Miggers Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 (edited) Ooh Col,carefully part off the radiator flap and open it wide mate. I see that cockpit door is cracked open too . RV mirror fitted,flap indicators up,she's looking pretty good Col. Trev,the Seafire III technically(although based on the Vc)had no direct RAF counterpart,due to it's folding wing,low altitude rated Merlin and four blader. The Seaf.Ib was technically a hooked and navalised Vb. The Seaf.IIC was technically a hooked and navalised Vc. Edited May 2, 2013 by Miggers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Lime Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 That's looking nae bad mannie! Any chance it'll be coming along to next weeks club night? Mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Very nice! I like the way this early Seafire looks in the postwar paint scheme. Regards, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 2, 2013 Author Share Posted May 2, 2013 Thanks Dave. Was quite theraputic to take such a simple route rather than all the preperation and clean-up that usually goes with an airbrush session. Miggers, radiator flap, argh! How stupid of me. Mark, yes, if all goes to plan you'll see here there finished or otherwise. Jason, she does rather suit the scheme and I think the French roundel colours add something less ordinary to the mix as well. On the subject of which, here she is after last night; Think the decals have gone down well over the surface detail with the aid of some Future. Now for more small bits and weathering... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Test Graham Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I think your finger slipped, Miggers. The Seafire III was not based on the Mk.Vb but the Mk.Vc. It did not have the stub for the optional outer cannon because there was no intention to ever fit four cannon. There were a few Mk.IXs built that way, too, including one of the more famous warbirds. The various wing bulges, exits etc are all as appropriate for the Mk.Vc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miggers Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I think your finger slipped, Miggers. The Seafire III was not based on the Mk.Vb but the Mk.Vc. It did not have the stub for the optional outer cannon because there was no intention to ever fit four cannon. There were a few Mk.IXs built that way, too, including one of the more famous warbirds. The various wing bulges, exits etc are all as appropriate for the Mk.Vc. You're right Gra,finger trouble . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 That is looking rather tasty and the post war scheme really suits it. I've not seen III's in Aeronavale colours, but their XV's looked less than factory fresh. How much weathering do you propose? Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JosephLalor Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 (edited) Did consider that option but it threw everything else out of line such as the ailerons and moved the fit issues toward the thinner outer wing panels. Since all the panel lines are going to be reworked and there's a good bit of mould damage around the wing root anyway I've plenty work to do in that area so may as well get it all done at once in one place If cementing the upper wing components directly to the fairing or spreading the fuselage causes problems elsewhere, I like to shim the upper wings with plastic card. A dry-fit should tell you roughly what gauge card to use. Joseph Edited May 3, 2013 by JosephLalor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 13, 2013 Author Share Posted May 13, 2013 Right gang, quick update of minor progress, mainly fitting small details and getting some weathering done. So in answer to Trevor's question; a bit manky but not ready for scraping just yet. Got the radiator flap hacked off and replaced with one in a more open position (thanks Miggers) The yellow spinner is only featured in one profile of the several I've seen but seems to look right when compaired to a black & white photo of this machine I found on a Russian site and said profile also corrects several things missing or wrong in the other profiles. It also adds a nice touch of colour to the scheme. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Headroom Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 Tasty! Trevor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 13, 2013 Author Share Posted May 13, 2013 Thank you Trevor. Away to finish the replacement vac'ed canopy I formed the other evening then turn my attention to a display stand. Current options for the base are a sheet of tinfoil ruffled up slightly then painted to represent sea or an old slate tile that looks quite effective but will be a bugger to drill through. Experiment time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthemodeller Posted May 15, 2013 Share Posted May 15, 2013 Lovely - you've given me the inspiration (if not the time and ability) to have a go at one myself! Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 That does like nice in the French roundels! One of these days I'm going to do a French Mk.XV in these colours. Regards, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 Thank you Brian & Jason, nice to know you're finding inspiration from this one, go for it on the Aeronavale Seafires as I for one will enjoy seeing them. Right, progress to date, made a stand. Lump of clear plastic that once served as a display for sunglasses covered in rumppled tinfoil and painted a couple shades of blue. A bladed bicycle spoke will hold the model aloft; Canopy sorted for detail and glued on; Then the hook glued into place; The photo I found showed I had the wing root colour demarcation wrong so that was carefully masked and corrected. A bit of weathering to blend it in again then I'm pretty much done; 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Looking very nice a lovely model, clever display and a great scheme,...... .just for info,.....this scheme was also worn when this Seafire was still serving with the Fleet Air Arm. Anybody wanting to portray it in British service just has to apply British roundels instead and leave off the white French unit codes, the black 124 & MV were British codes,.....left over from when it was based at St Merryn in Cornwall I think? It would also have had Royal Navy titles on the rear fuselage over the serial PR146 and maybe the serial was applied below the wings? Cheers Tony O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 Thanks for the kind comments Tony. I have a set of the decals in 48th also and planning to model the same machine while in Fleet Air Arm service soon. Based at Milltown in Scotland if I'm not mistaken? Never considered the possibility of underwing serials until you mentioned it but now you've got me thinking! Also have decals for an MV coded XV that I thought will look nice next to it when I eventually get them done. In the meantime here's next project about to land on the bench; 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Learstang Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Clever idea on the base! It looks properly mucked up for a second-hand aeroplane. One question, though - when did the Aeronavale put the anchors on the roundels? Or was this done with only some types of aeroplanes? I have some Lancaster decals for an Aeronavale example from 1962, and it has the anchors. Regards, Jason 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 So far as I can tell, which is my way of saying I'm just guessing, around mid to late 1948 for the anchors appearing Jason. Found a photo of this machine in the markings I've modelled while surounded by Flottille 1.F examples on the deck of Arrowmanches with the fuselage roundels displaying anchors. Now my references indicate many Aeronavale Seafire IIIs were still in Fleet Air Arm colours until at least mid-48 before being dispatched to Saigon in October of that year by which timethey appear to have been repainted in in full Aeronavale colours. The XVs that replaced them by 1949 seem to have featured anchors on the fuselage from the start so I think it's safe to asume that marking was standard issue by then. Now with any luck someone who knows the truth will be along to correct me soon. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natter Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Lovely Seafire Col., so glad to see it completed; in a great scheme and beautifully displayed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted May 17, 2013 Author Share Posted May 17, 2013 Many thanks Dave. Glad you like her. This is only the second of what I hope will be quite a few. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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