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  1. I went looking for this, but could only find Part 1. I thought that there was more but can't find anything in the Airfix back issues listings - was more ever published?
  2. Hey guys, last year i have much less time for modelling then before and it is hard for me to focus on long term projects - kind of losing the modelling mojo a bit, because i have too many projects in my mind but tooooo little time So i have chosed one of my running builds as a mojo refreshing project and also testbed for some textures creating. WIP and in progress photos can be found here http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234995171-spitfire-mkixe-mkixc-of-312-czechoslovakia-squadron-raf/page-2 for those interested Nothing much to say about the kit, it is the well known great Eduard´s Spitfire IX, this time in its "e" subversion, flying by 312 (Czechoslovakia) squadron RAF. Well, some shots of the result, taken outside on the sun Some closers shots of the nose and wing textures And one shot of the underside - just quick work, in the shelf you wont see it much anyway And also you can see there one of reasons, why i have chosed this kit as a test bed - i forgot to glue in the wheel wells in one of the wells... Well, thats it for now, thanks guys for watching and hope you like the result at least a bit. Any hints or recomendations welcome, my goal is to learn and use various techniques to achieve as realistic finish as possible - on this model it might be overdone on some areas (well, it is overdone on some areas), but it was mainly a test bed to see what the techniques are capable of So any hints and points are welcome
  3. I have just finished my latest build (none since last year due to moving house) and my first Eduard build and it was great! I am by no means great at building but really enjoy it so I'm happy Painted with an airbrush with Tamiya acrylics, no weathering (as yet!) and decals/PE eduards own.
  4. Ref.AK148001 Source: https://www.facebook.com/AKinteractive.official/photos/pcb.1062704810417911/1062704483751277/?type=3&theater V.P.
  5. I've just finished these, the second trio of Airfix's Spitfire I's from my stash built to utilise a couple of the schemes on the new Xtradecal Battle of Britain 75th Anniversary Spitfires transfer sheet X72224 here and one from the Southern Expo 70th Anniversary sheet. The first is a Spitfire I, L1027 LOoA of 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron - as you can tell from the serial the aircraft is an early one, but I believe that (at least some and probably all of) the original 602 Squadron Spitfires were refitted to 1a standards in May 1940 - L1027 is portrayed in August when they were based at Westhampnett, one of Tangmere's satellite stations. L1027 carried a cartoon of a flying toilet as its nose art (and had an unflattering nickname to match... there is a fine photo of the artwork and a brief story of L1027 in Douglas McRoberts' book on 602 Squadron "Lions Rampant"). Ellis Aries flew it to shoot down a Do17 on 26 August and Nigel Rose was shot down and wounded by a Bf110 while flying it on 11 September. It was subsequently repaired/rebuilt and went to 53 OTU, stalled and crash-landed at Llandow on 28 September 1941 and was struck off charge a few days later. Anyway here is my representation of "The Flying Outhouse"* ... and here is a close-up - or at least as close as I could get - of the flying toilet cartoon with the motto "Izal get you!" on the scroll beneath... * Yes, the nickname wasn't actually 'The Flying Outhouse', I leave it to your imagination to guess what the correct word was. The second is a Spitfire Ia R6835 of 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron flown by Flying Officer Brian Carbury from RAF Hornchurch in August 1940 - on 31st August he was flying this aircraft when over the course of three flights he claimed two He111s and three Bf109s before being wounded by splinters when R6835 took a cannon shell in the oxygen tank which exploded. FO Carbury managed to nurse it back to Hornchurch and landed without further damage. R6835 was repaired and served with a series of training units, ending its days (as far as I can tell) at Henstridge, Somerset, in July 1944. Here is my representation of R6835 during her own 'Finest Hour' in August 1940... The third and final model represents Spitfire Ia R6691, PRoJ of 609 (West Riding) Squadron flown by Flight Lieutenant Frank Howell based at RAF Warmwell in August 1940. On 13 August Flt Lt Howell claimed 2 Ju87s whilst flying R6691. R6691 later served with 616 (South Yorkshire) Squadron and 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron so she was a true Auxiliary bird. She was struck off charge on 31 March 1943. As noted these are all built from the Airfix 2011 tooling of the Spitfire Ia which goes together very nicely. There is a rather long and winding WiP thread here if you are interested in the details of the builds (as well as a whole bunch of unrelated trivia ) and the RFI thread for the first three Spitfires is here... The kits were mostly built OOB with the following additions/replacements: Eduard micro-fabric