Tamiya Spitfire Mk. Vb 1/72 Stanisław Skalski mojo build.

[TonyTiger66]

Hello folks.

 

It's time for a mojo restoring, refreshing build.

 

Pleae indulge me in a little background.

 

Last year I started no less than 13 models, some made it to unfinished WIP threads here on BritModeller, some just quietly made it to my 'pending' pile. A couple made it to my 'DoD' zone, the Drawer of Doom .

 

Yours truly found himself mainly bed-bound for the latter half of 2016, attempts to builld from the bed failed. Then, the old health thing improved a bit and kit building looked a distinct possibility. Yay .

 

Then Mrs. T was offered a really nice, spangly new job nearly 1300km away from our old location (around 800 miles), so everything had to be packed in boxes. Hurrah for the job! Boo for having to pack the stash, paints, tools, compressor and all the best things in life away, not to be seen for a good 9 weeks .

 

By a feat of complete, yet fortunate error, the removal company brought my bench/desk (worth AUD  $40 secondhand) and forgot our washing machine (worth $800). Although this upset Mrs. T, the way I quietly internalised this was; our society has communal washing facilities known as 'launderettes', but it's pretty tricky to find communal plastic model making facilities  .

 

The desk was duly installed in my (after much wangling and negotiation) newly designated 'office and modelling area'. Or, to you and I, simply: 'Mancave'  .

 

Then the boxes arrived and had to be unpacked. By the start of this week, the whole move having begun on the 21st of December 2016, the Mancave looked like an explosion in a mattress factory.

 

Before the boxes arrived, quite promising:

 

 

After? Oh dear. Oh deary me  .

 

I needed something to motivate me to unearth my iMac, to clear the huge pile of  and to create space to build, study, return to calm.

 

I posted words to this effect here on BM and asked if people had requests for a model from the pile.

 

Many ideas were bandied around. Thankfully, a few kind souls suggested a nice calming Spitfire build.

 

So a Spitfire it is.

 

This has enthused me so much over the last 24 hours, that substantial inroads have been made into clearance of the desk.

 

Here it is today:

 

 

Nearly there .

 

I decided upon a Tamiya 1/72 Spitfire. It’s been in my stash a long time. When I originally bought it, it had quite good reviews (around 10 years ago).

 

Now it seems less in favour. Many manufacturers have released Mk. Vb's. Neverthless, although I have kits by AZ, KP, Sword and so on, I'm going to give this Tamiya one a go. This is simply on reputation and hearsay.

 

I have to admit that this is only the second Tamiya model I’ve ever tried !

 

The first was a Tiger tank in 1:35 scale...41 years ago! The aircraft kits have a reputation for going together well. That's what I'm hoping for, so that I can finally complete something  .

 

The kit includes transfers and schemes for four aircraft. It's a well known kit, so I'll put a link here to scalemates for those that would like know a bit more about it:

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/121600-tamiya-60756-supermarine-spitfire-mk-vb-vb-trop

 

Meanwhile, here is a picture of mine,  as I found it,  when originally dragged out of the pile:

 

 

I felt like doing a different scheme to the ones in the box, so decided a scout through my 'decal stash' box would be fun.

 

Nevertheless I got an interesting surprise when I opened the box:

 

 

'Past me' obviously had plans to make a Jan Zumbach Spitfire, one of the famous Donald Duck adorned RF-D aircraft.

 

I’d placed a set of Techmod transfers in there at some point:

 

 

Nice. I like Polish aircraft, I like many Polish things, having worked there a little during the mid 1990's. Krakow is one of my favourite cities on the planet .

 

Nevertheless, these aircraft of Jan Zumbach are all over the internet, modelled many times. I thought maybe I should try something different.

 

The decal stash offered up two (identical) sets of Aeromaster US Spitfires:

 

 

and a set by MPD for the history of Stanisław Skalski, including this desert camouflage Spitfire Mk. Vb:

 

 

and this U.K. based aircraft:

 

 

This has rather clinched it for me. I am a big enthusiast in relation to General Skalski

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanisław_Skalski

 

and this scheme is a little less made/modelled than many other of his aircraft (or so it appears by internet search).

 

This is only the second Spitfire Mk. Vb. I’ve ever attempted, the other being a Heller kit a couple of years ago (nice kit  ).

 

I really haven't made many Spitfires at all (crazy isn't it!!??).

 

I've recently been inspired by the superb builds by @Procopius, @Cookenbacher, @Beard and @CedB to name but a few.

 

I really know so little about Spitfires. I can't find any photographs of this specific aircraft. If anyone could point me to where to find some I would really appreciate it.

 

Also, as appeared to be the case with the last scheme in the Techmod set (BF-M: some references show very small fuselage roundels), if there are any controversies with the scheme MPD propose for JH-Q, I would be really grateful if you could let me know.

 

Tomorrow, hopefully a clear bench and some plastic fettling. It's my birthday on Sunday the 5th. Mrs. T has bought the movie ‘633 Squadron’ for me, on Bluray.

 

My birthday will be perfect if it includes fettling my first model in around half a year, a Spifire at that, and watching that fantastic film. A wee tot of Lagavulin would be a nice touch too .

 

Thanks for reading this big opening section folks, all comments welcome.

 

Have a great weekend,

TonyT

[Beard]

That's an interesting stash and a nice man cave and this is a Spitfire build so I'll be following.

 

Mind you, I wouldn't call any of my builds as superb.

[Procopius]

Jolly interesting! We seem to have a few of the same decals. 

[Rob G]

Eh, it's just a Spitfire. Build it, be done with it, move on to something more (dare I say it?) interesting.

 

Enjoy the build Tony, it should be relatively painless (unless you start messing it about with aftermarket and cutting bits off and all that guff).

