentric ribs that ran around their circumference (as opposed to the block tread)? Coffee. I need coffee. Liam

15-10-07 Update: It's fair to say, that in the past few days, this project almost ended up in the bin! Given what I spent on it in terms of add-ons...well... A few days ago, I started on the upper cowling... I removed the two center strips as I felt it needed a flatter top as it transitioned from the flatter top of the Spitfire to the rounder top cowling of the Bf 110 used. Taking a break tonight and this is how far I have come. The cowling is only tacked onto the Spitfire fuselage...and you can see the hodge-podge of bits..resin, kit, styrene and filler. After I am happy with the shape and general fit, I'll separate the relevant bits to show off the engine. And there are problems there too, the main one being that the air scoop on the fuselage side does not match up with the Aires part it needs to on the engine when the engine is in the right place. If I move the scoop, it'll be too low....but with the cowling off, no-one will know. And with the cowling on, no-one will know. Hee hee! Laughing Boy Liam

15-10-07 I have hit a small problem with fitting the DB605... In order to get the engine into the correct postion ( as near as I can tell), I need to remove this. Which looks like this part on the real thing... Is this anything to do with the electrical system? It might not be a bad thing to lose it as it's known that the Germans replaced the English system with one of their own. Either way, it has to be removed. Damn. Liam Still working on the cowl....had it ok, then when I attempted to fit it all together, it wouldn't sit right on the engine..i know I'll be displaying the engine as visible, but would like the various cowling bits to actually fit together... I'll post pics when I get it right.

15-10-07 Thanks for the replies. Edgar: The reason I ask is that I am getting pretty cl;ose to being able to paint my 1/32 MesserSpit. I know the underneath and so was painted yellow, but I intended on leaving the wheel-wells interior green and the same for hte inside of the gear doors. My concern was that I have seen pics of the inside of the gear doors being natural metal or silver and wheel wells done as suggested by John: painted the same color as the underside. I'll have a think about it, but will probably leave them as is...interior green... Liam ( currently working on the jigsaw puzzle that the cowling has become...

14-10-07 What color would the wheel wells and inside of the main gear doors be on a Spitfire V or Vb, around Nov 1942? I am thinking interior green, but have seen the inside of the gear doors in aluminium or bare metal... Any advise please? Liam

14-10-07 Stephane: Excellent. Thank you once again. It seems to a slim cable, even on the real thing. Mike: Could you post those pics you have of the underneath ( of the nose) of the Fusion conversion kit, please? I think we thought you'd done already, but you hadn;t. Also, just wondering, how to break down the nose section as if for maintenace? As in, how many pieces? I know the cowling was a custom job, but am getting to the stage where I'll need to sort that out...since I'll be showing hte engine... Liam

11-10-07 Stephane...have you any reference that might show how the brake lines ran dwon the land gear stryts please? I am getting those ready to attach soon and just would appreciate some clarification. Thanks in advance Liam

10-10-07 Update time: Not nearly spending hte hours I need on this to get 'er done, but it's coming along nicely now....at least it looks like a Spitfire! But I do have a question for the Spitfire Gurus.... See the red arrows point to the sections under the wings that look like flap extentions?? My question is: should there be a panel line there? I mean, is it all one unit that deploys when landing/taking off or are there two seperate sections here..the small one indicated and the larger section beside it?? Thanks in advance Liam

09-10-07 Guys, that's really excellent. Thank you all. Next question in a day or so.... Liam

08-10-07 Which kind of treads did the Spitfire Vb have? In the SAM publications Datafile, it has pics of a V and a Vb or Vc. One has what looks like smooth treads and the other has a square block pattern. Which would be correct for a Vb around 1942? Also, is there a resin set that could be used in 1/32 to replace the Hasgawa wheels? Thanks in advance Liam

06-10-07 Just for Stephane, then: i am not going to super-detail this area as I am not yet at that kind of level with my modelling, plus I think a lot of this will be hidden or obscured by the engine and the cowling that I put in place over this section,,, but a part it might be seen and it's coll to know that it's there and that I did it.... Thanks again Stephane. Liam

05-10-07 Actually, looking at the first picture, what are these and do you think they're visible with the cowling removed and the engine in place? I know that sounds like a dumb question, but I can see where it connects to the firewall, but I am thinking that htese are some sort of attachement piece t o the wings? What shape are they? I wonder, would hte Germans have removed these bits to help fit the DB605? Liam

05-10-07 Stephane: I reckon, just for clarity, that the red arrowed section is what's relevant ot my needs?? Thanks again, excellent pictures. Liam

