spitfire Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 (edited) Well having completed the Paragon Mk VIII conversion for the Hasagawa 1/32 scale Mk V for the SEAC GB I though I would give this one a go as I have always liked the later Merlin and early Griffon engined Spitfires. So far it's going well, as I wasn't too sure about getting the resin nose to fit on the Mk VIII I skimped a lot on the detail in case it ended up in the bin, but I put a bit more effort into this one, one of the biggest faults on the Hasagawa Mk V kit is the seat, it's too big and is not detailed enough, I had an Eduard interior detail set for the Mk V but when I put it together it was the same size as the kit one. So I cut the kit one down a bit and made a cushing for it from plastic sheet, the rest of the cockpit is the kit parts plus a few Waldron cockpit placards, the MDC instrument decals and Eduard seat belts. Just after I completed my bodged up seat I contacted Vasco (of Warbirds fame) and he dug out a couple of resin seats for me, so the next Spitfires will look a bit better. I've been hoarding the photos of this build for a while so I could post them in one big hit ! Cheers Den The Paragon resin parts Assorted kit parts being prepared Surgery begins The nose halves superglued into position. The rescribed fuselage halves Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replaced Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 (edited) Moving swiftly on to the wings, these had to be rescribed and the various Mk V bulges removed and new ones fitted, the Paragon set gives you resin inserts to superglue on the inside of the wing, you then remove the bulges from the outside surface and smooth them down, it works very well. The job is very similar to the Mk VIII so it went quite quickly with only the occassional stray panel line having to be filled and rescribed. Resin plug fitted on the inside of the wing and bulge removal in progress. The completed underside of the wing. Rescribed and smoothed off upper wing compared to the kit part Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replaced Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 (edited) On to the cockpit, for the instruments I used the MDC RAF decals placed directly onto the kit part, various Waldron placards were strategically placed as per the drawings in the Modellers Data file Spitfire Pt 2, bodged up seat with cushion, the headrest was removed and replaced with some PE from the Eduard Mk V interior detail set and Eduard seat belts fitted. The instrument panel Bodged up seat Sidewall detail. Ready to close up Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replaced Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 (edited) Now the tricky bit, the two resin nose halves fit great to the cut off fuselage but once the cockpit is joined the third nose part (the bottom) is too small so some small clamps were used to make it fit, the joints were then flooded with superglue, and the whole lot carefully lifted onto a shelf and left overnight. Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replaced Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted July 10, 2008 Author Share Posted July 10, 2008 (edited) Once the nose was set it was sanded smooth and the wings fitted, again a clamp was used to hold things together while the superglue went off. By clamping the lower nose together I had created a few gaps which were filled with plastic card, superglued and sanded smooth Just a question now of re instating the lost panel lines, fitting the tail feathers and polishing up the plastic ready for the paint job. This brings us up to date. Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replaced Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smiffy Posted July 10, 2008 Share Posted July 10, 2008 Very nice job so far. I'm a fan of the MkXII too (got Neils 48th conversion in the stash) so I'll be keeping an interested eye (or two) on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atdb27 Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 This is looking nice. Do like the XII myself as well. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 (edited) Well nearly ready for some paint, fitted the "tail feathers", filled in the light behind the cockpit as the photos I have do not show it, and cleaned up the prop blades, drilled them and the spinner and fitted some pins to the blades for a more positive fit, last time I used plastic rod and broke one, really annoying. Cheers Den Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replaced Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted July 22, 2008 Author Share Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) Well not much progress to report, been busy, went to see the Tall Ships at Liverpool on Friday and with the weather drying up have been carrying out some house maintenance (drive and drains). Hopefully things will now go a bit faster, fitted the hump on top of the nose cowling, fitted the air inlet, had to pinch one from my other Mk XII conversion (Warbirds) as one was not included in the Paragon set and it's pretty different from other marks of Spitfire. Will now mask off the Sky band 18" (or in 1/32 14.3 mm) and the yellow wing leading edges 2" above and below the wings (or in 1/32 1.7 mm). Cheers Den Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replace Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted August 7, 2008 Author Share Posted August 7, 2008 (edited) Well I have'nt given up, just been busy relaying my