seat harnesses and canopy mask sets and SBS Models resin Spitfire I exhausts and EZ-line aerial wire; the paints used were a custom mix of interior green and Phoenix Precision Paints Dark Earth, Dark Green and Sky - the Sky and Dark Earth applied by airbrush and the disruptive pattern of Dark Green brush-painted. The transfers as for 602 and 609 Squadrons were by Xtradecal and the 603 Squadron markings from the Southern Expo 'Hornchurch vs the Luftwaffe' set. The Xtradecal fuselage roundel centres were slightly off-register which was surprising and annoying, I have never had any issues with them before and I hope never to again, The Southern Expo decals although 5 years old now performed well. Um, I think that's about it. Well done if you managed to wade through that ocean of text Cheers, Stew
  6. Hi guys I will try to build the 1/48 Airfix Spitfire PR Mk.XIX. I will build it OOB with only some PE seatbelts and some aftermarket decals for a Swedish Spitfire. Pictures will follow later. Cheers,
  7. Hello everyone. Doing a bit of spring cleaning at the moment, unearthing old models from the loft and photos on the PC. I built this out of the box when it came out in 2012 for Spencer Pollard's Cold War Modeller, but I don't think I showed it here. Not usually my type of subject but really enjoyed building my first Spitfire in over forty years! Haris
  8. As the devil makes work for idle hands I thought I'd have a mooch around the boxes this afternoon and start a thread ready for some modelling tomorrow. Next for me in the GB is a pair of IXs: I've opened the boxes and had a quick look at the sprues: There's no interior detail on the Airfix but a nicely moulded pilot with moveable arms: Nothing to do by Ced Bufton, on Flickr As he has nothing to do I think I'll keep him for another day and use my reserve crew for this and the Italeri, which does have a nice I/P: Untitled by Ced Bufton, on Flickr but not a lot else. I've also ordered some Lifecolor for these two on Cookie's recommendation so I don't want to go too quickly. Please feel free to comment and join in - it'll be great to have you along
  9. I finally finished my Spitfire Vb yesterday, having struggled to find a decent matt varnish. I thoroughly enjoyed this kit, except for the landing gear.
  10. This will be my contribution to this tribute GB. I'm still deciding between two different SAAF subjects. I'm currently studying for an exam (no I'm not in school or university , quite a bit older than that) so I cannot start with this build yet, since it will distract me. I will edit this post later with some pics. cheers Jimmy ---------------------------- EDIT 03/05 And this is what I've decided on, simply because I found four color(ized?) photos of the subject. Spitfire Mk.Vb 'WR-D' of 40 Squadron SAAF, serial ER622 based in Tunisia 1943 These photos are absolutely beautiful and even though probably colorized, I'm sure everyone can appreciate the value of these. Here is the kit box And the subject profile + decals. Sprue shots will come late next week. I already checked and it seems the kit will work fine for the subject (clipped wings, aboukir airfilter). Is there anything else I need to check?
  11. Fed up with gnomes? How about this in your garden? http://www.network54.com/Forum/232726/message/1459585777/Passing+through+Moffat%2C+Scotland....
  12. Does anyone know what squadron codes Spitfire N3040 wore at the time it crashed in Horsmonden on 18th August 1940, piloted by Robert Stanford Tuck? Will
  13. Back in March of this year I was in the middle of some practice builds to get my limited skills ready to build a 1/48 Eduard Mk.IXc, Spitfire. One of the practice kits I purchased was this 1/48 Mk.XVI from Revell - the first 1/48 kit I'd ever attempted. Before I'd started it Dreamcatcher began to build the very same kit and luckily he posted his build in the WIP section. This turned out to be brilliant because, once I'd started mine, it became like our own mini-group build with expert advice from numerous other Britmodellers. Miggers was especially helpful - he provided both Dreamcatcher and me with loads of information plus tips and tricks to help make this kit the best it could be. Thank you Miggers. I'd planned from the start that I'd build it with the engine on show so I purchased some Revell ground crew figures and made up a small base to display it on. The WIP for my Mk.XVI can be found here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234959827-another-revell-icm-148-mkxvi-spitfire-base-and-ground-crew-finished/ Dreamcatcher's excellent WIP can be found here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234959134-spitfire-mkxvi-revell-icm-molds-148/#entry1602360 Dreamcatcher's RFI for his brilliant Mk.XVI can be found here:http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234969551-revell-spitfire-mkxvi-icm-molds-148/ And here is my Mk.XVI: All comments and suggestions welcome. How my Eduard Mk.IXc turned out can be seen here:http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234967960-eduard-spitfire-lfmkixc-ml135-yod-no401-squadron-as-flown-by-jerry-billing-on-7th-june-1944-b-w-photos-added/ Kind regards, Stix
