Early mk I Spit info needed

[doorgunner]

Hello, I am starting building a new spitfire in 1/ 32nd scale and I am very interested in building a very early mkI.

The features I want for my model are:

-flat canopy

-two bladed prop

-unarmoured windscreen

- tall antenna mast

I am modelling a mkII revell new spitfire and the things I have already changed are:

- fabric covered aileron

- bent tubolar lever for retracting landing gear

- no mkI gunsight but instead a bead and sight ring

The question I still have are regarding the:

- metal pilot seat (any picture and any firm that does it in 32nd scale?)

- it seems that some of the wing mg muzzles are protruding

Now the specific a/c to replicate...any suggestion please ?

I am almost convinced to do WZ-T that seems to have all the requested features. Why it had only an upper wing roundel ?

What was its serial ?

Were the lower part of the ailerons and movable part of the tailplanes painted silver ?

Thanks in advance

maurizio

Edited August 16, 2015 by doorgunner

[jimmaas]

I can't answer about the seat but yes, the two outermost gun tubes do protrude (particularly the next-to-outermost). Therefore, no red fabric patches! The guns were an early configuration but suffered from freezing at high altitude, leading to reduction in tube length and introduction of fabric patches at the outset of the war. For 19 Squadron aircraft, the ailerons and elevators were left in undersurface aluminium paint; note also that the upper surface camouflage on the nose comes down further than we're used to seeing. Instead of breaking at the lower panel line, it goes lower than that panel line. The voltage regulator was not present on the back of the headrest, and the antenna mast behind the cockpit was the early pole style. The November 1982 issue of Scale Aircraft Modelling has an excellent article on early Spitfires and one of the drawings is of WZ-T. I've found information that only the port wing uppersurface roundel was present, not uncommon as 19 Squadron was being repainted with 'B' roundels. By the way, 'T' has a 'B' roundel under the starboard (white) wing. Serials overpainted, the lowersurface view I have doesn't show if the underwing serial had been blocked out first, showing as a dark rectangle through the white paint.

Edited August 17, 2015 by jimmaas

[Edgar]

The early seat had no lozenge-shaped depression in the base; this is probably because there was no expectation of flying over the sea, so no dinghy, complete with its inflation bottle, was anticipated. The early Sutton was not fitted to the seat like those in the photo, either; they were attached to the seat supports under the pilot's thighs.

As well as the early retraction system, there were no I.F.F. destructor buttons on the starboard wall, since I.F.F. wasn't fitted until the end of 1940. Early rudder pedals had only a single bar plus canvas loop. No oxygen hose either; it was attached to the pilot's mask, and he plugged it into a bayonet fitting in the top right-hand corner. No head armour until early 1940, and no seat armour until mid-1940. The flash eliminators probably disappeared at the start of the war, since a faster-firing Browning was fitted at that stage, and the muzzle holes had "covers" fitted; fabric patches didn't appear until mid-to-late 1940. A two-blade prop would have had only the single throttle lever.

[doorgunner]

Thanks a lot to jimaas and Edgar...very precious tips..thank you.

I wonder why there wasn't the pot-shaped voltage regulator behind the pilot's head and if the metal seat was left unpainted or grey-green painted.

The two coloured roundels were obtained by modifying the four-coloured ones ?

If so, a shadowed surround circles (fresh paint) have to be added ?

And furthermore...Revell moulded the upper wing wheel bulge in a perfect ellipse way, but I saw in other kits that these bulge were in a more drop like shape and not parallel to the fuselage. I will not modify them...but are they correct ?

Thanks so much

Maurizio

Edited August 17, 2015 by doorgunner

[Edgar]

A modification "To render electrical system suitable for V.H.F. and to include a carbon pile regulator" was introduced from 7-11-39.

I wouldn't over-think the change of roundels; there's a good photo showing 19 Squadron with various combinations of roundel, which makes it seem more likely that the old ones would be washed down with thinners (or painted out,) and the new ones painted afresh.

These are the bulges as drawn by G.A.Cox, whose drawings were generally recognised as among the best:-

P.S. ignore the over-wing stiffeners, which were a 1942 addition.

Edited August 17, 2015 by Edgar

[doorgunner]

Thanks Edgar, I suspected they were a little too "perfect" and trying to correct them would result in a real mess...

There was no rear and upper (triangular) armor plate and no headrest...?

Is there any close up pic of the balance arms fitted on the rudder please?

M

[Edgar]

The headrest was always there, until July 1942, when it was finally deleted, but no armour plate before 1940.

I know nothing of any "balance arms," but it's not the first time that I've heard of the guard being misnamed (and misplaced.) The guard was fitted to the fin, and designed to deflect the wire from the anti-spin parachute (never fitted,) so that it didn't interfere with the rudder's operation. I only have Ted Hooton's illustration, but he normally knew what he was talking about:-

[doorgunner]

Yes that's exactly what I was looking for...now it is all clear.

On early MkI:

- flat canopy (side and top) was fitted with oval knock out panel ?

- windscreen had a rectangular or curved front frame ?

- no aluminum bullet deflection panel over the fuselage fuel tanks ?

- "L" shaped black line walkways only on left wing. Right one was straight from tip to wing root.

Tia

Maurizio

Edited August 17, 2015 by doorgunner

[Edgar]

1/. Not before April 1938.

2/. Flat (curved had been found to cause distortions.)

3/. True

4/. True; note that "walkway forward" & "walkway inboard" were positioned so that they were readable from the aileron position, not from the leading edge or cockpit.

[doorgunner]

Hello I have to ask for a last question regarding the white underwing stencils. Those under the black left wing were indeed white. Are they available in 32 scale as decals please ?

Tia

M

[Graham Boak]

Re extended gun barrels: my understanding is that these were flash-reducing extensions on the standard gun and that these were removed. Nothing to do with icing at altitude, unless someone knows better?.