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New DB Model Kits (DBMK) projects are 1/32nd Supermarine Spitfire FR.Mk.XIV and Seafire F.Mk.XVII. Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02WzFv25UaY78nJgUYc8R1MSomu9PsRrCZXbLzuGMhSHfjzxBNwAX4WrdEWZ4Asc1Jl&id=100084846155184 Ok, but what about the release from the DBMK 1/48th Supermarine Scimitar kit ? Link V.P.

I can't quite pin down when it started, but I think I may have developed a Spitfire acquisition problem. I think it happened when I bought a PR Mk.XI for the Recce and Scouting GB after joining the forum earlier this year, then followed it up with a build of an FR Mk.IXc in the same GB; I'd already restarted my modelling with a couple of Eduard Mk.XVIs before lockdown, followed by an Airfix Mk.I and an AZ Models Mk.IIa (LR) in 2020 when I paused the Eduard ones until after a house move (not wanting to knock off IFF aerials etc.). After finishing those, I acquired an Eduard Mk.IX and accidentally bought a Mk.22 in the local model shop, but didn't start either. It seemed like it was under control. Then I found and read @ModelingEdmontonian's Hawker Hurricanes Around The World thread, modelling more-or-less every non-RAF marking scheme of Hurricane. And I bought more Spitfires, and started thinking 'well, I've done one each in PRU blue, PRU pink, Temperate Land Scheme (with and without sky band), Day Fighter Scheme (with vestigial invasion stripes) and DFS (2TAF with C1 roundels on the upper wings) - what if I try and do something in each major RAF marking scheme?' So I bought an Eduard Mk.VIII, which still lies in the stash, thinking that I could add a SEAC colour scheme. Then I thought 'hmmm, I didn't make any Griffon-engined Spitfires when I was modelling in my youth, it'd be good to build a couple', and I started researching how to kit-bash a Mk.XII. Then I discovered Kingkit.co.uk. And then this happened. Ooops. The Admiral Spitfire Mk.24 probably has a prop that's too small (I've not measured it yet) so I'll make sure it's removable for if I ever find an aftermarket one. The Airfix Mk.22's prop will be replaced by a Freightdog one, and the original which will then find its way onto the Sword Mk.XIV (which will be converted to a Mk.XVIII - are you paying attention at the back?). One of the Seafire Mk.XVs (probably the Ventura, but maybe another Sword Mk.XV) will be turning into a Mk.XII, although I've just put a bid on fleabay for an Academy stumpy Mk.XIV and a Brigade Spitfire XII conversion kit which I might try on something. Griffon-wise, there are also Marks XIX, 45, 46 and 47 to consider at some point, although I'll probably draw the line at the Mk.IV/XX. Then there are the Merlin varieties to start thinking about... This will be a slow-burn, long-term project as I've been enjoying doing the GBs and have my eye on a couple which can't have a Spitfire or Seafire shoehorned into them, and will be used as a focus for my modelling rather than haring off to try different things. First thing is to finish the Mossie for the Airco & DeHavilland GB and the Mustang for the Southern Europe GB - then I'll probably start with the (hopefully) nice and simple Airfix Mk.22 to get the mojo going. Although, knowing me, it'll probably get started well before the other two are finished. Here's the current state of affairs, in poor lighting as the weather is currently dreadful. Here's looking forward to adding a few more before the year is out!

Quoted in the December MPM newsletter a forthcoming Special Hobby 1/48th Supermarine Seafire F.Mk.XV Two boxing: SH48116 Supermarine Seafire F Mk.XV "Far East Service" SH48125 Supermarine Seafire F Mk.XV "Aéronavale Service" Pics of the frames are here http://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=9...192344#p1192344 Source: http://www.cmkkits.com/en/news/mpm-newsletter-12-11/ V.P.

