Tears were once my only way back home (1/72 Eduard Spitfire IXs)

[bbudde]

Hello I will watch at this. The kit must be superb from what I've heard. Thank you for the introduction. I must admit, that I feel ashamed a bit as I'm german, when I read the annotations by that disgusting people. Even people seems not to be the right word for them. Maybe just some kind of zombies. I never really did understand,  how some laughing stock could get so much influence and power over a whole nation with their mentally insane opinions. Good people for a comic. I mean Hitler was a 1,50 m squaller in a goofy uniform, Goebbels was handicaped with a clubfoot and Göring was obviously mentally insane, who liked to get dressed in women's chlothes, when he was half cut on his pagan occult parties. None of them were Aryan at all! And so the more than the half of german population. Me too with brown hair. They were just a bit bonkers. And you can see that in Hitlers eyes, when you look at him. And this foolish ritual to pull up your right arm for greetings. Totally mad or insane. So I will stop here or I'm on page 25 at last. The polish people were brave, but doublefu***d at all by Hitler and Stalin, who was not better. My salute to them, although I have nothing to do with that as I was born in 1971. At least a qoute from someone on a german motorway  toilet to Berlin, which made me laugh: " I feel like Hitler with all that brown masses underneath me". Cheers

By the way a good start!

Edited January 8, 2017 by bbudde

[Col.]

1 hour ago, bbudde said:

... Thank you for the introduction. I must admit, that I feel ashamed a bit as I'm german, when I read the annotations by that disgusting people. Even people seems not to be the right word for them. Maybe just some kind of zombies. I never really did understand,  how some laughing stock could get so much influence and power over a whole nation with their mentally insane opinions... The polish people were brave, but doublefu***d at all by Hitler and Stalin, who was not better...

 

Alas the German government at that time did not have a monopoly on such horrible ideas. As you say Stalin was no better. Even Britain and the USA was awash with their own facist supporters  Our generation will have nothing to be ashamed of if we keep their modern day successors at bay.

[Cookenbacher]

Yes, a very moving opening post PC, and the only thing better than a Spitfire is a Polish Spitfire.

 

Edit: the concoction for Lifecolor thinner is just water and Future, and a little flow improver and retarder if you got 'em.

[Tomoshenko]

Indeed Mr P, a stirring overture to your build as usual, and I must say a pretty poignant and moving one at that. Let's hope your Spitfire build provides a watershed for a more auspicious year. Oh and while I'm at it, welcome to the world of enamels...

[geedubelyer]

I tend to agree with the majority of my esteemed colleagues MrP, a very moving and eloquent introduction.

You're quite good with your prose when you wish to be, are n't you?

Good luck with your projects. I shall be following along when real life permits.

 

Cheers.

[Procopius]

59 minutes ago, geedubelyer said:

You're quite good with your prose when you wish to be, are n't you?

 

I don't like to brag, but a tweet I penned for work had 227 retweets and 499 likes the other day, an organizational record by a country mile. Slightly more seriously, a reviewer in 2007 really liked one of my short stories, so naturally I've stopped writing them altogether. 

 

2 hours ago, Cookenbacher said:

Edit: the concoction for Lifecolor thinner is just water and Future, and a little flow improver and retarder if you got 'em.

 

I ended up just using Future straight, and it seemed to go on okay, thought it dried slowly (for an acrylic) as a result. 

 

First off, top tip time! Normally I never think of anything clever like this, so I'm excited to tell you about this: I bought one of those pill boxes that I'll probably need in deadly earnest in ten to twenty years, and I'm using it to store the clear parts. Now I can't lose them, and it's much harder to drop them and stomp on them by mistake. ...All of you are doing this already, aren't you?

