woody37 Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Not long ago, I started on the Revell B-17F with lots of Eduard trimmings, but found myself stalling because of real life and all that detail! So to overcome the block, I went for another extreme - the big clunky Airfix Spit that many have called a dog. I'm pleased to report they were right! It's going to be built as per the box markings, I love this scheme and there's plenty of surface area to have fun weathering too! I've spent the last few weeks semi-committed to sorting the wings out with brut force, but not far off having them ready for flight now. Hiding the unnecessary gun access hatches was a nightmare and they are far from perfect, but perfection isn't my goal here, having fun battering this old classic in to submission is. The wheel wells still need to be lined so that's next on the list. Improvements so far include adding a much needed spar, building the ailerons and the wings up to close the gaps around them using plasticard and inserting plastic rod in to the gun ports to enable smaller holes to be drilled out. A rescribe and dose of rivet lines was added to make it a bit more interesting. When I started, I thought having all the panels on will make this a straight forwards build. I was wrong! The basic engine block has been fitted to enable the exhausts to be mounted later, lots of dry fitting and holding things square was necessary to avoid issues later on. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Looking forward to seeing this develop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomjw Posted June 25, 2014 Share Posted June 25, 2014 Excellent. I have this kit so will watch and learn. Please can I ask you to provide more information about the wing spar that you have made? Many thanks, Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted June 25, 2014 Author Share Posted June 25, 2014 Hi tom, Yes, I,ll give a more detailed explanation when I take some more pictures. I used a profile drawing to get the right dihedral, just needed to find a place to fit it that wouldn't be in the way of anything. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 Almost got the wheel wells done now, so a few updates. As per Toms request, here's some pictures of the spar. As well as a spar, I've added a couple of other reinforcing strips, one of which is a rocker cover which hasn't been fitted as the covers will be on. There is a gap in the fuselage structure forward of the wheel wells that makes an ideal place to fit a spar. I opened this up slightly to ensure a spar could be slotted through. Slots were cut in to the upper wing halves in line with the fuselage slot, these work out to be about 6mm deep. The spar was cut from about 1mm thick plasticard and the dihedral (copied from a front profile drawing sketched on to a paper template which was then used to mark the plasticard out. The spar was fitted to one wing first and allowed to dry securely glued to the upper wing interior before fitting the other wing half in to position. Once dry, we have a rigid wing. A second piece of plasticard was added for good measure to the centre of the spar in good old British engineering style! Whist I'm at it, if you're thinking of doing the tropical version, the large intake cowling is designed to fit over the standard one, not in place of. Fitment of this is a complete dog, so a lot of sanding to the inside of the tropical cowling and the exterior of the standard cowling is required and even then, the filler will be out in force when done. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomjw Posted June 28, 2014 Share Posted June 28, 2014 Nicely done Woody. The wheel wells look excellent. Thanks also for the spar details. This will be most useful. Cheers, Tom. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunpowder17 Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Nice to see a MkIV on the go. I know what a fight this kit is after just doing the week long Mk1 build. Its still a beautiful replica after all these years though. Are you going to use ant Grey matter or airscale items in the build , they come highly recomended! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Woody, Iconic classic British Aircraft is looking might huge.. It's coming along very neatly looking from here. Good work all round ... Keep it coming Sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 Nice to see a MkIV on the go. I know what a fight this kit is after just doing the week long Mk1 build. Its still a beautiful replica after all these years though. Are you going to use ant Grey matter or airscale items in the build , they come highly recomended! Cheers guys, No, I'm trying to build the whole thing without aftermarket as a challenge. So far, the only addition has been plasticard to spruce bare areas up. I'm really enjoying it despite the fact that it will never be the most accurate finish. Just working on the cockpit, hopefully get some pictures up later today as I've got a few hours free. I'll end up with RSI by the time it's finished from sanding lol!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted June 29, 2014 Author Share Posted June 29, 2014 Some pics of the progress. The seat cushion was built using strips of thick plasticard with the edges rounded off. I used the Barracuda resin seat as a guide. Whilst not perfect, I'm quite happy with how it's come out. The cockpit with some extra detail shoved in... The tropical intake in the kit just isn't right. The intake slot does not protrude forwards, it just drops down from the fairing above, so this was built up with bits of plastic then smoothed off with filler. High build prime has been used to help tidy it up. Having since checked it against drawings, the belly of the intake needs to be deepened more, so I'll use car filler to sort this In the background, the rudder and tailplanes have also been done so next step is to stick some paint in the cockpit and join the fuselage halves up. The cockpit parts can be fitter from underneath afterwards. Despite the industrial approach to the kit, it's not a bad build if you don't try to compare it to a 1/32 Tamiya Spit! What is lacking in detail, I'm going to try to make up for in paintwork being inspired by a few builds on here. