Col. Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Hi Col., the paint finish looks really good and the detail in the instrument panel is superb Cheers Jaime Thank you Jaime. Hope you find the technique useful in a future project. Here's another image via Sandy Johnstone of that Spitfire. I have said before that the only fault with it is that Airfix missed the personal emblem painted on it, but I understand that it was included on one of the Xtradecal sheets. Thank you again for another photo of this machine Andy. I need to look for that decal sheet. Interesting to think that 70 years after the event someone you know was commander of the squadron my grandfather served in. A small world indeed. Nice tip on the IP col, and great to see your progress on this. Rob Thank you Rob. Nice to know I'm not the only one enjoying this kit 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted July 16, 2015 Share Posted July 16, 2015 Cracking backstory.....Anecdotes like that always fascinate me, they add a very personsl touch to the legend we all grew up with. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted July 18, 2015 Author Share Posted July 18, 2015 Cracking backstory.....Anecdotes like that always fascinate me, they add a very personsl touch to the legend we all grew up with. Thank you Sgt. There was a few tales my grandmother told me about granddad that I'm trying to recall as I work on this one. Perhaps I can share them with everyone as we go through the GB? As of last night here's where I've got to; The lap straps come from an Eduard set and have confirmed my dislike of etched brass. Alas I've no spare cash to spend on a better alternative and want to keep making progress at the best pace I can on this one. Everything needed a little persuasion and adjusting to get a satisfactory fit in the cockpit bathtub assembly but that and more Plastic Weld has ensured everything is going together well. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airgunner Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Late on parade for this one, apologies. Most of my builds are personal to me, shared stories or real things I've seen provide the inspiration for my builds. I find to get a decent build you need a bit of soul in it so I can totally relate to your story here. Great progress, will be keeping a very close eye on this one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaStix Posted July 19, 2015 Share Posted July 19, 2015 Cockpit detail and seat are looking excellent. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrlx Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Col., You may dislike the brass harness but the end result is looking really excellent! Regarding your technique for IP dial detailing, I'm not sure I'd be able to use it at 1/72, the scale I build at. But it is a really clever technique, worth of taking not of. Cheers Jaime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Gotta agree, you've done a great job with the brass harness.....I'd have assumed it was one of the new fabric thingies if you hadn't told me it was metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyboy76 Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Loving your work Col. Nice tidy pit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Thank you for the kind words gang. Glad you are enjoying the progress. On that subject, moved a little further forward again; Fitted an oxygen hose to the cockpit sidewall and the tensioner system to the seatbelt, which in turn allowed me to get the fuselage halves closed up and the wing on after a bit more scraping and filing of the trailing edge and rear fuselage join area. Needless to say I was also able to get a glue-soaked fingerprint on the trailing edge while trying to put fingertip pressure on the wind/fuselage joint; 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted July 22, 2015 Author Share Posted July 22, 2015 With the wings on the tail feathers were next to give me Spitfire shaped object The upper cowling section needed some filler to smooth the join and a slight sin mark; The rudder actuating rod is moulded as a solid wedge by Airfix so that was replaced by some stretched plastic rod; Then some braces were added the the radiator flap as were the operating mechanisms; Once that's in place the final cockpit part and canopy sections can go on then it's paint time. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Lovely work col, this is coming together now and looking great for it! Also if you want to share stories of your grandad on here crack on, love hearing about the little bits that make these bit moments so great Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted July 23, 2015 Author Share Posted July 23, 2015 Having shared his initial enthusiastic reaction to seeing the Spitfire and the optimism it gave my grandfather soon got to know the finer details of this sleek, fast, all-metal monoplane. He was soon getting to grips with the engine and all its workings. Having been used to the 9-cylinder radial Bristol Mercury engine of the Gloster Gauntlet he was now faced with a V-12 unit producing more than twice as much power. In a letter home he asked my grandmother to name their new house 'Merlin' as a tribute to the new powerplant. Unfortunately his letter came a little too late as their nearest neighbour who lived at the edge of the village was working in the Rolls Royce factory producing the Merlin engines had the same idea and wrote with the same idea a few days before. So far as I know Mrs. Duncan's house carries the same name on the gate to this day. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Having shared his initial enthusiastic reaction to seeing the Spitfire and the optimism it gave my grandfather soon got to know the finer details of this sleek, fast, all-metal monoplane. He was soon getting to grips with the engine and all its workings. Having been used to the 9-cylinder radial Bristol Mercury engine of the Gloster Gauntlet he was now faced with a V-12 unit producing more than twice as much power. In a letter home he asked my grandmother to name their new house 'Merlin' as a tribute to the new powerplant. Unfortunately his letter came a little too late as their nearest neighbour who lived at the edge of the village was working in the Rolls Royce factory producing the Merlin engines had the same idea and wrote with the same idea a few days before. So far as I know Mrs. Duncan's house carries the same name on the gate to this day. I would have done the same! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted July 26, 2015 Author Share Posted July 26, 2015 Spent some time adding a few extra details to the upper cockpit section before it gets glued in place; 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyboy76 Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 If have haven't left a super glue finger print somewhere on the model then your not building it right. That's some lovely work Col. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 Please excuse the fuzzy photo but i've now got the cockpit closed up and two parts of the canopy in place; I've also tried to solve the weak undercarriage fitting by cutting the tab off the leg and glue it to the mount. With this dry I've drilled a hole into the mount to take a piece of piano wire that will then go into a corresponding hole in each leg which should hopefully impart more strength and durability to the undercarriage assembly. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Looks a fantastic build so far, I want one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrlx Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Hi Col., great looking build and great attention to detail thus far! Jaime 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 Hi Col., great looking build and great attention to detail thus far! Jaime Thanks Jaime. Busy trying to represent the overlapping, oil-canning, riveting etc found on the Spitfire's skin so making slow and careful progress through that at the moment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Another great build Col. Nice detailing work and finishing. Looks like she will have some paint on her soon! Craig. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 Another great build Col. Nice detailing work and finishing. Looks like she will have some paint on her soon! Craig. Cheers Craig. She will if I crack on and get the surface detail finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Great progress Col.cockpit look,s the biz. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 Here's some of that surface detail I'm working. Only going to rivet the rear fuselage as I can't see any evidence on the wings or forward fuselage. Still got one upper wing and the lower wing to scrape the 'oil-can' effect onto. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basilisk Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Great effort Col. Good to see that the riveting worked for you too. So you use the riveting tool to show dome rivets and the scraping to show the "oil-can" effect where flat rivets have been used. I will follow this with interest. But I have a feeling that you won't see much of the "oil-can" effect on the finished model as the surface area is too smal to give that visual effect compared to the original. At the end it is all about creating visual effects tricking the eye to some degree, so you may have to assist this effect when painting the model. I am looking forward to see this on the finished model. Cheers, Peter 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bordfunker Posted August 3, 2015 Share Posted August 3, 2015 Loving the oil-can effect, it's going to look fantastic when it's complete. Karl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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