 

20170108_113439 by Edward IX, on Flickr

 

I've closed up the wings for both, one after the other:

 

20170108_113442 by Edward IX, on Flickr

 

When building a new kit for the first time, I like to be doing a second one trailing it so that I can really build it my way on the first one, and then do it the right way on the second. So far my biggest issue with the kit is that the trailing edges of the wings are split between the wing halves, entirely so they can sell us some damned dropped flaps set on down the road. Listen. The sort of people who want to do that are the sort of people who glory in their own misery: there's no need to make their lives easier and mine harder, none.

 

I even got one of those PE sandwich IPs to close up, after sanding the bejesus out of it so it would be thin enough with PE added to fit into the appropriate grooves:

 

20170108_113519 by Edward IX, on Flickr

 

I think I'll invest in some Gator's Grip glue for the future, though. I'm all about tools now, that's the new me.

 

I got excited and glued the two side panels into their respective fuselage halves, but as events proved, this is less than the ideal way to do it, because then you have to shoehorn everything into place. OTOH, a lot easier to fix stuff if it's too wide or too proud this way, and for try one, that was a concern. Tolerances on this, like modern Airfix kits, have so far proved to be very tight, just like the old wizard warned me.

 

20170108_130912 by Edward IX, on Flickr'

 

I think the little "shoulder" parts of the wing fairings maybe should be added after the wings are on? I'm not 100% on that, but I didn't do that and it made for a tight fit on mine and I got glue everywhere.

 

20170108_130917 by Edward IX, on Flickr

 

Glorp. I do appreciate that Eduard included spacers in the nose to keep it aligned, even if it was only done so they can sell us more ruddy aftermarket. Happily this part of the assembly was far less of a nightmare than that of their Fw190, which I built last year and didn't much enjoy. It's also light years better than putting the cockpit together in an AZ or Sword Spitfire.

 

[Beard]

I had a look at the one I bought and thought, 'my word (not my exact words), this looks complicated' and put everything back in the box and the box in the loft but you appear to be undaunted.

 

Faint heart never won fair Spitfire, I suppose.

[Christer A]

That's how to make a first post!

Newly pregnant wife (congratulations and good luck!), lofty goals abut start running, losing weight and also a long and moving piece about the men who flew the machines.

All this and two Eduard Spitfires as well

 

Running would probably not help you lose those 40 lbs though, you'd probably need to change what you put in as well.

Or reduce the stress levels.

In the last year, I've started to live on a 5:2 diet where I can eat whatever for five days a week, but for two days i cInnot eat more than 600 calories. I lost 6-7 kilos but more importantly around 10cm around the waist. Also, the old house was sold and the whole family moved in to a new built apartment which helps reducing the stress levels a lot, and also increases the modelling time.

 

Anyway, the two-piece engine cowl is equally as bad in 1/48, but there Eduard hasn't started to do resin replacements yet...

 

I stuck the shoulder pads on the fuselage instead of the wings, worked like a charm!

 

[Col.]

Nice tip on the pill box but what's with the letters on top? No, hold on, let me guess; Spitfire, Sea Fury, Mosquito, Typhoon, Wellington, Tempest, Fury  

[Stew Dapple]

A beautifully written and moving intro PC and already off to a flying start with the kits. Good luck with the cowlings, I looked at the instructions and thought "the hell with that" and shelled out for the resin ones on the grounds that I would happily pay not to have to clean up the probable seam - but then I only have the one Royal Class boxing. Oh, and a couple of Profipacks. Don't judge.

 

Cheers,

 

Stew

[Mitch K]

Superb, and extremely evocative.

[Teuchter]

Hi, may I watch? Like Mr Beard I got my my overtrees out last night and promptly put them away again, relieved to download the instructions and note that a lot of the tiny parts were not for use. On your intro, my mother always used to tell me that 'the bombs were dropping on Poland' when they got married.

[HOUSTON]

Procopius/Edward.

 

Your opening post was and is quite  evocative and emotive  and eloquence in your writing comes from the heart.

 

It fills you with a sense of despair and sadness but at times I smiled too.