My attempt at the '90s Airfix Seafire, built from its original boxing. This represents VP 461, flying with 800 Naval Air Squadron, based initially in Hong Kong before deploying to the Korean War aboard HMS Triumph. I can see why this was a landmark kit for Airfix; fit and detail are generally excellent; only the thick, ancient decals were an obstacle - I can see why they were abandoned in later boxings. Partly because of this - and partly to retain as much of the nice surface detail as possible - I opted to paint the invasion stripes and roundels, plus the larger codes, using Montex masks. The only other additions were a Falcon canopy, Eduard PE harness (and some stencils), plus some scratch detailing in the cockpit and a couple of rudimentary oblique cameras. I tried to conjure an airframe pushed hard in action, but maintained to withstand life on a carrier. I’m sure no exposed metal would’ve been permitted, although the wear of constant use must’ve built up over time. Of those planes that survived the conflict, only a few were airworthy; many others were scrapped upon their return, driven to the end of their functional lives. This final iteration of the Spitfire is such a striking, muscular end to the line. Although piston engine fighters were pretty much obsolete by the time the FR.47 entered service, the Seafire is a mighty last gasp. Thanks for looking. I had a great time with all aspects of this kit.

As nowadays I pretty much only build the Supermarine Spitfire and its variants in 1/48 scale, to make life a little easier for myself I've decided to throw everything I have on the go into one Spitfire superthread that should see me through to the eventual end of what in my head I call The Project. This will entail building some 50 different Spitfires in 1/48 scale. It won’t be an exhaustive trawl through every marque and operator, just ones that take my fancy. I've realised today that I'm causing myself unnecessary stress by overcommitting to group builds (I'm sure I'm not alone in this); not just that, but I'm forcing myself to do subjects just to fit a theme of a given group build (with Spits there's a lot of flexibility in this regard), when often I'd just like to give myself the freedom of the stash. So, inspired in part by @ModelingEdmontonian's Hawker Hurricanes Around The World project, going forward I'm going to try to have all my Spitfires under one roof, as it were, and dip in and out of GBs as and when I feel like it. The Supermarine Spitfire was my first love when I started modelling, first time round, back around 2009. For a while I built nothing but Spits in 1/72 scale. Then I got into some other stuff, took a decade off, came back to it during the lockdown (like you do), did some other stuff and recently came back to Reg Mitchell's finest, albeit in failing-eyesight-friendly 1/48 scale. I've also been enjoying learning more about the rich history of this most iconic of aircraft. I already have an Eduard Mk Ia in the bag, and at the moment I have the following three builds on the go: Spitfire Mk Vb EN951/RF-D, flown by Squadron Leader Jan Zumbach of 303 (Kościuszko) Squadron during 1941 A very well-known Polish Spit, actually the third Vb flown by Zumbach bearing a variation of his personal “Donald Duck” artwork. This is the new-tool Airfix kit, which is very decent apart from a very poor gluing join for the wheel oleos. I had glued them on and masked them prior to painting only for them to snap off again. I’ll find a way. This build is OOB apart from the decals which are by Techmod. The only change to the plastic has been the deletion of the wing strengthening strakes. I’m nearly there with this one, it’s my first attempt at some meaningful weathering, so far some wing root wear using drybrushed acrylic paint, an enamel wash and a light oil wash. I’m going to have a go at some chalk weathering next before finishing it off. The WIP to date is here. Spitfire Mk IIa P7308/XR-D, flown by American pilot P/O William “Poppy” Dunn of 71 (Eagle) Squadron, summer 1941 At a less advanced stage I have this IIa as flown by American pilot P/O William “Poppy” Dunn of 71 (Eagle) Squadron during the summer of 1941. The kit is Eduard’s Ia Overtrees set with a motorised undercarriage unit swiped from a Tamiya Mk I kit and a Coffman start bulge from an Eduard Mk V kit. I’m using decals from 3D-Kits’ “Rotol Spitfires” sheet; it gives the option of either pre-August 1941 Temperate Land Scheme or post-August 1941 Day Fighter Scheme, proposing that the airframe flew with 71 wearing both colour schemes. For reasons I explored in the WIP I feel this is unlikely, and I’ve decided to go with DFS. It’s a box of bits and pieces at the moment. Seafire Mk IIc MB218/S-A, 809 Naval Air Squadron FAA, HMS Stalker, Operation Avalanche, September 1943 Finally, this is the Seafire Mk IIc that I’m doing for the Salty Sea Dog GB that I’m hosting (I’m going to continue the GB WIP, of course). This is the Special Hobby kit, which I’ve been finding a bit of a bruiser compared to Airfix and Eduard. I’m building it as a striking shark-mouthed, clipped-wing Seafire that flew from HMS Stalker during the allied landings near the Italian port of Salerno in September 1943. Having lost one of the resin cannon from the kit I’m waiting for some brass replacements to arrive from the big H, then I’ll be able to press on. For the same GB I’ve also planned a Seafire Mk 46 and a Spitfire Mk Vc Trop as flown to Malta off USS Wasp via HMS Eagle, which in my heart of hearts I know I’m unlikely to be able to finish by the end of April, so they may well find their way here. So, there we have it. I'm also going to be a little more disciplined by having one build on the go at any time, rather than serial starting and spinning proverbial plates, so my aim is to firstly drag the Zumbach Vb over the line. We'll see how it goes! Thanks for looking in. Tony

