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Spitfire 1a 19 Squadron - Finished JIT


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Q: How do you eat an elephant?

A: One spoonful at a time.

Okily dokily, lets pick a spoonful:

elephant.jpg

This marking option stood out: unusually small under wing roundels and an accomplished pilot with 4 kills during the Battle of Britain. He survived and rose to Wing Commander no less. Nothing added except belts and I have to scrounge an instrument panel which was sacrificed pointlessly to the 'orrble Airfix 1/72 IX many moons ago.

IQV.jpg

(Edit) Found this reference shot of the actual plane courtesy of the interweb (public domain picture). Now I know which aerial mast and canopy to use, wonder if thats Sgt Jennings in the cockpit?

jenningsreal.jpg

Anil

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That's some collection. A good starting point. Joe

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  • 1 month later...

Dearie me, a month has gone by and no styrene molested and Ced is doing the same kit with the same markings, catch up boy!

Having used the panel decal for the orrible AF 72 SpitXIV I did last year, I pressed a spare Eduard etch IP into use without layering it:

pit.jpg

I know the seat is all Bakelite and the aluminium bits are supposed to be mostly green but I figured I'd try my wonderful Mr Color paints and the contrast would be nice with a closed canopy, muchly pleased with the Eduard etch belts, looking way better that the "super fabric" I used on my P40STGB P40E.

Per Ardua Ad Wetherspoons!

Anil The Latecomer

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Zipping this up showed up a problem with the width of the plastic IP:

gap.jpg

As I'd CA'ed an etch Eduard IP, Sanding down isn't an option so out with the Mission Models Micro Chisel:

gouged.jpg

Duly zipped up and ready for seam filling tomorrow.

Good night chaps and sleep tight.

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Dear oh dear, no one seems terribly interested in my little spit... never mind I still like it!

Tried my hand at this amazing little Quickboost gunsight

qbsight.jpg

Great fun dry brushing brass on something a couple of mil in size. Need to practice on trimming the reflector glass though. A new thing tried was this for attaching etch and this miniscule wee beastie

gatorsthin.jpg

Works like a dream and no, its not the same as Poundstore PVA thinned with water before the Monty Python "Pure luxury" brigade chime in; This stuff actually works, grips instantly and doesn't let go.

Anil The Adhered To

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A bit more today: Found this and thought hmmm doesn't armoured glass feature on a lot of WW2 birds?

alcarmgls.jpg

A delicate blast and I got this:

spitwind.jpg

Easier to see on this upcoming AF 109E screen;

109ewind.jpg

Subtle but visible and a new thingy I have learnt. Tomorrow I will be masking canopies and using my super duper expensive new Iwata fan spay airbrush with Alclad Grey and seeing if the Great Primer Curse is finally banished. PS I really should have dry fitted and fettled the AF canopy, Tamiya this ain't but then again $20 it ain't either

A

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Dear oh dear, no one seems terribly interested in my little spit... never mind I still like it!

Well I think you're doing great.

I should have thinned down my IP as well, so obvious that I was unable to even conceive of it.

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I hadn't notice this thread before but it's an Airfix Spitfire and well made so what's not to like?

I'd have to check to be sure but weren't the gunsight on early Spits oval-topped though? 😈

Edit: entered devil-face to show my poor attempt at humour.

Edited by Beard
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I hadn't notice this thread before but it's an Airfix Spitfire and well made so what's not to like?

I'd have to check to be sure but weren't the gunsight on early Spits oval-topped though? 😈

Edit: entered devil-face to show my poor attempt at humour.

Err, pass. Don't know that much about spits and that's what the QB sights came with M'lud.

Excellent detail work as usual Anil. Isn't this kit a gem?

Why waste what's left of my eyesight hey Mr C?

The kit is a honey, a wee bit of over thickness in the canopy and super tight tolerances on parts fit but a gem as you say. What could exponentially improve it, is moving to slightly harder styrene like Tamiya use, even with Xuron cutters, nano saws et al, the detail parts are very hard not to damage as Ced found out.

Next time I see an AF bod at show I will suggest it but I have a feeling they did this to accommodate younger modellers so maybe not a bad thing.

Now I have a date with an Iwata HP TH and some primer...

A

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So this be the bad boy who's gonna gimme Primer Heaven: The Iwata HP-TH fresh from Tokyo Town...

hpth.jpg

First thing is the funky spray head:

fanhaed.jpg

This produces a spraygun like wide "line" albeit with a bit of overspray and near constant running of the compressor:

fanpattern.jpg

Net result? Easily the smoothest primer coat I've ever laid down with Alclad Grey, no "dusting", bounce back in curves, just a perfect, smooth even finish in 2 passes :

primed.jpg

And no grief with clean up, soak in gun thinners and its quicker than you can say Badger StylNylRez if you can say it at all . One final detail remained was to celebrate...

celebrate.jpg

Anil with The Bollinger Mojo

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So this be the bad boy who's gonna gimme Primer Heaven: The Iwata HP-TH fresh from Tokyo Town...

Wow! That spray coat looks great, I'll just see how much that airbrush c---[googlegooglegoogle]---Back to my old Badger 175 it is!

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Perhaps they could do a trade in for really, really cute baby hedgehog?

While a hedgie does cost about what a good airbrush does, the airbrush will never gently nuzzle me as I watch Magnum, PI, absent some very powerful pharmaceuticals.

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So yesterday I spend fighting one seam for four hours and learn the meaning of "diminishing returns". I also learn that my take on Paul Budzik's Zapagap+dental resin powder gap filler can be dissolved by automotive lacquer thinners . Like the ones I thin my Mr Color with...Science, dontcha just love it?

So onwards and today, a quick preshade and then on with this Sky from Mr Color's wonderful RAF sets:;

mrrafcolor.jpg

Despite nearly obliterating the pre shade (which I hope will return under a matte coat), I got me a wonderful Sky underside as desired prior to any filth being applied. Also notice how the AF trench lines seem to say " wash, we don' need no steenking' wash" (apologies to John Huston fans); Gotta love how smooth and even this Mr Color goes on, drying to a lovely rock hard semi gloss in 25 minutes.

skyunder.jpg

That's my lot for tonight as I have a date with an Adam Curtis documentary but remember, as Scarlet said, "Tomorrow is another dark earth and green day..."

Toodle pip, chaps and chapettes.

Anil

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Did you know bagels can be made into wonderful French toast? Empowered by a sumptuous brunch, it was a quick preshade this morning:

preshade.jpg

A quick cup of coffee, the ritual fight over who unloads the dishwasher and the Mr Color dark earth was duly applied :

dkearth.jpg

You gotta love how quickly this stuff dries, that said I was reminded that its grocery day so off to Sainsbury's* for yours truly while this dries. Hopefully, a quick mask this afternoon and the green should be on before we head to the movies: Mr Carlyle's new film: The Legend of Barney Thompson. This should set us up nicely for his reprisal of Begbie in the upcoming Trainspotting .

Now off to the wine aisle and see if they still have Oyster Bay sauvignon blanc and some of the very cheeky Jacobs Creek sparkling shiraz.

Spiffing or what, ginger?

Anil

* For our non UK cousins this is a large grocery chain, this one has an orange logo. I like orange.

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You got some gear d'ere brudda! Awesome detail on that thing. You'll have to display it under a magnifier.

Hi praise indeed from the Mighty D. Forgive me though, I wussed out and used canopy masks instead of brush painting them frames, my shaky hands are no match for your brush painting skills!

Anil the Trembler

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