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1/18 Spitfire Mk. XIVe - Race #80


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there are a few marks I can't seem to shift

It was always difficult to keep the metalwork

unscratched when working on the real thing,

It must be near impossible in miniature.

 

Have you thought of Brasso or toothpaste

used as a lubricant with micromesh?

It's worked for me on plastic in the past.

 

Pete

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Way to go Peter!  The tail fairing reminds me of how you resolved the intakes on the F7F.  Very well done!  I guessed you may go to a different (thicker) material for that part.

 

Outstanding as usual!

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thanks folks :)

 

so been getting familiar with sorting the cockpit 'pod' - I actually made a bunch of parts back in the mists of time so a quick check where I was had to be done - I have one sidewall which is made as a skin that theoretically will line the fuselage, the IP, seat, control yoke, fuel tank and some little bits..

 

this is the sidewall in it's jig which was made to mirror the contours of the fuselage and the bulkheads I have made..

 

WIP1085_zpsbi3ixaun.jpg

 

..these are the other assorted parts so far..

 

WIP1084_zpsrl0yvv5v.jpg

 

..and I made some dummy sidewalls to test the 'pod' theory - though the fuselage skin has had to be thinned to within an inch of it's life to accomodate it..

 

..the floor on the real thing is open so this approach should work...

 

WIP1086_zpsvvcmuirn.jpg

 

..I noticed in a pic I have of TZ138's cockpit that the forward bulkhead under the instrument panel is the same as the pressurised MkXIX so having been sent links to some factory drawings (thanks Nick) I found the one I needed and started to make up the part..

 

..at this point my camera packed up so no in progress pics, but I made the bulkhead from plastic card, laminated it with litho and plunge moulded the two pressings for the indents where the rudder pedals go..

 

primed and sprayed the indents silver after assembly..

 

WIP1087_zpsjclyrjsr.jpg

 

..still lots of detail to add, but the basic structure is now complete..

 

WIP1088_zpszjcxc1wi.jpg

 

WIP1090_zpsjfh3lwds.jpg

 

..it will sit at an angle behind the IP bulkhead..

 

WIP1089_zpsq629rbo6.jpg

 

thanks for dropping in :)

 

more soon

 

TTFN

Peter

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thanks folks :)

 

been a bit quiet as my camera has had it so not many in progress pics but I have been busy :ninja:

 

..the battery dies in 30 secs, none of the menu's come up or if they do commands aren't accepted so I have a replacement on order (it's only a cheap Sony cybershot)..I did manage to coax it into life today (albeit on the wrong picture setting) to take a few shots of what I have been up to..

 

..the bulkhead that goes below the IP was finished with some details..

 

WIP1091_zpsbj2y0xrg.jpg

 

..then I painted & attatched it - I also made the compass mount and painted the compass so this main bulkhead with IP is nearly done..

 

WIP1099_zps3wuywbxt.jpg

 

WIP1095_zpsqsnnamrf.jpg

 

WIP1096_zpslg3kiqnt.jpg

 

..then more painting (or what I like to call great opportunities to screw up all my work...), by painting the rear bulkhead frame, the fuel tank and the seat & frame...

 

..the seat was a challenge as not only is the colour quite hard to mix, but the tonal variations in the bakelite and wear on it, so I tried some shade & highlights and actually am pretty chuffed with how it turned out...

 

WIP1092_zpsoprcpbr0.jpg

 

WIP1094_zps6v4vmxff.jpg

 

WIP1093_zpsg5sgk6vm.jpg

 

..I also test fitted it all in the cockpit plug, and made sure that all fits into the airframe..

 

WIP1097_zpsuwgxpaov.jpg

 

WIP1098_zpst7eobhno.jpg

 

..no small matter of the port sidewall to start now - made complicated by the cockpit hatch - if I cut this out of the plug it will not only weaken it disasterously, but also lead to it losing it's form.. I may need to partial cut it or something, or cut it but add external braces like they do when they strip cars of their body panels..

 

..back soon, hopefully with a new camera :)

 

TTFN

Peter

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Sublime as always Peter!

 

One thought... Are you doing some comprehensive photography "studio style" before fitting the parts which will be hard to see once she is all buttoned-up?

The cockpit internals would be prominent, and nice to have some photos on display alongside the model (if you intend to display anywhere).

 

This entire build has been a leaning exercise for us all!