This is a placeholder for the first of my two Seafire builds for the Salty Sea Dog, in this case an early variant, an 807 Naval Air Squadron Seafire L Mk IIc that served aboard HMS Battler during Operation Avalanche, the Allied landings at the Italian port of Salerno in September 1943. This Seafire was essentially a navalised version of the Spitfire Mk Vc (though not with the benefit of folding wings – they didn’t appear until the Mk III). The delicate Spitfire with its narrow undercarriage wasn’t considered ideal for the rough and tumble of carrier ops (the sturdier lend-lease American Grummans were more up to the task), but the Admiralty didn’t have that many options. There is a well known photograph of this particular airframe, arriving on deck with great enthusiasm. LR642 was built at the Westland factory and issued to 15 Maintenance Unit on 5th April 1943 and (after surviving a wheels-up landing at RAF North Front, Gibraltar on 3rd July) flew with 807 NAS from HMS Battler between July and September of that year. The mishap in the photograph (the arrester hook appears not to have lowered) apparently took place not on Battler but on HMS Hunter. After being repaired the airframe was sent home to 748 NAS at RNAS St Merryn in Cornwall, where it suffered yet another mishap, clipping a stationary aircraft with a wingtip in February 1944. It was then with another training unit, 761 NAS, from March to December 1944, and was eventually pensioned off in January 1946. The kit I will be using is Special Hobby’s 1/48 “Torch and Avalanche” boxing, built OOB. I quite fancied the clipped-wing shark-mouth kite on the box but apparently there are some doubts over the authenticity of the scheme, whereas this one is pretty solid. Plenty SH kits have found their way into and out of my stash over the years, but I don’t recall ever actually finishing one! A short run kit after the joys of Airfix and Eduard may prove to be an interesting experience. The title of this build comes from FAA pilot Commander R. “Mike” Crossley’s memoir of the same name, which in turn comes from a… pithy Fleet Air Arm song from wartime! Thanks for looking in!

Joining with this Airfix 1/48 Seafire. My final model purchase of 2021, £10 in a charity shop.