Hope and faith always takes one to higher level  and no matter what ones  goes through ; spirit is never broken. 

 

I enjoyed your  very  "poetic" post which showed your heartfelt thoughts. 

 

 I certainly  felt it. thank you... the words are impressive and the "pen is mightier than the sword" .Thank you. 

 

Your tribute by making /building a Polish Spitfire will add that extra elegance to your post full of history and is  quite a humble  tribute but one that  means a lot to the Polish modelers on here. 

 

also to the German modelers who like ME were not around at the time of sadness and sorrow and prejudice.  So thank you for a wonderful teary opening post.

 

and so to your Modeling..

 

AWESOME start.  it is NEAT AND TIDY work and look forward to your Spitfire in Polish colors .

 

 

 

     

Edited January 9, 2017 by HOUSTON

[CedB]

Nice progress PC.

 

3 hours ago, Procopius said:

I think I'll invest in some Gator's Grip glue for the future, though. I'm all about tools now, that's the new me.

 

Good man - you won't regret it  

 

2 hours ago, Stew Dapple said:

... shelled out for the resin ones on the grounds that I would happily pay not to have to clean up the probable seam

 

Hmmm. I think I might do that too after fiddling for ages with my first one. Good tip Stew  

[hendie]

3 hours ago, Procopius said:

 

Does that mean you can only fit those clear parts on a Friday then ?

 

 

 

 

[Procopius]

1 hour ago, hendie said:

 

Does that mean you can only fit those clear parts on a Friday then ?

 

 

 

 

 

I should never have unionized, but my hands are tied now.

[stevehnz]

Flipping heck Edward, you've got me, its too late now, I've read your preamble & now our fates are aligned. I have to follow this thread. (Kiwis will know what I'm shamelessly paraphrasing/plagiarising) for everone else, have a squizzey at this local traffic safety ad.

I'll be the one lurking in the shadows just out of camera.

Steve.

[AdrianMF]

A grim and somber introduction indeed. Looking forward to your Spitfires and your other project-in-progress. 

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Procopius]

50 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

Flipping heck Edward, you've got me, its too late now, I've read your preamble & now our fates are aligned. I have to follow this thread. (Kiwis will know what I'm shamelessly paraphrasing/plagiarising) for everone else, have a squizzey at this local traffic safety ad.

 

This one is my sister's favourite.

[Procopius]

So here's what happens if you spend a year not building Spitfires:

 

20170108_204750 by Edward IX, on Flickr

 

Notice anything wrong? I sure didn't, not either time! 

 

Fortunately, although I'm barely even an average modeller, I do rate myself a fairly experienced one proportionate to how long I've been doing it. Which doesn't mean I had a clever, elegant fix, but I did fix them, more or less.

 

20170108_205717 by Edward IX, on Flickr

 

20170108_210155 by Edward IX, on Flickr

 

Note that the little faces in the seat armour now look traumatized after what I had to do to them to get them right way 'round.

 

Oh, and the wingtips are on now. I appreciate Eduard's dilemma, but I find it curious that they opted for, by my count, at least four different toolings for wing bulges (C early, C late, E early, E late), but didn't think to make the upperwing bulges seperate parts and just made C clipped, C unclipped, etc. Way better solution if you ask me. Actually, upon reflection, I bet this is so they can do the VIII wing too, with shorter ailerons. Even so! 

 

If you somehow haven't built one of these yet (and self-inflicted hurts aside, so far I do not regret buying 24 of them in various boxings), I'd recommend maybe thinning out the wings at the trailing edge and at the tips so that there are no steps. 