  14. Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL.. That's quite the title... Distinguished Service Order and Bar Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire Knight Bachelor Croix-de Guerre etc.. His history is most probably well known, so I'll just put in some pictures.. in Spitfire MkII P.7966.. Prisoner of war/ special guest at Galland's (l).. Bader in the cockpit of one of Galland's Bf-109's!! new artificial legs were air dropped after a personal request from Galland.. after the war the two still met.. Pictures of Bader's Mk.II.. Despite some shortcomings I will be using the Tamiya kit of the Supermarine Spitfire Mk.I. Spitfires Mk.I, II and V are apparent look-a-likes. One of the easiest ways of telling a Mk.II is the small bulge over the Coffman starter on the right side of the nose. Bader's Mk.II had nose-art on the left side and text "MANXMAN" on the right side. He also insisted on metal ailerons. Both nose-art and text are available on the elobarate decal sheet Aces of the Empire by Victory Productions, 41 different Spitfires! VP also comes in handy regarding the specials regarding their topics.. I haven't found any photographic and conclusive evidence of Bader's Mk.Va, the one he crashed in. Apparently it's also still not conclusive what caused the crash exactly and who was responsible for it.. friend or foe.. Eduard and some scratchbuilding.. I cut out the linnen ailerons, but upper and lower side are not identical regarding the cut marks.. CMK.. too small, different angles.. neh.. want a different option... I have found a spare Mk.I on the internet and will be using this wing to make another attempt to get some scratchbuild metal ailerons. The recommended Ultracast 48113 set is also being shipped. Included in this set is the small bulge for the Coffman starter..
  15. Dogfight Doubles - Supermarine Spitfire Vb / Messerschmitt Bf109-E Airfix 1:48 The air war over Malta in WWII was a bloody battle with the odds stacked hard against the residents and small Allied presence there. The island posed significant strategic value to the Axis forces to prevent attacks in its shipping lanes interrupting supplies to their forces in North Africa. Initially under assault from the Italians, the Germans reinforced them in early 1941. Malta was under threat not only from military attack on the island itself, but from resource and food starvation as a result of attacks on the ships bringing supplies to the small fortress. In February 1941 Bf109E fighters of Jagdgeschwader 26 led by former Battle of France and Battle of Britain ace Oberleutnant Joachim Munchenberg gained air superiority operating from Sicily when their experienced crews overwhelmed the RAF pilots many who had limited combat experience based on Malta. As well as the RAF crews lacking combat experience, their Hurricanes had seen better days, let alone being already inferior to the 109E in good service condition. German efforts against Malta were strained due to resource distractions elsewhere, namely the Balkan Campaign and the attack on the Soviet Union. In mid 1941 this left the Italians taking the lead in attacks on Malta. With the weakening attacks and the influence of Air Commodore Hugh Lloyd, the RAF were able to get supplies through to the island, both in materials and aircraft. By July 1941 around 120 Hurricanes including some newly delivered Mk.II’s with a heavier punch and 60 bombers were now available to create an offensive from Malta. Despite heavy losses in low level shipping attacks, the RAF offensive continued, however in early 1942 German reinforcements were moved to Sicily where they could defend the shipping lanes using Bf110’s and Ju-88’s with great effect. This impact not only affected the RAF strike capability, but also the defensive capability yet again over Malta. In March 1942 Spitfires began to arrive on Malta from the carrier HMS Eagle as part of Operation ‘Spotter’. Opponents by this time were the more effective Bf109F and Macchi C.202’s which were outclassing the Hurricanes providing the back bone of the defensive operations. Despite the presence of the Spitfires, attacks on Malta severely hindered their ability to be effective, many being destroyed on the ground, however as supplies of new fighters got through as part of Operation Bowery in May ‘42, the tides began to turn in the RAF’s favour as Axis losses steadily increased. Hugh Lloyd was replaced with Keith Park of Battle of Britain fame in July ’42. His experience and abundance of British fighter planes by this time led him to take the enemy on using tactics favourable to the British. By October 1942, it was clear to the Germans that the RAF were too strong to be defeated on Malta, so their efforts were turned to North Africa. After almost 2 years of continual bombing and near starvation, the residents and British forces based on Malta had overcome the odds and defeated their Axis rivals. The kits Two of the iconic aircraft that operated during the air war over Malta were the Messerschmitt Bf109E and the Supermarine Spitfire Vb. First of all, to clear up any confusion, whist this set is sold as a ‘Dogfight Double’, as mentioned above, the Spitfire wasn’t available during