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40 minutes ago, hairystick said:

This entire build has been a leaning exercise for us all!

 

Mostly learning for me, but I'll admit with the way my eyesight is going, there's been a little movement closer to the screen that you could probably call leaning. :winkgrin: 

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Marvellous stuff Peter (as usual)

 

9 hours ago, airscale said:

the IP was finished with some details..

 

So modest... perfect to my eyes, seat colour, panel details and that little brass plate on the compass :clap: 

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It depends on when the subject aircraft was built.  Supermarine introduced it around mid July '41.  Castle Bromwich took somewhat longer- perhaps late August or September.  There was talk of "retrospective action", but there's a suggestion that it would only be done during a repair, not ASAP to the whole fleet.

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evening folks :)

 

thank you so much for dropping in, it really means a lot to me to read your comments and pushes me on to do my best to make it enjoyable :)

 

a little more progress... I wasn't too thrilled about making the port cockpit sidewall (and have been putting it off...) only because having made the other side, it is actually quite tricky to get it exactly right to match the bulkheads and also it has some nasty open stringers that are a pain to make and pretty repetative...

 

..the first thing to do was make a jig to hold the thin sheet sidewall lining - this involved cutting outline frames of the bulkheads in thick plastic card and bracing them with supporting struts. The wall is then cut out and rolled on a foam pad until it curves and matches the formers without any pressure to hold it's shape...

 

..then it is CA'd to the former to hold it and some sub formers added around the door cut-out - finally a brass main longeron is added to give it some rigidity..

 

WIP1100_zpsfpaj4k5a.jpg

 

WIP1101_zpsksdlkbpv.jpg

 

..then some of the structure starts to get added...  I dry assembled the whole cockpit first so I could mark out and  be sure the bulkheads match either side when it comes to assembly

 

WIP1102_zpspeotatbp.jpg

 

WIP1103_zpseu9qab8w.jpg

 

..moving on to some initial details, this pic shows the rudder and elevator trim controls from a MkXIX (thanks Tony :)) and while from an XIX not an XIV, I took it that it represents the later versions (though I am not clear if this one has the same kind of door as the framing is different)...

 

..note the small knurled trim knob as I had to think about making this way back when when I designed the PE...

 

WIP1106_zpsuffgsqfp.jpg

 

..the trick being to use a PE profile stuck on a handle to press into some plasticine to make a mould to cast the shape in resin..

 

WIP1104_zpsvyvpgyzz.jpg

 

..and here you can see the trim components, including a 3D printed elevator trim wheel (in grey primer..)

 

WIP1105_zpstvgue7u1.jpg

 

..and a dry fit...

 

WIP1107_zpsu7phrmrh.jpg

 

WIP1108_zpshksmdgzu.jpg

 

WIP1109_zpsegg8uas4.jpg

 

..lots to be getting on with :)

 

TTFN
Peter

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Peter,

 

I am floored when it comes to trying to understand HOW you create curved and folded internal structural details.  Perhaps it would make more sense if I had experience working with litho as you do? 

 

Simply brilliant!

 

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7 hours ago, airscale said:

..moving on to some initial details, this pic shows the rudder and elevator trim controls from a MkXIX (thanks Tony :)) and while from an XIX not an XIV, I took it that it represents the later versions (though I am not clear if this one has the same kind of door as the framing is different)...

 

Aside from the first batch of 25 (or something like that) the PR.XIX was pressurised, thus had no entry door.  Be careful about using cockpit shots of other variants- while most bits and pieces will be the same, some things did move around, and other things were present or absent.

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2 hours ago, gingerbob said:

 

Aside from the first batch of 25 (or something like that) the PR.XIX was pressurised, thus had no entry door.  Be careful about using cockpit shots of other variants- while most bits and pieces will be the same, some things did move around, and other things were present or absent.

 

 

exactly Bob - this is the challenge. I have since found a few drawings from the XIV manual so will go with these and try and find detail shots of the featured components in other cockpits - even then I have to work out what might have been removed (or added) after having been a weather trials aircraft and then an air racer..

 

WIP1110_zps5eokrwag.jpg

 

..I can see from this the rudder trim panel is the longer 'L' shaped panel so will have to re-do that...

 

any and all pics / drawings of a Mk XIV port sidewall welcome from all in the thread :) - most shots seem to be of the opposite wall as people look in from the wing root..

 

Thanks

Peter

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