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1/72 Tamiya Mk.Vb Supermarine Spitfire - Spitfire Collection Expansion Project - Finished and in the Gallery - 16/05/16


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A couple of years back when I returned to kit building, after about a 25 year gap, I built a few bits and pieces before thinking I'd like to try a Spitfire. Noticing Eduard's 1/48 Mk.IXc Spitfire on sale somewhere, I was immediately taken with it's lovely detail and the fact it included photoetch!
My concern, before buying it, was that, at that time, I hadn't built a Spitfire since I was a child and it was a relatively expensive kit that I didn't want to mess up. So I decided I needed to do some practice builds first with smaller 1/72 scale Spitfires. My first Spitfire build was Airfix's new tool 1/72 Mk.Ia (WIP here). I built a couple more 1/72 Spitfires before trying Revell's (ICM's) 1/48 Mk.XVI Spitfire (WIP here) - in the first post is a photo of the three Spitfires I'd built up until then. By the time I got around to buying and making the Eduard Mk.IX I was already hooked on Spitfires. I built the Eduard Mk.IX as part of the D-Day Group Build and the resulting model can be seen here. Since then I have made four more Spitfires - two Mk.Vb Spitfires and two Mk.I Spitfires.
Throughout all my builds I frequently sought out information about the Spitfires I was building and always found tremendous information and help from a wide variety of very helpful people here on Britmodeller including, of course, Edgar. I never corresponded with him but was always fascinated by the depth of his knowledge and his support of fellow modellers.

So for this tribute GB to Edgar I am going to go back to my practice scale and will make a 1/72 Mk.Vb Spitfire - in fact this one:
25119138840_26b00487cb_c.jpg

I was originally planning on building Airfix's 1/48 Mk.XII but I've currently got four other builds on the go in other GBs, so I figured I'd start with this one, which I hope to get completed in the STGB time frame. I may well start the Mk.XII during this GB as well but take my time with it. I may even try to get some PE for it.

I'm currently planning on making it as the box art version which is as EN821 from No. 243 Squadron, Fighter Command:
24813979713_d9520ac84e_c.jpg

If you checked out any the links above you may have seen I have made the 1/48 version of this aircraft:
25145169620_eb20b76c94_c.jpg

I'm not sure when I will actually get this project underway but I'm really looking forward to it.

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited by PlaStix
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You're keeping busy with GB projects Stix but at least this one will provide a straightforward kit to build.

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Your 1/48 Spit Vb looks good, I'm sure that the 1/72 one will look great too

Thank you very much Giorgio! :thumbsup:

You're keeping busy with GB projects Stix but at least this one will provide a straightforward kit to build.

Not quite as busy as during the Achtung Panzer GB but busy enough! I'm hoping for a straightforward build but, knowing me, I'll find something 'extra' I want to do!

I think I've seen that AC already ... :hmmm::D :D

:popcorn:

Ciao

............and what a beautiful aircraft model that turned out to be! I've got your build bookmarked so I can refer to it during my build! :thumbsup:

Kind regards,

Stix

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Looks like a great project in the making Stix,look forward to following this one.

Thank you Steve - I'm really looking forward to this GB. It should be fantastic to see all the other Spitfire builds happening in one place!

Good to see you going back to your 1/72 Spitfire roots Stix, looking forward to this one.

Hi Cookie and thank you. Should be fun!

Well I couldn't let the start day of the Tribute GB to Edgar go by without doing something on a Spitfire so I began by getting the sprues washed in warm soapy water and I took a few photos of the sprues and other contents of the box:

25227643040_b8a1a2896a_c.jpg

Some close ups to show some of the rather nice detail:

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24892702244_562d71b677_c.jpg

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This kit also comes with a display base - don't think I will be using it for this build but it may be useful in future:

25523224785_6c4a8594b0_c.jpg

The decals:

25227599290_a386cf39bf_c.jpg

Samples of the instructions:

25404697282_a9f68a1aa2_c.jpg

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As I mentioned earlier - I wanted to do something so I started by drilling some holes in the seat frame:

25227580800_b8a565547f_c.jpg

......and just below the IP:

25523194335_90914bd2fd_c.jpg

I may get something done on this tomorrow but I do really need to get my P-47D closer to the finish line as that STGB finishes sooner.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Kind regards,

Stix

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Oh good lord, not another stix spitfire..... Oh well I might as well tag along.... Again.....

(Obviously a joke stix! )

Rob

Hi Rob and thank you. Sorry I missed your post while I was putting the one above together. Good to see you here!

Kind regards,

Stix

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Stix, from the sprue shots it looks like this kit is a shrinked version of their 1/48 kit, which is a lot of details for this scale! Should be real fun!

Ciao

Edited by giemme
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Stix, from the sprue shots it looks like this kit is a shrinked version of their 1/48 kit, which is a lot of details for this scale! Should be real fun!

Ciao

Hi Giemme - I think you are correct - a lot of the detail is the same only smaller. I can't wait. Even when I was doing the limited amount I did on them, on Saturday, I could have carried on if I hadn't got so much more to do on other projects!