Joachim Munchenbergs time when based on Sicily using Bf109E’s, he would have been opposing Hurricanes. The Spitfires of 229 Sqn would more than likely of been opposing the new Bf109F’s and Macchi C.202’s in ’42 onwards. With that out of the way, both kits are the newer toolings supplied by Airfix. The pack comes in an end-opening box with artwork of the two aircraft enclosed. It also comes with a stand to display the two aircraft in combat pose and a set of brushes, paints and glue. Each aircraft is individually wrapped. We have previously reviewed both aircraft kits on Britmodeller, so please see the links below for more information about the plastic: BF109E BF109E Tropical (same plastic as the ‘E’ review above) Spitfire Vb The stand comes in black plastic with a self adhesive label and Airfix moulded emblem to finish it off. Be aware if you decide to display the aircraft on the stand, then you will need to leave the slipper tank and drop tank off the Spitfire and Bf109E respectively and the holes for the stand need to go there. If this set is for a young or novice builder, you have to drill the holes for the stand yourself following the instructions. For this you will need a 2mm drill bit. Materials to build the kit As well as 2 brushes and two tubes of Hornby glue, 10 small pots of Humbrol acrylic paints are included to paint the aircraft. Including a 2mm drill bit would have been a good addition to this pack given the need to use one if you want to use the stand included. Decals Decals for two aircraft are included: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb, No. 229 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Qrendi, Malta, December 1942 Messerschmitt Bf109E-7, aircraft flown by Oberleutnant Joachim Muncheberg, 7./JG26 “Schlageter”, Gela, Sicily, Spring 1941 The decals are in excellent register with a semi-matt finish and look superb. Having used some of the recent decals by Airfix, I’ve been very impressed with how they settle down. A good selection of stencils are also included for both aircraft. Conclusion Given that this set includes new tooling for both aircraft and different decals than the single box options, it offers excellent value for money. Both kits build up in to great renditions in their own right and together will form a superb display of history ignoring the reality that they didn’t actually see combat with each other. As a young modeller myself (many, many years ago!!), I was captivated by these heroic periods in aviation warfare and these sets remind me of where my passion for both aviation and modelling came from. As such, I’m sure that these latest efforts by Airfix will have the same impact on today’s budding young modellers or even us older ones on a nostalgic trip! Review sample courtesy of
  16. Hi I purchased this kit last year and did checked it like I always do, but until now when I pulled it out of my stash in order to build it, my kit is missing two parts; # 11 transparent part (canopy) and P1 pur part (cockpit floor). Wondering if anyone else here has had or have similar issues ? I've already sent email to the address mentioned on the kit but no response so far. Any help or info would be highly appreciated. TIA Teemu Haajanen
  17. Supermarine Spitfire Vb Airfix 1:48 The Spitfire hardly needs an introduction, an iconic war machine and graceful lines satisfying the technical theory that ‘If it looks right, it flies right’! With around 6000 aircraft produced across the various sites, the Mk.V was the most produced version of the 20,000+ built. Coming in to service in 1941, it incorporated many of the improvements developed in the Mk.III, however instead of using the planned Mk.XX Merlin which was in short supply, the Mk.45 with a single stage single supercharger was used as it could easily be fitted to the standard fuselage of the Mk.I/II. Three types of wing were available in the Mk.V range, the ‘A’ wing using the traditional 8 gun layout and the ‘B’ wing housing two 20mm cannon and 4 machine guns. The universal ‘C’ wing introduced shortly afterwards had a more flexible arrangement being able to house either the ‘A’ or ‘B’ configurations or 4 cannon and 4 machine guns. A key feature of the Mk.45 Merlin introduced in late ’41’ was the ability to cope with negative ‘g’ without cutting out significantly improving dogfight performance in an effort to close the gap on the newly developed FW190. As well as being used in the UK, the Mk.V saw considerable service abroad. The need to cope with hotter and harsher climates led to some of the ugliest and slowest Spitfires to be built (I say that in principal, but I actually like the tropical versions!). Tropical versions accommodated a deep chin Vokes filter, but the extra drag and reduced intake charge speed affected the performance by around 8mph and clime rate aby about 600ft/min. Later, in-field improvements led to a more streamlined ‘Aboukir’ tropical filter which went some way to restoring the original lines of the spitfire too. The Mk.V’s endured fierce combats with front line fighters of the Axis air forces across most theatres of WWII including Europe, the Mediterranean, Pacific and Russian. In an ironic turn