franky boy Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Hi everyone Well this is my first group build and you'll have to excuse my lack of imagination on this one but I've always thought the Spitfire looks pretty good in French attire, especially when the tri colour covers the whole rudder. I've also wanted to build an Eduard Mkix for ages so here's the oportunity. So, a Mk ix c serial PT467 complete with torpedo tank and invasion stripes on the lower fuselage form G.C. II/7 Nice squadron Free French Air Force with 326 squadron as it's RAF designation based in the Vosges Mountains in Eastern France in early 1945, and looking rather chilly I might add, flying missions over southern Germany. Most of the markings will come from a Berna Decals sheet. Anyway it was the photo that sold this particular aircraft to me when I was trawling the internet for ideas. Good luck to everyone and enjoy James 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 James, Excellent choice which falls nicely within the rules, it would be good to see it in familiar yet different markings. Wez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I'm never going to complain about a Spitfire! As Wez says, this one follows the GB rules perfectly in that it has distinctively French markings. Looking forward to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 Thanks guys Looking forward to getting started. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rom1 Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Nice subject! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 I was wondering whether a Spitfire would appear and I kept my fingers crossed one would!!! Thanks for that! Have fun. JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForestFan Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Nice choice, as Wez said familiar but different. Good luck with your build. FF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 Right then chaps we're of, at last! Actually not a huge amount of progress to show. Over the bank holiday weekend I managed to get all the parts for the cockpit of their sprues and cleaned up and some of the photo etch attached with out super glueing it to myself for a change! As the later production Mk ix's were left unpainted from the back of the cockpit through the rear fuselage this area was gloss blacked and then given a coat of Alclad aluminium. For the cockpit I thought i'd try some black basing to create some shadows. Everything had a coat of Tamiya NATO black followed by multiple thin coats of XF 71 interior green. It worked ok but more practice needed. Life Colour deep cockpit was used for the black boxes and other parts were picked out in various colours as appropriate. The seat was painted with Humbrol 100 which seems about right for bakelite. The photos are a bit grainy but the paint finish is pretty smooth. Next step, a coat of klear, some Aeroscale cockpit placards, a dark wash, dry brush and a matt varnish then onto the photo etch instrument panel and seat belts. Questions and comments welcome as always. Thanks for looking James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Evening everyone The cockpit is now finished. One of the best I've come across out OOB. Glossed with Klear, a wash of Mig Deep Grey panel line wash, a dry brush with ever lightened shades of Humbrol 78 and a coat of Vallejo matt varnish. IP first. The etched one from the kit matt varnished and drops of Klear for the lenses. That's it for now. Thanks for looking. James 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Yeh... that's just superb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 Very nice work on the cockpit James. The instrument panel is particularly convincing. I look forward to seeing this one come together. Craig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted April 21, 2015 Author Share Posted April 21, 2015 Hi everyone Just a quick update. The fuselage is all together, seams filled and sanded. Any filler you can see is my fault not the kits. By the way I don't think I've said yet what a cracking kit this is and even if you're not a Spitfire fan go and build one! I decided to use the Ultracast upper cowling which fits like a glove as I know i'll spend forever trying to get rid of the join line along the top of the kit piece and in the process obliterate all of the fine detail Anyway, sorry for the poor quality pictures. Questions and comments welcome as always. Thanks for looking. James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz23 Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Excellent work so far, I've always thought that French spits look rather good, looking forward to seeing how this one turns out ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted April 21, 2015 Share Posted April 21, 2015 Looks great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wez Posted May 18, 2015 Share Posted May 18, 2015 James, Did you ever get a resolution on the colour of the spinner? Wez Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Bon jour everyone First up date for a while, work and general stuff getting in the way of modelling as usual! Anyway she's ready for paint. I had a bit of fettling to do to get the wings on properly. I must have managed to get something in the cockpit slightly misaligned as I had to sand of some of the lower frame work which was to low for the wings to fit correctly. The rest of it as you expect went together with no problems. So hear she is. And below with the canopy frames sprayed with Tamiya XF71. Next up a coat of Tamiya grey primer then i'm going to try Montex Masks for the first time for the national insignia so wish me luck. Wez, I put the picture on the WW2 discussion area and the concensus was red. That was my guess to so that's what it will be. I Havent' been able to find that much info on the internet about French Spitfires used during the closing stages of WW2. More updates soon. Thanks for looking James 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 That's looking good James, nice work Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 29, 2015 Author Share Posted May 29, 2015 Evening everyone A quick Friday night update as the wife is out for a curry which gives me hopefully 3 to 4 hours of uninterupted modelling! So the primer is on (Tamiya light grey), one or two bits and pieces to fill in as always. I've also sprayed the white for the markings and put on the masks. Yellow leading edges sprayed and masked. I've sprayed some Tamiya XF 4 onto the underside as a pre shade where the oil streaking is usually seen on Spitfires. I saw someone else do this on a Tamiya Spitfire on hear a while ago and it really added depth to this area. We'll see? The black walk ways were also added while I was doing all this. Tamiya NATO black. Then on with the medium sea grey. Tamiya again. I sprayed a squiggly coat of the basic colour then added some khaki and did some more squiggles followed by some white added to the basic colour and yet more squiggles. Finally, with the compressor over heating, a heavily thinned coat of the basic colour was sprayed all over to even everything out. I'm relatively happy with it, the effect is greater than the photos show. And finally a blurred close up to try and show that oil streaking. It worked ok, it should add some depth by the time its had a wash and some black streaking. If it doesnt this aircraft carried a drop tank anyway so it wont be seen to much. Sorry this is a really bad photo. Now onto the topside. Thanks for looking, comments good and bad welcome. James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Looking good James Whose masks are they, and how well are they sticking, please? Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 That's beautiful work James Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 Guys thanks for the kind words. Stew, the masks are Montex and yes they are lifting. This is only my second go with masks. Last time I used Miracle Masks which were much thinner, although this did make them slightly trickier to apply. Much patience needed. Do you use masks at all? James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Guys thanks for the kind words. Stew, the masks are Montex and yes they are lifting. This is only my second go with masks. Last time I used Miracle Masks which were much thinner, although this did make them slightly trickier to apply. Much patience needed. Do you use masks at all? James Thanks James, I have used canopy masks, and camouflage pattern masks but never masks for the markings so far; I do have a set of Maketar masks for Armee de l'Air roundels but so far haven't had the nerve to try them I'm not sure I will ever have enough patience for them, but I'll see how yours turn out if you don't mind playing guinea-pig? Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 No problems with being a Guinea pig Stew. To be honest I wasn't going to use masks on this one but I'm not that good at getting decals to settle into details and this kit has such fine riveting on it I didn't want to lose them. Anyway we'll see it turns out. James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Good luck, I'll be observing the subject... er, I mean watching your progress Cheers, Stew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted June 1, 2015 Author Share Posted June 1, 2015 Bonjour Just a small up date. I've cut the squadron letter C's from left over pieces of Montex film and sprayed the wing roots with Alclad aluminium ready for some chipping. Sorry about my finger over the lens in this last one. Next job is to mask the black walk way lines and then spray on some AK worn effects fluid followed by the camoflage. Thanks for looking James 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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