Vol 2 All the Spitfire questions here

[Biggles87]

Thanks Peter, that really does help. I was attracted to this scheme by the artwork and the serial number ( JG ) so now I just have to decide which one to do. I always think of RAAF Spitfire Vcs with the big filter, so that’s probably what I’ll go for.

Wonderful people  Britmodellers. always someone there to help.

 

Cheers

 

John

[PhantomBigStu]

I have a mpm spitfire xix hanging around that’s not going to be built nor have been able to offload it, would I be right in thinking i could cut the nose and tail and combine with an AZ bubbletop fuselage to create a XIV lowback? 

[Work In Progress]

If you find a suitable wing, and do some other stuff, yes

[Guest]

2 hours ago, PhantomBigStu said:

I have a mpm spitfire xix hanging around that’s not going to be built nor have been able to offload it, would I be right in thinking i could cut the nose and tail and combine with an AZ bubbletop fuselage to create a XIV lowback? 

It depends on which MPM 19 you have as they did two - one based on a Czech resin kit and a later one with the wing from their PRXI and a warmed over Fujimi Griffon Spit fuselage.  The latter is quite workable, the former has some shape issues.

 

TBH, whilst the onversion work is fairly straightforward and easy enough, I personally wouldn't bother due to the availability of the Sword 14 lowback.

[PhantomBigStu]

@The Wooksta! it’s the millennium collection version whichever that is, as for the sword, seems to have dried up, hence the conversion idea 

Edited January 3, 2020 by PhantomBigStu

[alt-92]

17 hours ago, PhantomBigStu said:

as for the sword, seems to have dried up, hence the conversion idea 

You may be lucky here

[Guest]

On 1/3/2020 at 12:26 AM, PhantomBigStu said:

@The Wooksta! it’s the millennium collection version whichever that is, as for the sword, seems to have dried up, hence the conversion idea 

That's the second version and the fuselage is a warmed over Fujimi one.  It's not a bad 19 as it goes and builds quite nicely, but the vacform canopies have a nasty tendency to turn gold - I've quite a few salted away and they've done that. 

 

If you're intent on the conversion, I'd go with the far easier option of cutting down the spine on the 19 and use laminated card and sanding to get the low back.  Then you can either scribe the wing for the guns or just do a wing transplant from the AZ kit or even better a Heller 16, as the radiators are the right depth for Griffon Spits, remembering to shorten the ailerons (or you can cheat by stealing them from an Eduard mk IX - steal the better u/c doors from there too).  This means you still have the rather nice AZ fuselage.

[PhantomBigStu]

18 minutes ago, The Wooksta! said:

That's the second version and the fuselage is a warmed over Fujimi one.  It's not a bad 19 as it goes and builds quite nicely, but the vacform canopies have a nasty tendency to turn gold - I've quite a few salted away and they've done that. 

 

If you're intent on the conversion, I'd go with the far easier option of cutting down the spine on the 19 and use laminated card and sanding to get the low back.  Then you can either scribe the wing for the guns or just do a wing transplant from the AZ kit or even better a Heller 16, as the radiators are the right depth for Griffon Spits, remembering to shorten the ailerons (or you can cheat by stealing them from an Eduard mk IX - steal the better u/c doors from there too).  This means you still have the rather nice AZ fuselage.

It’s late and I’m a half asleep/drunk but that doesn’t sound simpler than mating a the mpm nose and tail to the aZ fuselage 

[Guest]

In the long run it's easier.  If you're trying to do a nose/tail conversion from one fuselage to another, what happens if you botch the cuts or the fuselages are different sizes?  My method means that if you botch it, you've only ruined one fuselage and it's fixable with filler/more plastic card.

[PhantomBigStu]

11 hours ago, The Wooksta! said:

In the long run it's easier.  If you're trying to do a nose/tail conversion from one fuselage to another, what happens if you botch the cuts or the fuselages are different sizes?  My method means that if you botch it, you've only ruined one fuselage and it's fixable with filler/more plastic card.

Makes sense, think I will now do a heller mpm hybrid, and then a fictional bubbletop PR winged spitfire with the left over healer fuselage and mpm wing.   edit: here we go @The Wooksta! 

 

Edited January 5, 2020 by PhantomBigStu

[Marko Jeras]

Please help, I am making a model of Spitfire Mk IXc MH654.

I have doubt on the typ of the oil cooler, it is not visible on the photograph.

 

Is typ of the oil cooler related to engine model? I know that engine is Merlin 63.

 

Thank you for help.

Marko Jeras

Zagreb, Croatia

[gingerbob]

Do you mean intake, under the cowl?  Mk.IXs all have the same oil cooler appearance (symmetrical "radiator boxes" under the wings).

