ilj

Xtracolour Azure Blue, lightened slightly with white

OK here is my model of this aircraft... speculative 😉

MN426 F3-H of 438 Squadron RCAF, Lantheuil (B9), F/O W.H. Morrison, August 1944 MP149 I8-P of 440 Squadron RCAF, Eindhoven (B78), F/O H.J. Hardy, October 1944 Hasegawa 09060 (JT60) x2, Aviaeology AOD48008 decals and reference, Ultracast exhausts 48057 x2, tail wheel well 48237 x2, seats 48072 x2, radiator with dust filter 48059 x2, Tempest tailplanes 48080 x2, four blade propellor 48074 x2, 1000# ordnance 48002, 500# ordnance 48001; Barracuda BR48138 - Typhoon & Tempest Series I wheels x2; Master metal 20mm cannons MR48-083 x2. Tamiya XF and Alclad metal paint, Prismacolour pencils, brass rod (IFF, felt canopy seal strips), brass sheet (open handhold door), Nitinol wire (0.005" diameter, whips), Albion Alloys aluminum tube (0.6mm od x 0.4mm id), Uschi ultrafine line (fuse wires).

...thanks to Troy for his excellent analysis of the Academy XIV kit. In my opinion, that kit's parts would be best used assembled, as a paint testing hulk - something worth having in the workshop. In terms of a kit bash route to a 1/48 scale XIVc, I think the ideal process involves the Airfix low-back XIVe (A05135 - prop, nose, tail and radiators) and the Eduard VIIIc (84132 - everything else). This conversion has been well-described by Paul Budzik with videos. My attempt is here: ilj

I've been leaving this detail off my 1/48 spitfire models because of concerns about scale. However, in 1/32 I included the terminals and the IFF antenna wires. https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/rcaf-spitfire-vc-malta-1942-1-32-tamiya-conversion-t524599.html After overall painting, I drilled a tiny hole at each terminal location and pushed .005 nitinol wire into it leaving about 0.5 mm protruding... this provided a post to superglue the Uschi super fine line to. Hope this helps, and good luck! ilj

- the four machine guns are overscale and benefit from replacement with the Master brass aftermarket guns - the vertical tail is 1/16" too tall - easy to fix - a little scratch-building of detail for the rear of the landing gear bays is helpful - otherwise great and fun to build kit ilj

superb 'bolt! ilj

very nice paint job 🙂 ilj

I attempted to model this aircraft a few years ago... it wasn't too difficult to make the masks myself using yellow tape... the only masking challenge was the curved lower part of the 'U's images here: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/spitfire-xvie-tb886-au-j-of-421-sq-rcaf-april-1945-t50133.html ilj

awesome... love the colour schemes... and beautiful work! 😀

wonderful project and lovely model... well done! ilj

very nice... inspirational... thanks for posting ilj

Great job! ilj www.aleutianplanes.com

this 25 year old Tamiya production has a few flaws, the most conspicuous of which is the too-tall vertical tailplane - this is noticeable when you compare uncorrected model images to contemporary Mosquito images. Fortunately, it is an easy fix using a cut-off tool, sanding stick and scriber... the quick way is to clip off 1/16" off the top of one side of the tail, trace the profile of the opposite unclipped side onto that, clip off the excess, then mate the left and right sides and clip off the excess again, then sand and smooth... this gives a fair approximation of the profile height of the tail. There are more complicated ways to do this, for perfectionists. thanks for the praise and good luck with your model 🙂 ilj

Mosquito FB VI LR347 red T, 248 Squadron, Banff Strike Wing, 10 June - 16 July 1944 kit: Tamiya 1/48 #61062... I trimmed 1/16" off the top of the vertical tailplane, detailed the rear facing red lamp under the tail, and added scratch built detail to the main wheel wells. references: Osprey publications Mosquito Bomber/Fighter-Bomber Units 1942–45 / Eagle Strike decal set 48175 Mosquito Best Sellers, Part I aftermarket: Ultracast seats 48033, tailwheel 48045, wheels 48247, mudguards 48046, exhausts 48104, Master guns and pitot AM48111 (all highly recommended).

at the Prince William Sound Museum, 100 Kenai Street, Whittier, Alaska 99693 check out the museum if you are in Whittier... it is the most exciting thing in town 🙂 ilj

I'm not very good at figure brush painting, but I'm learning 🙂 ilj

the propellor..

thank you 🙂 yes, the roundels-stars were painted with masks - only the tail numbers were decals and some of those fell off and were repaired with insignia yellow acrylic and a fine brush the 1-Man-Army stencil (masks) results are subtle, but definitely add to it - recommended ilj

P-39Q Airacobra 44-71500 - this lend lease aircraft was painted in Soviet colours and crashed in transit from Canada to Ladd Field (Fairbanks), on taiga near Northway, Alaska on 13 August 1944 with the American ferry pilot surviving. Kitty Hawk Models KH32013 1/32 P-39Q Airacobra kit Tamiya AS spray can lacquer and XF acrylic, Alclad metals, Prismacolour pencils, Master Details US Army Air Force pilot figure (mid to late WW2) 32011 , Eduard coloured photo etch cockpit detail 33153, exhaust stacks 632081, and canopy mask JX186, 1 Man Army stencil masks 32DET047, Uschi ultra fine rigging line for HF radio antenna, 50 caliber nose guns - brass tube, 30 mm cannon and propellor shaft - brass tube, aluminum tube, carved and sanded basswood 175(?) gallon belly fuel tank based on dodgy contemporary reference photos, shark-fin pitot fabricated with brass rod, a hammer and plasticard (the Master US WW2 metal pitot AM32116 was a fail again due to its brittle plastic tip that broke off instantly), loop radio direction finder - brass rod, the kit's abundant open access panels were covered, puttied, re-scribed and riveted (tedious)

After reading this (very interesting), I was wondering whether the P-38 would be more hazardous to bale out of, compared to twin engined RAF aircraft like the De Havilland Mosquito and Bristol Beaufighter... any thoughts? ilj

wow, outstanding - this is some of your best work!!! ilj

My guess is that McNair's Vb spit AB264 was painted with sky blue (light bluish gray) undersides, with tail-dragon's upper side scheme. My Malta spit collection is shown at these links... it is interesting that after a few years I think I would have done some colours differently (e.g., sorry for the purple undersides of EP606), but it was a fun exercise 🙂 https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/dusty-blue-hell-spits-malta-1942-43-mostly-canadia-t522178.html https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/rcaf-spitfire-vc-malta-1942-1-32-tamiya-conversion-t524599.html ilj

excellent job, beautiful paint work ... and well titled... congratulations ilj