of developments, the ‘stop gap’ MkV was gradually replaced by the next ‘stop gap’ version, the Mk.IX which became the second most widely produced variant. The key difference in the two aircraft was a notably longer nose to accommodate a two stage supercharger giving a much improved high altitude performance to deal with the FW190’s over Europe. The kit The release of this new kit by Airfix was somewhat of a surprise, with very little hype. Maybe a new quarter scale Spitfire just doesn’t need the marketing effort other kits require and given the interest of forums, this may well be the case. It replaces the 1977 tooling with the iconic QJ-R tropical Spitfire artwork that is probably the reason I developed such a soft spot for the ‘ugly’ Spits in the first place. That said, the Tamiya Vb is probably the current bench mark in this scale that Airfix have entered the competition with. From the various comparisons across the internet (thanks to some of the guys on here, Troy Smith in particular), it appears that Airfix have produced a gem of a kit in terms of accuracy. Comparing the two, the Airfix wing is considered more accurate and the nose correct in length, whereas the Tamiya is a few mm too short. First impressions are certainly favourable. Moulding quality is superb with the panel lines recessed and more refined than some of the recent Airfix releases. The parts breakdown add a little more complexity than the Tamiya kit which I’ll pick up in the review later on, but there is a good range of options covering most of the Vb variations. Flash is almost none existent and there are only a few observations of sink marks which I’ll mention later too. The box is thankfully top opening with stunning digital artwork of a tropical version. The instructions are excellent in my opinion with good clear steps using colour to improve clarity. So, on with assembly. Traditionally it starts with the cockpit interior. Unlike the fuselage moulded sidewall interior of the Tamiya kit, the Airfix kit has two inserts with excellent detail moulded on that mate to the fuselage inner walls. The seat comprising three main parts is also nicely formed, although looks a little thin in width by itself. Once in place, I doubt that this would be as noticeable. Unfortunately, there are no harnesses, so you may want to scratch build these, purchase some aftermarket parts or fit the included pilot. The bulk head and surrounding frame work is well catered for as is the main panel. The framework, seat and flying panel are all assembled within the two sidewall inserts making a complete interior that then sandwiches inside the fuselage halves. Before you do this however, there is an important decision to make. If you want to have the canopy closed, you have to cut a small section of the fuselage away to locate the canopy. This is one of the complexities that leads me to believe this kit is a little more challenging for novice builders. There are marks in the fuselage interior as a guide and with the right tools, is quite straight forwards. If you want the canopy open and the access door open too, it will need cutting away. Again, there are cut lines on the fuselage interior as a guide. If you do take this option however, you don’t need to use the cut-away door, there is a separate part on the sprue. The nose panel fasteners are well produced as are the various lumps and bumps around the engine area. I appreciate that there is a divided opinion on rivets on a Spitfire, but some faint rivets on the fuselage would improve the surface in my opinion. Eduard has done an excellent job of it on their Mk.IX as an example. Finally, to complete the fuselage assembly, there are two options for the cockpit forward upper bulkhead. These ‘saddle’ parts accommodate two different styles of windscreen installations. Based on experience of building modern Airfix kits, the tolerances are very precise. As such, any paint on the edges of the fuselage structure under the upper this saddle part may need sanding off for a flush fit. On with the wing assembly next. As with the fuselage, detail is nicely reproduced with the cannon bumps and wing stiffeners moulded in (you may need to remove the latter if producing an aftermarket scheme as not all had these fitted). There is a very slight sink mark in the wing tips. One of the lower wings is slightly warped being very thin, however once mated to the upper wing, this shouldn’t be a concern. The ailerons are separate parts allowing off centre positioning to add a little interest to your build. Again, there is a little more complexity here than with the Tamiya kit for comparison and I’m not sure why this option was taken by Airfix. Two spars are included with a hinge mechanism for the main gear legs. The main gear legs are then fixed to these hinge parts, but the join is just a butt joint albeit with a step. The instructions call for the correct angles of positioning both laterally and longitudinally, but care will need to be taken to get this right. A good choice of glue will be critical here and I suspect this will be a weak point if displayed wheels down. The tyres are moulded with flat spots and bulged for in the lower position