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Spitfire Nightfighters - Decals and other questions.


Lancbuilder219

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Having just read Geoffrey Wellums wonderful bio First Light, I found myself inspired to build a MkVb as in the book when the RAF tried the Spitfire out as a nightfighter.

The book describes in detail the issues facing a Spitfire pilot attempting night flying.

I have seen some great images on Google with 111 Squadron being a good example; paint and (I think) decals won't pose any issues but is there anything that needs to be added to a standard Vb for a nightfighter version?

A very good excuse to break out my 1/24th Airfix Vb!

Edited by Lancbuilder219
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I am working from memory but I seem to remember that there were flat panels sticking out above the exhausts in order to protect the pilot from the glare of the exhausts. Many years ago I made a black nightfighter Spitfire Vb using either Kits at War or Dutch Decals transfers.

I am at work so have no access to the sheet in question.

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The only modifications these aircrafts seem to have carried were fishtail exhausts (that later became standard on all Mk.V) and "blinker plates" between the cockpit and the cowling. These were however likely not on all aircrafts, as for example the well known picture of JU-H (probably W3848) does not show them in place. A picture of such plates can be found in Price's "The Spitfire Story", page 134.

Colour scheme was overall black with initially standard B roundel and fin flash and medium sea grey codes. The roundel later became a small C type one. Wojtek Matusiak in his book on the Mk.V from Mushroom mentions that no roundel was carried above the wing and the few pictures I've seen seem to confirm this. However it may just be that it's hard to see the roundel over the black paint ? No idea about the underwing roundels.

No sky band and the serial numbers were overpainted.

Really in terms of decals this looks like an easy enough project, with everything available from generic sheets or the kit decals. Apart from the codes that however in 1/24 scale may be painted using masks

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That is good info guys. Are masks for tail letters generally available or is it a scratch-build / DIY method?

Edited by Lancbuilder219
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I'm not aware of masks in 1/24 scale, apart from generic sets for roundels. At the same time I'm not aware of generic 1/24 letters either, but this is not my scale and I may be missing a lot of products. Maybe Fantasy Printshop has something ? At the same time of course letters meant for other scales may be used

There are companies that can make custom masks though, no idea how much it could cost

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Interesting that all the articles you read state that 111,65 and 41 Squadrons were the Spitfire nightfighter Squadrons, but Geoffrey Wellum was doing night patrols and he was on 92 Sqn!

Perhaps the full history of nightfighting spitfires has yet to be told, and the question is as they were involved in night patrols did 92 have black spitfires as well?

Selwyn

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The photo of JU-H mentioned above shows it, I believe, with the larger red centres to the roundel - supposedly a common misinterpretation of the instructions on painting roundels.

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Geoffrey Wellum was flying MkI spits painted in the standard camouflage of the time for 92 Sqn. It was during the time June-Sep 1940 when 92 Sqn were based at Pembrey sands that whilst trying to qualify to night fly spits he struck the light at the end of the runway. A few weeks later he went to repeat the sortie and whilst doing circuits was vectored off to intercept some German aircraft.

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Photos of JU-H appear in Spitfire at War 3

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0711019339

great book of photos.

Airfix used this as an option in their Club Edition of the 1/48 Spitfire Vb kit

http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/specialist-spitfires-1-48-airfix-club-special.html

a82015_specialspitfires_club.jpg

Regarding masks. do you have a printer, and can you use a graphics program? If so you could make some with some label paper. You could use the above image, rescale it and then print on label paper, and make you own mask.

Or, if this is getting complex, get some wide masking tape, apply to fuselage, and then use the above and refer to panel lines to draw on the tape, peel off carefully, put a fresh piece of tape on a glass or a tile, and then, apply tape with drawn in letters, and then cut you own mask.

there maybe enough tack on the original tape, but the fresh bit is to seal down.

this is a similar technique, but illustrated

http://www.agapemodels.com/2013/02/15/techniques-making-negative-masks/

as with everything, try a tester on a scrap kit. If you are not happy, then you could get some masks made up.

HTH

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A veritable deluge of useful information and help. Many thanks!

Re First Light, there is a short interlude where Wellum is posted away from Ops and, during a taxi journey, the driver remarks about Spitfires flying night sorties and being painted black.

I look forward to digging out my big Mk Vb and, when I finally get to the decal stage I will have to decide the best option.

Regarding the mode to the aircraft, was anything done to help with muzzle flash or was it only the exhausts that were 'blinkered'?

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A veritable deluge of useful information and help. Many thanks!

Re First Light, there is a short interlude where Wellum is posted away from Ops and, during a taxi journey, the driver remarks about Spitfires flying night sorties and being painted black.

I look forward to digging out my big Mk Vb and, when I finally get to the decal stage I will have to decide the best option.

Regarding the mode to the aircraft, was anything done to help with muzzle flash or was it only the exhausts that were 'blinkered'?

Ahh yes that's when he returns back to Ops on 65 Sqn I believ,e into 1942?

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:popcorn: Have just checked and it appears that Hannants have quite a few 1/24th scale decals albeit for Typhoons and Mosquitoes. There is also a forthcoming Eagle Squadron set, price tba.

Edited by Lancbuilder219
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In his book Battle For Britain, Wing Commander H R 'Dizzy' Allan described flying night sorties while with 66 Squadron. It's been a very long time since I read it (I got it aged about 12!) but I believe it was whilst based at Coltishall. He describes being blinded by the exhausts which would suggest no flame reduction was fitted. He certainly suggests he had no luck, other than making it back down in one piece!

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It doesn't look like standard matt black paint will do the job. It wouldn't look right.

I have no experience with paints other than humbrol and revell. Is there another make / type of black?

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Regarding the mode to the aircraft, was anything done to help with muzzle flash or was it only the exhausts that were 'blinkered'?

Only the fishtail exhausts and the plates on the tank area, that were supposed to shield the view of the exhausts from the pilot to prevent blinding them. No other mods and the plates were not even on all aircrafts

Regarding the reproduction of black in model form, best start with a very dark grey or brown. Tamiya has a paint named Nato Black that is a very dark grey, this could be a starting point on which add true black in selected areas to make the whole more interesting. I believe Revell has a very dark grey too, named Anthracite.

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