 

[Graham Boak]

MH489 had the larger Aerovee air intake, but this was an LF.Mk.IX with a Merlin 66.  As MH654 was destined for North Africa I would assume that at this time it also had the Aerovee as this includes the tropical filter.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, PhantomBigStu said:

Makes sense, think I will now do a heller mpm hybrid, and then a fictional bubbletop PR winged spitfire with the left over healer fuselage and mpm wing.   edit: here we go @The Wooksta! 

 

Looking good so far.  I'm not sure how well the MPM fuselage will take the Heller wing as it's not one I've tried - the cutouts at the back are different, with the MPM having more of the lower fuselage.  It definitely takes the CMR wings spare in several of their mk IX kits.

 

Looking forward to seeing this progress.  You will need to replace the Heller wheels though as they're a strange hybrid of wartime diameter with post war three spoke hubs.  IIRC there's a spare set or two in with the AZ lowback.

[Marko Jeras]

18 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

MH489 had the larger Aerovee air intake, but this was an LF.Mk.IX with a Merlin 66.  As MH654 was destined for North Africa I would assume that at this time it also had the Aerovee as this includes the tropical filter.

My mistake, indeed I was thinking on engine air intake...

Thank you for answers. This sound logical 🙂

 

What about rivets on wings leading edge? Where they flush with airfoil, puttied and invisible?

Edited January 6, 2020 by Marko Jeras
Typo

[Work In Progress]

6 minutes ago, Marko Jeras said:

What about rivets on wings leading edge? Where they flush with airfoil, puttied and invisible?

Yes, on every Spitfire

[PhantomBigStu]

Will start a WIP thread at some point @The Wooksta!once I get the real work going and have the heller kit in hand

 

[DominikS]

I have a question about Spitfire Mk.Vb/c oil cooler shape. I always thought that I know it but quite recently Airfix have shown their new Spit Vc 3D renders and the shape ot their oil cooler is quite interesting. Especially its aft part with some kind of wide opening. Is there something I didn't know before?

[Wez]

56 minutes ago, DominikS said:

I have a question about Spitfire Mk.Vb/c oil cooler shape. I always thought that I know it but quite recently Airfix have shown their new Spit Vc 3D renders and the shape ot their oil cooler is quite interesting. Especially its aft part with some kind of wide opening. Is there something I didn't know before?

See response here...

 

 

[Marko Jeras]

Continuing my research of Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire Mk.IXc model, I find this odd...is this complete and utterly wrong underwing gun cover???

 

[Troy Smith]

7 hours ago, Marko Jeras said:

Continuing my research of Tamiya 1/32 Spitfire Mk.IXc model, I find this odd...is this complete and utterly wrong underwing gun cover???

 

Is that the only one in the kit? 

If not,, this maybe a spare,  perhaps this is for an E wing?  

[Marko Jeras]

This should be for C wing, but it has bulges for both C and E wing guns, this should not have existed...even that small ejection opening next to the panel, just by wheel well, what is that for?

[anj4de]

Hello all

 

I have a question around the demarcation between the green and the silver in the back of the cockpit. Some sources say the silver started right behind the seat bulk head, others state that it only started after the rear cockpit window. Hence kit producers also give different paint instructions. is there a general rule which version has waht, where they all the same, and giudelines?

 

thanks

Uwe

[Troy Smith]

38 minutes ago, anj4de said:

Hello all

 

I have a question around the demarcation between the green and the silver in the back of the cockpit. Some sources say the silver started right behind the seat bulk head, others state that it only started after the rear cockpit window. Hence kit producers also give different paint instructions. is there a general rule which version has waht, where they all the same, and giudelines?

 

thanks

Uwe

This is actually a broader questions about internal colours.

At some point in 1943 there was a change of internal colours. Up till then, all the interior APART from the cockpit was to be aluminium paint (or dope) 

AFAIK, the aluminium paint starts behind the seat,  as only the cockpit was specified to be Grey Green.

All the interior includes  the inside of the flaps and inner leg part of wheel well,(not visible when UC retracted)  the wheel part is external, (visible when wheel retracted) and is the underside colour.

After 1943 there was a switch, and all interior areas were Grey Green.  @anj4de For the Mk.18 you are planning, all Grey Green.

 

Examples

Mk.IX in 1943, aluminium oil tank

 

Mk.VIII in italy in 44, Note aluminium oil tank and engine bearers

 

late mk.IX, note oil tank and engine bearers are Grey Green.

 

Spitfire Mk. IIA, 1941. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

if you enlarge this, you can see the Grey Green armour plate, and aluminium frame at rear of canopy

 

Spitfire Mk.V cockpit. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

note aluminium painted bar at top of canopy

 

Spitfire cockpit, 1943. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

same again

 

HTH

 

 

[anj4de]

Thanks a lot for the explanation and especially for the pics! Since I have multible Spitfires in various stages on the assenbly line this info comes in very handy! So my Eduard Mk.VIII will be all green inside. The picture of the Mk IIa in flight is the absolute burner... 🙂

 

thanks

Uwe