with separate hub parts making painting much easier. None bulged ‘half’ tyres are included for in the retracted position. Two choices of oil cooler are included, one for the tropical version, one for the standard variant. However I thought that tropical versions also had a deeper radiator, but only one type of radiator is included, maybe someone can clarify this? On the 1/24 Spit, both radiators are included. That aside, the radiator builds up well with a separate exit flap that can be positioned at preference. With the wing in place, the chin parts can be fitted. Both standard and Vokes tropical parts are included. If you want to do an Aboukir variant, Freightdog have just released an aftermarket part which I can recommend having seen it at the Brampton show. The tail feathers are fitted next. Separate elevators and rudder parts again make for a more interesting display if you prefer to position them off centre. The fabric effect on these parts is pleasingly subtle. There are three types of exhausts included in the kit, although one type are the pre-fishtailed ones that I can only imagine were used on very early Mk.V’s at best. The two options included in the instructions are both fish tail, but one has the gun heating pipes. Two types of propellers are included in the kit. The Rotol with wooden blades looks very good although there is evidence of sink marks at the base on my example. This is quite visible, but some filler will easily sort the issue out. Whilst the blades on the DeHavilland propeller are fine, the spinner is too long. Again, Freightdog can come to the rescue here with a correct ‘stubbier’ one, or if you have one knocking around in the spares box, that might be an option. Dropping some filler inside the point of the hub might allow for it be sanded back to the correct length as another option to consider too. The cockpit options are quite thorough. You have the choice of three windscreens and canopies as well as either open or closed. Again, if you are using aftermarket decal options, do your research before choosing the correct type. The parts are very good with thin moulding and the only distortion on the blown hood parts which I would consider as minimal. Another option included in the kit is both clear and non-clear clipped wing tips. Finally there is a large slipper tank and two 250lb bombs included in the set although there is no call for the bombs in the instructions. To summarise the options included, there are: Intakes - standard or Vokes Windscreen / canopy - three styles Oil cooler - standard or tropical Wing tips - standard or clipped Aerial masts - 2 types Slipper tank 250lb bombs x2 Exhausts - 3 types Gear - retracted or lowered Decals Having built a few Airfix kits recently, the quality of the decals have been impressive. Whilst thin, they are also strong and settle down well. The decals in this kit appear to be of the same quality. Very sharp and detailed print with a slightly matt finish. As well as the plentiful stencils included, the following aircraft schemes are provided: 249Sqn (Gold Coast) RAF flown by P/O Robert Wendell “Buck” McNair DFC during Operation ‘Spotter’ from Ta’ Qali, Malta 1942 with an interesting dark earth / sea grey paint scheme BM597 (G-MKVB) restored in the colours of 317Sqn Polish Fighter Squadron. More conventional scheme and now based at Duxford with the Historic Aircraft Collection Ltd. Conclusion As mentioned at the start, this is regarded as a very accurate kit, which is a sensitive area of discussion when it comes to Spitfires. There are some steps that require care and attention during assembly which probably make it less of a beginner’s kit than the Tamiya equivalent, but the optional parts included allow for a wide range of aftermarket choices which I suspect will fuel future decal releases. The cockpit is nicely detailed, although there is still room for aftermarket improvement should you wish. All in all, an outstanding kit and probably Airfix’s best Spitfire in any scale yet. I’ve already bought another! Review sample courtesy of
  18. After the Mk.V floatplane (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234947642-172-supermarine-spitfire-mkv-floatplane-by-brengun-released/), Brengun/Hauler (http://www.brengun.cz/) is to release a 1/72nd Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IXb Floatplane kit - ref.BRP72019 Source: https://www.facebook.com/440180076140646/photos/a.443370235821630.1073741831.440180076140646/465876970237623/?type=1&theater Box art V.P.
  19. Some pictures I took today of the completed build. WIP can be found here Next time I'll dust the model before taking the pictures And without the stand (removed using Inpaint) And paired with the older tool Airfix Sptitfire Mk1 which was the next build after this one. And again with stand edited out. And yes, I know the aerial connector is going to the wrong place in the fuselage on the 109. Also the Spit has both HF and IFF fitted which appeared correct according to the Xtradecal drawings for LO.A and, in my innocence, I reasoned that there might have been some crossover . Anyway I hope the above images meet with your approval. Comments and criticisms always welcome.