05-10-07 Stephane: Excellent! Exactly what I was looking for! wonder if I should attempt it or just wig out? Liam

04-10-07 And now back to your originally scheduled programme.... This still needs a bit more painting and weathering, but it gives you an idea of where I'm going ( and that would be right to the funny farm) As you can see, I cut the top of the wheel wells and added a bit of depth to them. I measured and cut some plastic strip and using a candle, I heated the strip periodically ( burning my fingers in the processs..Nurse! I need medical attention!!) In the (few) seconds that it was pliable, I formed it into a rough circle and then glued it into position. It needs to be sanded and the "top" needs to be added, but I'll be getting right onto that! I dunno what this piece is called on the real thing or what it does ( oil something or rather?? ) but I added a wee bit of detail using scavanged photo-etch, again from a set meant for the Messerschmitt. Did this front and back and it looks the dog's! Finally: What does this area look like? I have no photos that show this area in detail and I reckon it wasn't open to all and sundry. As she'll be displayed with the cowling off, I am worried that this huge space will be seen and I don;t think it was a solid piece of metal sheet. Any advise anyone?? Liam

04-10-07 Any idea when it'll be released and for how much? Liam

04-10-07 Huh? Wuzzat??? (wakes after MesserSpit session last night) Last night, whilst watching Gordon Ramsay fillet another bunch of hapless ( and in some cases, hopeless) American chef wannabes, I decided to cut the wheel wells off the Spit,as they appeared to be too shallow. I am hoping and praying that I am right in this cos if not, I've just screwed it up. But you know how it goes...you cut a few pieces here and there..scratch build this, slice that and the next thing you know, you're cutting and sanding everything!! So, the new depth is made, just have to putty the cracks and sand it down..and the closk is ticking...... Oo-eerr... Liam (no, I don't mind the thread hijack.....long as we don't go rabbiting on about French Fries...no, NO NO! They're CHIPS!! Thant's all there is to it! ( and not a Poncherello in sight!)

03-10-07 I think so....not going to worry about the chin just yet..need to get the Spitfire bit working first! Add to that the fact that the nose cowling will practically be a jigsaw puzzle..... This build, for me, hasa lot of "firsts"...first photoetched cockpit interior, irst scratch-built items ( firewall), first dropped tail-plane / rudder alignment...first fully re-scribed kit...and so on... And there's only, what, 5 weeks left.....arrrgghhh! Liam (as if I am not losing enough hair!!)

03-010-07 Ok, update time... Got a fair bit done...made a firewall from scratch using hte Trumpy 1/24th as a reference. Given that there'll be a big honking engine in front of it, I didn't go too far.. I also added a little detail to the air-intake ( am I right? it's an air intake under the wing?) by cutting some mesh up from the Eduard 1/32 photoetch for the Me109. Looks ok when painted... I got the fueslage halves together with a bit of work.... the cockpit all painted. Ther seat looks a little too big and I,m wondering if I should have gone with the kit bucket? And I dropped the tail-plane... cut the rudder off as well, but I'll get to reattaching it later... I also attached the lower wings to the main body, but there's a little thing or two to add to the wheel wells. It's beginning to look like a Spitfire! Liam ps, Mike: the reason my shot of the MesserSpit nose looks wrong is that there is a section missing immediatley in front of the fuel tank!! shortens the nose and makes it look dumpy!

Heh heh Thanks Radish.... Liam

25-09-07 Ok, I am building a 1/32 Hase Spitfire Vb. I have a question about the tailplane and what should be on the top surface, texture wise. The big one is from the Trumpeter 1/24 VI kit, the smaller one is from the Hase 1/32. As you can see following hte red lines I have drawn on it, the Trumpeter tail-plane has ridges on its upper surfaces, but the Hase Vb doesn't. Should I make the Hase Vb conform to the VI kit? They were quite similar, weren't they? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Liam

21-09-07 Spitfire gurus...i need help here. I am building a Spitfire..sort of.. and I want to drop the tail-planes and off-set the rudder. I am using the 1/32 Hasegawa Spitfire Vb kit. I have cut the necessary bits like so.... But before I potentially destroy these bits...what's the best way to go about this? After the cut, both surfaces are flat and blunt, but I take it I need a curved surface? Wouls I glue a piece of stretched spru to the newly cut edge of the tail palne to be dropped and then sand/blend them together to get a smooth rounded surface that looks as if it's slotted together (as well as indiacteing the two hinges?). Or is there a better way to do this? I need to off-set the rudder as well, so the same method would apply, yes? Thanks in advance for any help. Liam