Hi, here's a build of Special Hobby's recent Hi-tech boxing of their 1/72 Seafire FR.47. It's all OOB and painted in the included scheme for VP480 of 800NAS flying off HMS Triumph during the opening stages of the Korean War. This particular scheme is with ID stripes introduced after a friendly fire incident with a B29. I opted for a black, rather than EDSG, spinner for aesthetic reasons. Half the central drop tank was sadly missing, so this one is in the rather unrealistic configuration of fully loaded with rockets with no fuel tanks, presumably to obliterate something no more than about 200 yards away. Partly because it seems these aircraft were kept pretty clean, and partly because I think it looks nice, I decided not to weather this model besides some panel line washing. The result was rather heavier than I intended on the upper wing surfaces, but overall the kit detail was nice and just proud enough to grip the wash. It's been my first build of something limited run, and I was rather intimidated both the amazing quality of all the builds of this kit on britmodeller, and by the rather foreboding comments about it that accompanied them. Overall it builds into a nice model of this lovely aircraft I think, but does require a reasonable amount of work. I've made some observations of it at the end of the WiP thread listed below. The kit is painted in Tamiya acrylics using @Casey's mixes (request 8752b for mods to sticky that thread please! 😁) with GSI varnishes and oil washes. Please forgive the camera work, I've got no idea how to do these things. WiP: Thanks very much for looking in, and to all those who were a great help through the build! Cheers, Andy

The Royal Canadian Navy switched the underside, and lower fuselage, colour from Sky to a light grey in the late 40s/early 50s. Does anyone have a good idea of what the colour is and is there a reasonable match available, preferably in a brushable acrylic. It looks not unlike current U.K. Camouflage Grey which I know it isn't. It may be based on a US spec rather than BS. Any help gratefully received.

Hi folk's sadly it's culling time for some older kits the dust is getting everywhere and a lot are fading like the real thing in the sun through the Skylight. I am keeping these few 1/48 kit's and have washed and repaired them for boxing up so thought I might put a few photo's up. Special Hobby Seafire. Tamiya Vb as one of Zumbach's mounts. Airfix Vb Nightfighter. Airfix pre war Mkl. BoB Memorial flight Vb Airfix kit and decals. Thanks for looking next shelf is Hurricane filled!

Good morning. I am slightly embarrassed having to ask this question as I thought I would be able to answer it through my own resources. However, as is usual with such things, digging in to the detail tends to open-up rabbit holes. I wish to model a Seafire XV in the FAA temperate sea scheme and without any far east markings, i.e. allowing an easy side-by-side comparison with (say) a Spitfire XII in ocean grey and green. I have found the perfect specimen to model (see below) but I cannot answer this simple question: Would the spinner be Sky or white? Every source I have is completely contradictory and I feel it necessary to ask the combined knowledge of Britmodeller. (source: https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery/uk/raf/seafire/seafire-xv-5h-o-806/) All assistance gratefully received. Kind regards, Neil

Hi all, I’ve had another silly idea pop into my head! How can I get a Seafire III from Airfix’s 1/24 Spitfire IX? I’ve made my best guess at everything I’d need · Mk V nose/cowl · Modified cannon panels (including removal of the 50cal stub) · Scribed wing fold lines · Removal of the second underwing radiator, to be replaced with an oil cooler · Fuselage strengthening plates and lifting points · A-Frame arrestor hook Aside from that, I believe everything else is in the kit to make a Seafire III, specifically the 4 blade prop, 6 stub exhaust, later elevators and later armoured windscreen. I’m sure I must be missing something – it would also be nice if there was a conversion for the nose at least! Cheers Ben

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release 1/72nd Supermarine Seafire Mk.Ib kits. These kits are claimed based on the KP Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I/.V kit with a new sprue. Reissue from the Admiral kit? link To be followed. Release expected late March 2021. Source: http://www.modelarovo.cz/supermarine-seafire-mk-ib-1-72-kp-kovozavody-prostejov/ - ref. KPM0238 - Supermarine Seafire Mk.Ib https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72238 https://www.aviationmegastore.com/supermarine-seafire-mkib-kpm72238-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72238-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=176642 - ref. KPM0239 - Supermarine Seafire Mk.Ib - with Vokes carburettor air filter https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72239 https://www.aviationmegastore.com/supermarine-seafire-mkib-vokes-kpm72239-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72239-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=176643 - ref. KPM0241 - Supermarine Seafire Mk.Ib "Over Africa" https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72241 https://www.aviationmegastore.com/supermarine-seafire-mkib-over-africa-kpm72241-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72241-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=176644 V.P.