  20. This build took place late June to early July 2015 after residing in my stash since 2007/8 (can't remember exactly when I bought it) After the Tamiya 109E3 I wanted to try something that was not so shake 'n' bake and, as I wanted a Spitfire to go with the 109, I dug this one out. Work began with spraying the interior a custom mix of RAF interior green using Tamiya paints and then a light wash of burnt umber oils And then threw some paint in the general direction of the pilot figure Oh BTW can anyone tell me how to scale the picture sizes within the post? Whatever size the picture is it comes out enormous. Instrument panel painted up and dial markings scratched in to the faces. Interior assembled and pilot in place I had heard that the trailing edges on the flying surface were a little thick in this kit...no kidding! I think they were a scale 6 inches After much sanding, checking, sanding, checking....... I got the thicknesses to where I no longer cared. Closed up the fuselage added the wings and tailplanes, filled, sanded, refilled, resanded.......added canopy and arrived at the stage below Oh and I also thinned out the oversized cockpit door hinge. Canopy masked.. a bit harder than masking the 109 canopy And sprayed interior colour A nice coat of Halfords grey primer later... Some Tamiya flat aluminium toned down with Tamiya smoke in all the relevant places A bit of preshading After careful and strategic application of masking fluid a nice coat of RAF Sky (another custom mix of Tamiya paints) being careful not to completely obliterate all signs of the preshade. I decided I would try a something new (to me) and spray the camo freehand. I feel that the edges could have more definition but quite pleased with the result. At this point I think I had a rush of blood and completed the build without any further photo's But here it is. I used Xtradecal sheet X48145 as the kit sheet was rubbish. I think I only used the kit decal sheet's stencils And there it is. My second full build after a lengthy hiatus. You can find this aircraft accosting Adolph Galland's Bf109E3 in this RFI Comments and criticisms always welcome.
  21. Hi all, Some of you may have followed the WiP I did for this little Spit way back in late September, I managed to complete it in October, however I have been so busy with uni I haven't had time to get back home to get my camera. I just got back from uni today and I used the remaining sunlight to capture a few pictures! This build was bought about because I decided that I had built all the significant marks of Spitfire, except the first. I picked up an Airfix 1/72 Mk.I and simply went about rescribing and reshaping, that's all there is to it really. My thanks to the late great Edgar for providing me with information on this build (and all my other Spitfire builds for that matter). This one's for you Edgar! IMG_2905_zpszx14v1cl by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_2906_zps3hcdmy84 by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_2907_zpsbmu8fxq2 by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_2908_zps8qrzyeef by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_2909_zps5fvgepuz by Ben Standen, on Flickr IMG_2910_zpsmet7arl3 by Ben Standen, on Flickr Thanks for looking! Ben
  22. Having built a 1:48 MKIX T only a few months ago I was asked to build another, which I was very honored to do. The aircraft in question was MJ627 from the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar which offers flights to those that can afford to pay for it! MJ627 is aWWII vetran that flew as a single seat aircraft with 441Sqn RCAF with at least one confrimed ME109 kill, it was later converted into a twin seat MKIX and after a colourful career now offers an amazing experience from the famous Biggin Hill. Having taken on the challenge I decided that I would like one of these builds for my own collection. Using the 1:48 Hasegawa MKIX to fir the Brigade Models resin conversion set, along with Eduard PE and HSL fabric seatbelts I started the build. To make things abit more interesting I decided to build the aircraft in its two liveries since being with the Heritage Hangar, one pre- crash 9G P and one post crash 9G Q. Like any resin conversion there are always some fit issues, but I have to say that the Brigade set is superb and fits with the donor kit with minimal fuss if you are willing to spend time and patience preping and fitting before assembly. I painted both aircraft in Vallejo Air and washes and finsihed with a matt cote. Some of the steeley eyed amongst youmay notice that it appears that the wheel bay doors are on the wrong way round..fear not, after extensive research and looking at many photos I can assure you they are not. I have yet to have an explanation why they are set the opposite way round, but they are. I really enjoy building these kits and to have one in my collection now (9G P) is very exciting!