It may be a while before I get back to this - I've got my P-47 which will need finishing in about a month.

Kind regards,

Stix

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I have this one in my stash to. I even thought about using it with the Pavla wing for Mk VC conversion and joining this GB. But I have my Thunderbolt to finish as well. So I will be watching this only for now. This kit is very well moulded but it has some very odd features... like the seat f.eg. or the tail fabric surfaces.... Will you do something with this or you just live it?

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Hi Zegeye. I know there are some odd issues with this kit that I would like to correct if I get the chance. The problem is, like you, I have a lot of builds on the go at the moment (a P-47D, two Hurricanes and a Crusader tank, all in GBs, as well as this one). I'll see how my time is going with everything as to what I do beyond making this OOB.

Kind regards,

Stix

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I'm in, but you must be careful about slipping back into 1/72.

Cheers

John

Hi John - good to see you here - are you planning on making a Spitfire for this GB? I know you did your own personal tribute before but was just wondering.

I have to say I am thoroughly enjoying making the 1/72 Hurricanes over in the Hurricane GB and I can't wait to get a proper start made on this project. I decided I wanted to detail up the cockpit a bit with some etch so I have ordered this:

25155643124_9dd7c94147.jpg

Hopefully it will arrive soon(ish) so I can make a proper start. I'm going to have to start and rota in some 1/72 aircraft builds with the rest of the stuff I'm doing - they are great fun! (.......so far!)

Kind regards,

Stix

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Hi Stix, I'm planning to use the new tool Mk1 to make a PR 1G but I 'm still waiting for the kit! It was pre-ordered by a friend from Big H in December as a Christmas present but was not in stock and they didn't get any more until early March. It is apparently on it's way ( along with the new Defiant ) so I should be able to start soon, I hope.

Hope your etch arrives soon.

Cheers

John

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Hi Stix, I'm planning to use the new tool Mk1 to make a PR 1G but I 'm still waiting for the kit! It was pre-ordered by a friend from Big H in December as a Christmas present but was not in stock and they didn't get any more until early March. It is apparently on it's way ( along with the new Defiant ) so I should be able to start soon, I hope.

Hope your etch arrives soon.

Cheers

John

Good afternoon John

I am sure that you can find the Airfix Spitfire where you live in France ..

Patrice

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Hi Stix, I'm planning to use the new tool Mk1 to make a PR 1G but I 'm still waiting for the kit! It was pre-ordered by a friend from Big H in December as a Christmas present but was not in stock and they didn't get any more until early March. It is apparently on it's way ( along with the new Defiant ) so I should be able to start soon, I hope.

Hope your etch arrives soon.

Cheers

John

That's good news - I hope your kit arrives soon too! That sounds like an interesting project. I was looking at the Defiant kit too recently. I'll wait until there's been a few more built before I decide if I want one - I've already got too many things I want to build! Hopefully my etch will be here this week - also from the big H, but mine doesn't have to travel as far!

Kind regards,

Stix

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Good afternoon.

My photo-etch for this project arrived today:

25209494193_0eb5b0b4cc_c.jpg

25810026896_a2a2bb31ec_c.jpg

......I think it looks pretty good and it was pretty cheap too. :yahoo:

Hopefully I will be able to get some more done on the Spitfire this weekend.

Kind regards,

Stix

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My Spitfire arrived too ( see chat ) and the Defiant, which looks very nice but will have to wait.

Regards

John

Hi John. I'm glad your Spitfire has arrived safely (and the Defiant) but I'm sorry to hear about your arm. Hope it's starting to be on the mend!

Kind regards,

Stix

Edited by PlaStix
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  • 5 weeks later...

The break from this project has been longer than I anticipated or intended but I've got one P-47D and one Hurricane finished in the time I've not been working on this one.

Before the break I had decided to use some Eduard PE to enhance the cockpit and some other areas - so this was the set I got cheap off the big A:

26457845735_cd0dcb4fbd_c.jpg

The first jobs this morning included removing the cockpit door:

26365523942_12f376d5a8_c.jpg

.......and some of the mounded on details on the cockpit walls:

25855011883_f08ba12765_c.jpg

....for where there are PE replacements.

I also had to remove the lovely raised detail of the instrument panel to allow for the PE version:

25852954744_6dedddd45e_c.jpg

Next I added the missing cables down the left hand side if the IP frame - I used some Plusmodel lead wire that I picked up from the Hinckley show:

26365510102_2bbbd0d17c_c.jpg

I hadn't seen any of this wire before - I've normally used fuse wire for this sort of cabling but this stuff is much easier to work with.

Then it was onto painting some of the cockpit areas with Humbrol's Cockpit Green - over which I did a bit of a Revell's Anthracite wash followed by some dry-brushing with a lightened version of the green:

26457827065_06611bc72f_c.jpg

25852943684_e4e17b1e61_c.jpg

Next I will be doing the aluminium areas before starting to add some PE detail parts.

Comments and suggestions welcome.

Kind regards,

Stix

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