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomjw Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 This is excellent. The seat and cockpit side walls look fantastic. Cheers, Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Hi Woody Nice work so far and I am sure you will be able to Tame this kit. I built the Mk1 a while ago and the Airfix Hurricane and enjoyed them both, they turn out into impressive models when complete and the panel work on them both make them look a lot better than the trumpeter kits. Keep up the good work. All the best Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Live_bait Posted June 29, 2014 Share Posted June 29, 2014 Top knotch work rescribing the surfaces, fantastic subject. Mauricio 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 Not had much time at the bench...well, the dining room table, but got a few bits done. Firstly, the exhausts are a bit plain, so to replicate the welds, I masked where the welds were and applied thick paint to built it up, one of those things you normally try to avoid when painting! Once painted, I reckon they'll look OK. They need a bit of tidying up yet and a swish of the sanding sponge. Also finished getting the belly of the tropical intake deeper, I used car filler for this, it looks much better now. And finally a dry fit of the big bits! Thanks for looking, there seems to be a run of these old 1/24 kits recently on BM, bring em on! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusty one Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 excellent work mate:-) i have the mk1 and the mkVb in my stash awaiting my attention,you hear so many horror stories about these kits,but as has been proved within the hallowed walls of Britmodeller they can be made into fantastic models!:-) ill keep my eye on this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted July 2, 2014 Author Share Posted July 2, 2014 Cheers mate There's no denying it's a crude kit by modern standards, but once you get over the fact that it will need filler, lots of sanding and dry fitting, it's quite fun. Once the interior is painted, it should go together quite quickly. In some respect, I feel less pressure building a kit like this. If it doesn't look too great, it's the kits fault. Can't use that excuse with the Tamiya 1/32 jobee!!!!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusty one Posted July 2, 2014 Share Posted July 2, 2014 Cheers mate There's no denying it's a crude kit by modern standards, but once you get over the fact that it will need filler, lots of sanding and dry fitting, it's quite fun. Once the interior is painted, it should go together quite quickly. In some respect, I feel less pressure building a kit like this. If it doesn't look too great, it's the kits fault. Can't use that excuse with the Tamiya 1/32 jobee!!!!! i know what u mean,the eduard MkIX spit is on my shelf ,dont feel i can start it until my modelling skills are up to scratch!:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms111s Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Looks good so far, I've almost completed mine in the RF-D markings, I would have finished it by now if I hadn't lost the windscreen part of the canopy! I didnt realise I would have to leave the rocker covers off the engine to get the top cowling to fit properly. i was a bit gutted as I spent some time on the engine tryin to make it look nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted July 4, 2014 Author Share Posted July 4, 2014 Looks good so far, I've almost completed mine in the RF-D markings, I would have finished it by now if I hadn't lost the windscreen part of the canopy! I didnt realise I would have to leave the rocker covers off the engine to get the top cowling to fit properly. i was a bit gutted as I spent some time on the engine tryin to make it look nice! lol. I have a spare windscreen you can have if you like. I'm going to use the one with the external armour glass if the other one is any use. Let me know by pm if I can help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms111s Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 Thanks for the offer of the windscreen, I've ordered a replacement from Airfix, if it doesn't turn up I will be in touch. No doubt when I get a new one the original will show up! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 Got the interior painted last night and finished the detail off this morning as I couldn't sleep! The seatbelts are made from masking tape. Not brilliant, but better than nothing. Next step to join the fuselage halves up. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomjw Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 I have to say that your cockpit looks superb. It was pay day yesterday so I am going to place an order for some aftermarket for my 1/24 spit. Is it sad that I am excited about this????? Keep up the fantastic work. Cheers, Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody37 Posted July 5, 2014 Author Share Posted July 5, 2014 Go for it tom! No, I have the same sad tendancies when I've ordered stuff too!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albeback52 Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Certainly it is rather basic and perhaps a little crude by modern standards but, I think the big Spitfire is still worth the effort. My partner bought me the 1/24 Vb for Christmas 2013 & she is very eager to see it built. Guess what I'll be doing this winter!!. I've actually got two of the things now!! Picked one up at a car boot sale for £5. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted July 5, 2014 Share Posted July 5, 2014 Great work going on here! People may regard the kit as basic by today's standards but we have to remember that, when it was first issued over forty years ago, it was ground breaking stuff. As you are demonstrating, there is still a great model lurking in the box. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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