  23. Hello and welcome to 2016! My last build from 2015, the first to be presented in the new year. Sword 1/72 Spitfire XVIe with photo etch from Brengun, Vacu canopy from Squadron and Decals from Xtradecals. Represents SM309/AU-H, “Panama Bound” of 421(Royal Canadian Air Force) Squadron in 1945. Flown by Flt.Lt. Richard “Hap” Beal. Painted with acrylics from Gunze/Mr.Hobby. Main Inspiration for this build was the model by Mr. Jekl, as seen on Britmodeller: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234949348-supermarine-spitfire-mkxvi-172-sword/ Pictures by Wolfgang Rabel of IGM Cars & Bikes. Thanks for your interest, have a good start into the new year! Cheers from Vienna Roman
  24. I went to last years Headcorn show in Kent for '558 but thoroughly enjoyed the day. Here are some of the aircraft shots, if you like your military vehicles please follow the link to see what was there: http://www.hanger51.org/airshows/2015/headcorn-military-vehicle-show/ Vulcan B.2 XH558 by tony_inkster, on Flickr DHL Jet Ranger by tony_inkster, on Flickr Tiger Moth by tony_inkster, on Flickr Vulcan B.2 XH558 by tony_inkster, on Flickr Dragon Rapide by tony_inkster, on Flickr Spitfire by tony_inkster, on Flickr Vulcan XH558 by tony_inkster, on Flickr Vulcan XH558 by tony_inkster, on Flickr
  25. [NOTE: For some reason in this post my images keep getting un-linked from their source and disappearing. If you see a bunch of such missing images please message me and I'll re-link them - this only applies to posts authored by me originally.] If you want to see a clean view of this build, without missing images, then go to my website... Vexillum Militaris 1/48 Airfix Supermarine Type 356: As a kid it was impossible to find a Griffon-engined Spitfire model: my local newsagent only stocked Airfix kits! It is not surprising then to find I am having some sort of throw back desire to add that sleek nosed airframe to my collection. In fact, almost every Spitfire I've built of late has been a Griffon version. [Actually just finished an Airfix new-tool Mk Vb - see here] My desire to build more has not lessened and I've now accumulated a collection of Spitfire spare parts for my spares box, the most notable 'spare' components being a set of Seafire 46 wings - suitable for any late mark Spitfire! These wings can't be wasted so the time has come to build that hybrid throw-back which is the Spitfire F.21. The Spitfire F.21 retained the high-back fuselage of the mark XIVc and combined the newest stiff wing design featured in the last Spitfire and Seafire versions. My intent is to build an F.21 from these left over '46 wings and combine them with Airfix's new Spitfire Mk XIX release. The resultant model will be 100% Airfix!! My goal: Most operational airframes I see when studying WWII photos, those long-in-the-tooth, drab grey/green, piston fighters - and who wouldn't rather fly a nice new shiny silver jet with bright red white and blue markings?- seem faded, stained and very worn. As well as trying to recreate one of the last RAuxAF's Spitfire Mk 21s, just prior to their conversion to sleek high-speed-silver Meteors, I'll be attempting to recreate that same time-worn, faded and blotchy look of a well used operational machine. In particularly, I intend to focus on two specific modelling aspects; keeping my chipping down and, practising my airbrushing to create that very faded and blotchy appearance. This thread: I am sure most, if not all of you, have built a Spitfire before so you don't need me to write a detailed and fully sequenced account of the build. I'm just going to focus on what steps I took to create my F.21. The kits: Having made a couple of Spitfire XIX kits already, I have to admit, I've fallen in love with this kit - for the price! It is not a perfect kit. It does suffer from some sink marks and ejector pin issues, its detail is a soft around the cockpit walls and the panel lines may be considered too deep. But oh; oh what a lovely profile! It becomes obvious quickly that this kit has a smashing 'Mk XIV' or 'late 2-stage Griffon' profile, ripe for use elsewhere. The relatively low cost of this kit makes it a useful donor for any 2-stage Griffon 'fire airframe: given that the Acadamy kit has such a poor profile and the Aeroclub conversion kit seem hard to come by and expensive. Airfix 1/48 scale Spitfire PR XIX... Since the Mk XIX was basically an Mk XIV airframe the kit lends itself for any early high-back Mk XIVc or XIVe and, if you fancy wielding the razor saw, the front and tail ends would provide the best parts for a nice low-back MkXIV or even a contribution toward a Mk XVIII. In my case, I will use the whole fuselage for my F.21. The Seafire kit is older and unlike the Airfix XII, XVII and XIX it does not seem to share the same base dimensions. The XII, XVII and XIX fuselages all match up dimensionally together and the XII and XVII are almost a perfect fit. The Seafire 46/47 doesn't fit these other kits as well. Anything used from the 46/47 kit will require some fettling as if one was using a kit from another manufacturer. Anyway, it is a fair kit and most importantly, it leaves you with a spare pair of Seafire 46 (or Spitfire MK 22/24) wings. Airfix Seafire Mk 46/47
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