Bit of a low mojo year for me. My Hobby Room is now my office, so spending leisure time in there is not high on my agenda (first world problems hey?). Only four completed this year. A Hurricane and a Skua waiting to be sprayed but hopefully they will be in 2021 year book. Here is what was finished though. Hope you enjoy them. Hawker Hurricane I (Trop.) W9327 OL*W 806 NAS Royal Navy Fighter Squadron, 269 Wing RAF. Sidi Haneish, Egypt. 20.11.41 3 x Ju87 Destroyed. Hawker Hurricane I (Trop.) W9327 OL*W 20.11.41 Shot down by a 'friendly' tomahawk, later awarded DFC by RAF. Lt Philip Charlton Airfix 1/48 Hurricane MkI Trop. Boxing Xtracrylics / Tamiya paint. Mix of box, generic and hand painted markings. Fairey Fulmar MkI Serial unknown /6A. 806 NAS HMS Illustrious Mediterranean Sep-1940 10.01.41. Ju87 Destroyed, 2xJu87 Damaged, 100m w. Malta. Fairey Fulmar Unknown/6A Lt William (Bill) Barnes. Special Hobby Multi Media kit. Xtracrylics / Tamiya paint. Mix of box, generic and hand painted markings. Supermarine Seafire III NN341 possibly ‘3A’. 886 Naval Air Squadron, Lee-on-the-Solent. D-Day Fleet fire spotter pool 07.06.44 1735 Destroyed Bf109, 15 miles SW Caen / 5m S Evrecy. Lt RM (Mike) Crosley. Special Hobby Supermarine Seafire III ‘Eyes of the Fleet’ boxing Xtracrylics / Tamiya paint. Mix of box and generic. Vickers Supermarine Seafire III LR866/S121 887 NAS 24th NFW HMS IndefatigableJapan Aug-1945 15.08.45 2 x Mitsubishi A6M Zero Destroyed, 0.5 Mitsubishi A6M Zero Shared Destroyed. SLt Victor (Vic) Lowden Special Hobby Supermarine Seafire III ‘Last fight over the Pacific’ boxing Xtracrylics / Tamiya paint. Mix of box and generic.

Built this one as a conversion from the Airfix Spitfire Vb using an assortment of parts from various sources and the kind help of a few BM members. The WiP thread can be found here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234927994-seafire-iii-from-airfix-72nd-spitfire-vb/

Dear All, I'm thinking of buying the CMR 72nd scale kit of the Seafire 1b but have no previous experience of this makers products so wondered if anyone has already been down this route and could comment on how good the kit is as it is not cheap at £24+. I've also never built a resin kit before so are there any things to bear in mind, such as the correct adhesives to use, when building and painting the model I wonder? Any/all advice very welcome before I take the plunge as I'm also interested in the CMR Spitfire XII, when it eventually arrives at the Big H, but not sure how accurate their kits are generally and how complex they are to build for someone with modest skills. Regards Colin.

Dear All, Have just come across a Seafire 1b 72nd scale kit for sale and it's made by a company I've never had any experience of called Admiral so just wondered if anyone can shed any light on it or the general quality of their offerings. I'm interested in it but not if it's of poor quality. Regards Colin.

HI again All, One of my builds from lockdown which I was pleased with and enjoyed doing immensely. Airfix's SeafireXVII in 1/48. Goes together well with no major issues. Painted with Tamiya 'acrylics' via my then new single-action Mr. Hobby Procyon Boy(which I love). Enjoy......CC/questions welcome.

Does anyone know how common the Aero Vee intake was on merlin Seafires, in particular the type Mk II? It is more commonly seen on the Spitfire VII/VIII/IX etc.. and I've also seen photos of the Mk III with such an intake but I've never seen it on a Mk II so wondered when it may have been introduced and if existing examples could have been retro-fitted? I'm thinking of adding this later intake to my Mk II (robbed from the Heller XVI kit) but only if such a configuration did actually exist. Regards Colin.