 

 

 

 

[Troy Smith]

Quote

Almost all of my books are still in storage as we continue, with no indications and little likelihood of success, to try and sell our house. I managed to come across a copy of Richard Whittle's Spit and Polish, about Polish Spitfires based at Chailey in Sussex. It's an interesting little book

 

The place in question was an ALG, Advanced Landing ground, used round D-Day, and they have had a couple of small airshows on the site, in 2000 and then in 2004.

http://www.airmuseumsuk.org/airshow/2004/Chailey2004/index.htm 
 

I got to go to the 2004 press day as where I work was doing the bar, where i got to meet the gentleman in the dapper hat, who is  retired Squadron Leader Franciszek Kornicki. 
87 at the time, he was in the Polish Airforce from 1936, flew PZL 7s in the invasion,  escaped to France, trained with the French and then to Britain, flying Hurricanes and Spitfires. 

I did send him copies of the photos, but (foolishly) never got around to visiting him.  

Another book on Polish pilots if "For your freedom and ours"

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Your-Freedom-Ours-Kosciuszko-Forgotten/0099428121

The Spitfire is MH434. Flown by Ray Hanna,   I have great shot of him doing a low pass,  but not scanned it...

 

6 August 2004, Chailey, East Sussex. the Press day, which I ended up at. 
 

Sadly, the Hurricane crashed in sep 2007 at a nearby airshow, killing the pilot, Brian Brown, who flew it at Chailey. 
Nice chap, I made a beeline when he landed and started babbling... I think he got used to Spitfire taking the glamour so was kind enough to ask if i wanted too look in the cockpit.... you have to climb onto a Hurricane to do that! 
I have never been so close to a Hurricane. let alone one still cooling down...I'd never thought about how they must smell until then. 

Biggest surprise? light coming in from the little windows some have in the wheel wells, to check undercarriage up.... easy to forget it was first RAF fighter to have one. 
No, he wouldn't let me get in. I did ask. 

I did get to help push the Spitfire PR XI and the Hurricane...

 

hope of some interest Edward.

[stevehnz]

2 hours ago, Procopius said:

 

This one is my sister's favourite.

One of mine too, its just appeared on local screens & I reckon its a hoot, where abouts does your sister see this?

Progress on the Spitfire looking good.

Steve.

[Procopius]

2 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

One of mine too, its just appeared on local screens & I reckon its a hoot, where abouts does your sister see this?

 

My sister (who is generally considered within my family to be a later version of Procopius with all of the bugs worked out) is a librarian; she sits at the center of a vast web of information and tells taxpaying citizens they can't use the library computers to look at pornography. (I have two other siblings, but they're nowhere near as good.)

 

22 minutes ago, Troy Smith said:

I got to go to the 2004 press day as where I work was doing the bar, where i got to meet the gentleman in the dapper hat, who is  retired Squadron Leader Franciszek Kornicki. 

 

What an incredible privilege -- it was my great hope to perhaps meet a Battle of Britain pilot when I went over in 2015, as I'll likely never have another chance, but it was not to be. (I realize Kornicki just missed out on being classified as one.) I can never quite escape the nagging feeling that shaking their hand would be like the leper touching the hem of Jesus's robe, that some of the magic might inhere in me as well thereafter, if that makes any sense. 

 

 

[Harley John]

Stunning introduction PC, very moving & thoughtful.

Congratulations to you and your good lady as well.

Not normally a Spitfire kinda bloke (there I've said it out loud!) but as I've got about four in the stash after the Home Bargains madness this side of the pond, I'll just go and sit quietly up the back of the room and learn. And the Colourcoats enamel is good kit,   

[Procopius]

Just now, Harley John said:

 

Not normally a Spitfire kinda bloke (there I've said it out loud!) 

 

I blame the parents. Whenever I show Winston a Spitfire (sometimes, if he sits still, he's allowed to watch short youtube videos of them), I always say "that's a Spitfire, it protects you." Gotta get them when they're young. 

 

2 minutes ago, Harley John said:

And the Colourcoats enamel is good kit,   

 

It absolutely is. I've just put in for four more tins, including two of RAF interior grey-green. Think I'll be using it to undercoat masked canopies in the future.