Col. Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Been reading a few Spitfire books lately and then started looking over the Seafire chapters with thoughts on my Airfix Seafire XVII for the future. Then started to think about getting their Spitfire XII kit for the much-mentioned Seafire XV conversion when my mind wandered even further and came to the possibility of creating a Seafire 45 using the Spitfire XII fuselage and wings from a Seafire 46. I know there were only 50 of them built (see, told you I'd been reading, not just looking at the pictures this time) but it's for something a bit different and to complete the possible line-up of marks. Obviously a bit of scratch-building is thrown into the mix for some of the smaller components but am I away on a very much mistaken idea or will this give me the main parts suitable the F.45 or even a Spitfire Mk.21? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 (edited) The problem in your plan is that the XII fuselage is too short as it used a single stage griffon engine instead of the two-stage version of the 21 and 45. The tail is also different as the 21/45 used the Mk.XIV tail, larger than the XII one. It's still possible to cross kit the two though: use everything of the 46 kit apart from the rear fuselage top and canopy from the XII and scratchbuild the enlarged tail and rudder. Or better, take these parts from a cheap Mk.XIV kit.. wonder if the parts of the old Hobbycraft kit were accurate enough ? Edited July 6, 2012 by Giorgio N Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homebee Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 (edited) It's maybe easier to build a resin kit than to create a "frankenkit"... http://www.armorama.com/modules.php?op=mod...ent&id=5492 http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=70749 V.P. Edited July 6, 2012 by Homebee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 wonder if the parts of the old Hobbycraft kit were accurate enough ? I believe so. I have one knocking around somewhere and this thread has given me the urge to build one now. Won't happen this year though... It's maybe easier to build a resin kit than to create a "frankenkit"... Hideously expensive, though. Another option is to use the Aeroclub Spitfire 21 fuselage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted July 6, 2012 Author Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hmm, this is getting more complicated than I first thought, potentialy more expensive as well! So let's slice the the engine off at the firewall and move it forward. That area will need rescribing anyway to represent the stepped firewall of the larger powerplant. At the other end we can slice off the fin leading edge and move it forward then build up the fin and rudder to suit. All this doesn't sound impossible with some plasticard and modelling. Of course I can always get the Aires 46/47 engine set and display that to get around the nose issues... Forgot about the Aeroclub fuselage conversions but don't know if they are still in production. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 If you add parts from the hobbycraft XIV to the airfix seafire 46/47, it's not that expensive: the hobbycraft Mk.XIV was cloned by kitech and these can be found for a fiver... In the end the only parts you would use are the tailplanes, fin, rudder, part of the rear fuselage and the canopy (although here a vacform replacement might be worth). The rest can be consigned to the spare parts... and it's always good to have many spitfire parts available ! The resulting model will be mostly based on the airfix 46/47, that is a very good and accurate kit (with the possible exception of the rocker covers that might be replaced). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi, I am thinking of building a Mk45 in 1/72, I have the AZ Mk21 which has the parts for the Mk46 on the sprues. Am I right in thinking that I just need to add these parts to the Mk21 and I will have a Mk45? Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Jones Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi, I am thinking of building a Mk45 in 1/72, I have the AZ Mk21 which has the parts for the Mk46 on the sprues.Am I right in thinking that I just need to add these parts to the Mk21 and I will have a Mk45? Regards Steve Put simply ,the Mk45 is a hooked F21, so if you have the Mk46 parts it should be simple enough to produce your Seafire 45. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Put simply ,the Mk45 is a hooked F21, so if you have the Mk46 parts it should be simple enough to produce your Seafire 45.Andrew Thanks for the clarification. Regards Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted July 6, 2012 Share Posted July 6, 2012 Hi, I am thinking of building a Mk45 in 1/72, I have the AZ Mk21 which has the parts for the Mk46 on the sprues.Am I right in thinking that I just need to add these parts to the Mk21 and I will have a Mk45? Regards Steve AZ/Admiral/Legato do a Seafire 45 out of the box. It's their 22/24/46 kit with a new sprue for the high back fuselage and resin tailplanes - like the 21 kit - and the stinger section of the rudder in resin also. Something not quite right with the tail though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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