Dear All, Does anyone know where I can find plans/diagrams showing the location of the forward catapult spools on the Mk II versions III. I've perused many photos without success and just know that apparently they were supposed to be located somewhere on the underside behind the nose but no idea exactly where or what they actually looked like. Many thanks. Colin.

Dear All, Further to my previous post on Merlin Seafires and my intention to build all 3 versions,1B, IIC and III I've just managed to buy the Sword Mk III / SW72084 late boxing which, with all Sword Seafire and Spitfire kits, are like hens teeth these days. I've read the excellent review of this kit on Hyperscale by Mark Davies (below) which confirms my initial thoughts that the kit is excellent with the only obvious error being the lack of panel lines on the wings showing the wing fold. http://www.hyperscale.com/2014/reviews/kits/sword72083reviewmd_1.htm Given the lack of wing fold lines and the plethora of spares also included, as apparently these are from their previous Spitfire V model which Sword still left in for some reason, I'm wondering if the kit could also be built as Mk II as well? Would love to hear from anyone who has bought/built this kit who could confirm, along with any build issues that the kit may have, as I'm very much a Seafire virgin and still learning as I go. Regards Colin. Ps. any clues as to where I might find any more of the Sword Seafires for sale as mine was the last and only one left with Kingkit and trawling Google has yielded nothing?

Dear All, Apologies if this has been raised before in a previous post. I'm looking to build a merlin powered Seafire, the 1b, IIc or III version from a Spit V donor kit but unsure what type of arrestor hook was used and if it varied at all between these 3 versions? I'm a late comer to the Seafire but I believe the 1b and IIc were converted from existing Spit Vb/c airframes and the III was a new build airframe incorporating the previous mods that had been made (plus some new ones as well) but all three were essentially a Spit V in very general terms. Regards Colin. Ps. I have just managed to find a Sword Seafire III which hopefully is a good choice for this variant (?) but did it have a different hook arrangement to the Ib and IIc?

Hi all, My last build in the Nordic GB took about 3 months, so with the looming deadline of this Group Build I will have to speed up my build to 3 weeks instead! I have chosen the Special Hobby Seafire II in 1/48 scale. This is a nice typical multimedia limited run kit from the Czech manufacturer. Won’t be a shake and bake but should turn out very nicely. I got the kit of Fleabay for a bargain sum due to how there were no instructions and broken transparencies. A quick email to Special hobby solved the latter Issue as they quickly posted out a replacement clear sprue! Kudos to them! I have started assembly with the cockpit (where else) and wheel wells, spraying them with RAF interior green. Next I will pick out the finer black details with a brush, then drybrush and then give the interior a grey wash. The interior is very nicely detailed with lots of PE to liven it up so I will probably display the model with the canopy back and access door open. Cheers Ash

Hi, gentlemen, The recent discussion on the nature of RAF/FAA Interior Gray-Green and the fact that most "internal" airframe areas which had exposure to the outside were (mostly) painted Aluminum made me wonder about the "A-Frame" arrestor hooks (and fuselage bays) on Seafires. I have always assumend they were IGG. Any confirmation or otherwise of that? Pictures are particularly unhelpful regarding this, and the most popular Walkarounds cover F.17 onwards, with their "stinger-tails". Thank you, Fernando, down there at Buenos Aires.

I was looking for Wildcat Mk VI photos that flew from my favorite RN small carrier, the ex-USN Bogue class escort carrier USS Altamaha, renamed HMS Battler, and I found these photos I thought some of you might be interested in. Mike Captioned as an 834 Squadron Seafire- looks like a Seafire Mk 1b https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Royal_Navy_during_the_Second_World_War_A21600.jpg Her history and aircraft http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/BATTLER.htm#.XkSbn2dYZdg Seafire deck ops https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205153904 Swordfish aboard the Battler https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/britain-aircraft-carrier-hms-battler-xse-7393539a Seafire accident on the Battler I also found the HMS Battler homepage, which has many excellent photos of her aircraft and air operations! See the link below. https://www.hmsbattler.com/