block paved drive, into the paint shop, masked off the sky band and yellow leading edges, Medium Sea Grey undersides (Xtracolor X3), undersides masked off and the upper side sprayed with Ocean Grey (Xtracolor X6). Then the tedious job of cutting out paint masks, this time I have copied the masks onto paper and saved the masks when the job was finished, no doubt I'll be building another Spitfire at some time, though with my luck the pattern will be different, it does seem to change from aircraft to aircraft. So with the masks in place the Dark Green was sprayed (Xtracolor X1). And the model placed on the shelf to thoroughly dry. After this I think the next build will have to be a modern kit (not subject it will still be WW2)with Olive drab uppers and neutral grey undersides, no re scribing, no endless sanding, no resin bits, and no camouflage pattern masks ! Cheers Den Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replace Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sten Ekedahl Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Looking very good! I have done the same conversion, using the Paragon parts, although in 1/72 scale. It is ready for painting, but unfortunately the project has stalled. A bit of warning if you don't already know about it: All Mk.XII aircraft were conversions from either Mk.V or Mk.VIII airframes. Since your model has a retractable tailwheel ant a pointed rudder it is a former Mk. VIII. Be sure to check your references when choosing the markings so you get the correct ones for a former Mk.VIII aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_sam_2000 Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 that is a VERY nice looking spitfire!!! the griffon jsut made that plane look like a beast. does p[aragon make that set in 1/48??? If so I think I may have to pic one up. add to my growing spitfire collection!!! You may have already answered my next question...but what markings are you going to be using??? Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perry Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Looking great Den, can't wait to see more pics of this and, the finished item! I have to admit I do like these marks too, just something that sets them aside from the earlier and later production Spits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 no doubt I'll be building another Spitfire at some time, though with my luck the pattern will be different, it does seem to change from aircraft to aircraft.Den Don't worry too much; the differences were ususally between factories, not individual airframes. The basic pattern remained the same, it was just the interpretation (and manufacture of the rubber masks) which varied. In a line-up, it's possible to see that Westland Spitfire patterns were identical to each other, but differed, in detail, from Castle Bromwich-built airframes. Edgar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn R Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Hi Den, Excellent stuff, I'm pleased to see someone else tackling a 1/32 Spitfire conversion. I've done a couple of Mk.XII's myself, one with the retractable tailwheel and one without. In my conversions I used Vasco's (Warbird) noses and his spinner and prop blades. Looking forward to seeing this one finished. Regards, Glenn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 Boy am I looking forward to seeing this one finished as well, as for markings it has to be EB*B, I have so many photos of it that it was a nap, Mal from Miracle Paint Masks has already made up and sent me the masks for the codes, that will be the next step, they worked great on the Mk VIII that I built for the SEAC GB. Running alongside the Mk XII build I've been quietly beavering away at a Mk XIV using the Warbirds conversion that I bought in 1995 or 1996, will start a WIP on that one if I manage to get the airframe together ! If that one works out it will be modelled as a 610 Squadron machine DW*D, I already have the masks for the codes so I hope I can stitch the resin and plastic parts together, it's quite a bit more involved than the Paragon conversion, but looks to be good stuff. Sean I don't know about a 1/48th scale Paragon conversion as I bought this set in the 90's as well, maybe contact Neil, he's on this forum regularly. Cheers Den Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted August 12, 2008 Author Share Posted August 12, 2008 (edited) Well, finally got around to doing the next step, painting on the codes, at least this way the codes will match the spinner and the rear fuselage band, and will not be one of those strange colours that I have seen some decals come in. The paint masks are very easy to use, just like decals though you have to get them aligned correctly, I don't think that I did this 100% as the EB on the port side should have been a bit further forward, but it still looks good (to me !). Luckily I have photos of both sides of the aircraft as the positioning of the codes is far neater on the port side than the starboard sides, the next challenge will be the serial numbers, which are partially overpainted on the starboard side. Cheers Den Paint masks in place on the fuselage Nearly missed this one And the finished article. Starboard side And the last one Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replace Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brooksy Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Just caught up with this, and what a lovely clean build! Will be watching with interest from now on Den Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Gibson Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Looking really nice Den. How many times have you heard that? It's not looking nice, it's looking inspirational. I'm looking forward to the finale. You have inspired me to cut masks for my 1/48 Lancaster and Gladiator builds. I drew them using CorelDraw and cut them on a Camm cutter. You seem to have mastered Xtracolor. I bought a load in some time back, but stopped using them as they were taking up to two weeks to dry. Any tips here? Cheers, Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin_sam_2000 Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 Looking good. I have always wondered how hard those paint masks are. I have been burned many times when something I paint doesn't match a decal that is suposed to be the same colour. Sean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jens Posted August 12, 2008 Share Posted August 12, 2008 (edited) Very nice job Den! It might be a trick of the light but on the starboard wingtip it looks like the dark green hasn't covered fully at the outmost of the tip. I will definately be using this thread when I build my own Mk. XII. Didn't know that some were ex-Mk. VIIIs though. I thought they were all ex-Mk.Vs. You seem to have mastered Xtracolor. I bought a load in some time back, but stopped using them as they were taking up to two weeks to dry. Any tips here? Dave, I thin my Xtracolor paints with Model Master airbrush thinner and my paint usually dries within a day or two - at the most. Regards, Edited August 12, 2008 by Jens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted August 13, 2008 Author Share Posted August 13, 2008 Hi guys, thanks for the kind words, when it comes to painting I'm a bit old fashioned, my airbrush is a very old Badger 350, so I am very carefull and use masks, I have tried to replace the old 350 with an A470 and a Badger 200 but could not get on with either. I don't have a problem with Xtracolor paints, I read a long time ago that the secret to getting them to dry is to use lots of thinner, and build up thin coats. I usually write a build narrative with every kit that I build and record the mixes and air pressures that I am using, the Xtracolor is usually thinned with Xtracolor fast drying thinner usually at a mix of 50/50 though for the Dark Green on this model I used 1.5 ml paint to 1.0 ml thinners, I also do the "swish" test in a glass jar, just swish the paint around and make sure that it leaves a nice residue on the glass that you can see through. The other thing with Xtracolor is to make sure that it is thoroughly mixed, I usually mix for three minutes, I used the clock on the bottom right of the PC to make sure that I do this. For mixing I used wooden stirrers from McDonald's. The paint masks are great, one of the major reasons that a lot of my conversions have sat in the loft for years is the lack of good 1/32 nd scale decals, particularly code letters, when they are available they are usually in strange colours as well. After spending loads of money on resin parts spending a small amount on the paint masks makes sense. Mal who is the guy behind the company (Miracle Paint Masks) that I get paint masks from is very knowledgeable and helpfull, and no I do not have any connection with them apart from being a satisfied customer. Will have to check out that wingtip now, it's amazing what you can miss in real life that shows up in photos ! Cheers Den Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted August 19, 2008 Author Share Posted August 19, 2008 (edited) Well been putting this bit off for a while but here goes, I wanted to paint the upper wing roundels rather than use decals to show off the panel lines, got some Paint masks from Miracle Paint masks and here we go, but stalled at the first step. What paint to use, I'm not one of these clever people that just whip up a mix to match the correct colour, strictly a from the tin type of person. I normally use Xtracolor but they only do the bright blue and red roundel colours, but after much searching found the dull red and blue on the Colourcoats range, which is my other favourite paint. I ordered some and they arrived incredibly quickly so I had not excuse for putting it off further. As I'm a wimp I did a practice roundel on some plastic sheet. The paints: Mask in place centre removed and sprayed red Once the red was dry the centre was replaced, this was not as difficult as I had imagined, it lined up very easily. Blue sprayed, mask removed and the finished article appeared, not as traumatic as I thought, the really hard bit is removing the centre mask, I used a sharp pair of tweezers but still managed to "nick" the paint a bit. Cheers Den Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replaced Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted August 19, 2008 Author Share Posted August 19, 2008 (edited) With the test completed I then tried it for real. Lots of masking as I have been known to slip with an airbrush. Roundel mask in place Centre section removed Red sprayed Centre section back in place Edited September 17, 2022 by spitfire Replace Photobucket photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spitfire Posted August 19, 2008 Author Share Posted August 19, 2008 Continued Blue sprayed And the finished article The blue looks a bit lighter than the fuselage roundel but never mind. Cheers Den Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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