[Cookenbacher]

I have never built the Tamiya Spitfire, so I'll be watching with interest Tony.

[CedB]

I'm definitely in!

Couldn't find anything after a quick search but you might be lucky if you try searching for the serial (that I can't read in the photo)

[giemme]

Tony, I'm in if you don't mind  

The Lagavulin sounds interesting too...  

 

Ciao

[Procopius]

I can't quite make out the serial number either, Buffers, but there's a rather good album of snaps from 317 "Wilenski" ["Wilno"] Squadron online, with a few of a different Vb lettered JH-Q/W3507:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I fear Spitfire Vb turnover was generally high on operations over France, so Skalski's aircraft may have been damaged or lost and replaced by this one, which seems to have lasted with 317 into 1943.

 

If nothing else, the album should give you an idea of the "look" of 317's machines. 

 

Re: the Tamiya kit, I'm not particularly fond of it, because it looks a bit wrong to me when it all goes together. A little squat, a little portly, it's slightly redolent of a penguin. I also am the only man in Christendom not to find it a pleasant build, but that's surely my own ineptitude. 

 

I'm sure you'll be excited to know that March 5 is also the Spitfire's birthday; K5054 first took to the skies on 5 March 1936. 

 

 

 

 

[The Spadgent]

Yesssss. The Tiger is back! 

have a lovely first kit back birthday, film watching whiskey party.

I'll just sit here if you don't mind.

 

Johnny boy. 

[CedB]

Great link and photos PC

TT shares a birthday with the Spitfire! Not the same year, obviously, but nevertheless a lucky man!

Have a great day on Sunday Tony - it's been an 'interesting' year and I hope the next one is all you hope for  

[Rob G]

7 hours ago, Procopius said:

Re: the Tamiya kit, I'm not particularly fond of it, because it looks a bit wrong to me when it all goes together. A little squat, a little portly, it's slightly redolent of a penguin. I also am the only man in Christendom not to find it a pleasant build...

 

Careful there young Edward, you'll have the Tamiya fanboi police after your scalp with that sort of talk.

 

Besides, there's nowt wrong with 🐧 🐧 🐧, except for the reek of fish.

[giemme]

10 hours ago, Procopius said:

I also am the only man in Christendom not to find it a pleasant build

No you're not. I did the 1/48 version of this kit and totally agree with you on how it looks - definitely out of my list, especially after having bought an Eduard Spitfire Mk.IX right after that and just by looking at the sprues ... 

 

Tony, I forgot to add: Happy Birthday! 

 

Ciao

[Cookenbacher]

I love that Techmod sheet with the three Zumbach Mk V's. I've raided it for Kosciuszko badges and Polish emblems often, and I've been looking all over for 317 Sqn markings for an Eduard Mk XVI, and didn't realize that there's a 317 badge in there - double bonus - so thanks for bringing that sheet back to my attention. Now, just to dig it out of the stash.

 

Happy Birthday Tony!

 

 

[TonyTiger66]

20 hours ago, Beard said:

That's an interesting stash and a nice man cave and this is a Spitfire build so I'll be following.

 

Mind you, I wouldn't call any of my builds as superb.

 

Hello Simon, hello everyone . Oooo I'm feeling clever now. I've just found out how to do the 'multiple quote' thing on the old iPhone. Nice.

 

No modelling yet, it has been delayed by a visit last night to a 'real ale' pub. I'm amazed, but yes, such a thing exists in Canberra. As my birthday falls on a Sunday Mrs. T. decided Saturday was the wise night to go out for drinkies.

 

Sadly no bitter (British style Bitter), my favourite pint, but they had some splendid  Pale Ale on draught.

 

I tried one and was very impressed. To be sure that I wasn't mistaken about how pleasant it was, I tried another.

 

Satisfied that I wasn't mistaken, I felt confident in ordering another.

 

Then we caught a Taxi home and I examined the back of my eye lids for a while.

 

It's rather early (4.30 am). I'm up to try and catch Santa delivering my present  . I'll answer this first set of posts, then return a little later to reply to the next set.

 

Great to have you here in the front row Simon . You're very modest about your builds. I would be very happy if I managed something that looks as good.

 

20 hours ago, Procopius said:

Jolly interesting! We seem to have a few of the same decals. 

 

Good to have you here too, on the front row PC . I'll try to keep it lively. I'm clueless with Spitfires so please feel free to interject if (when) I start to blunder; I won't mind .

 

I didn't really know what I had in the decal/transfer stash. Some interesting P40 markings have emerged from there too... after this (he said optimistically) it could be Kittyhawk time  .

 

19 hours ago, Rob G said:

Eh, it's just a Spitfire. Build it, be done with it, move on to something more (dare I say it?) interesting.

 

Enjoy the build Tony, it should be relatively painless (unless you start messing it about with aftermarket and cutting bits off and all that guff).

 

Hello Rob! I will try to build it and be done with it. I'd better not comment on 'more interesting', I want to live another year!

 

It will be addressed in my next set of comments, but perhaps the only aftermarket may be, if it's a little bit 'penguin' as people say, a longer set of legs for it  ?

 

I wonder if that would make it look better?

 

Sound advice though Rob, I'll try to keep focussed and as OOB as possible  .

 

18 hours ago, Cookenbacher said:

I have never built the Tamiya Spitfire, so I'll be watching with interest Tony.

 

Thanks Cookie and great to have you here . As I wrote above, this is my very first Tamiya aircraft model of any kind.  I was an Airfix, Frog, Revell and Matchbox builder as a wee lad. In the return to modelling I went for Airfix, Heller and then Eastern European manufacturers like ZTS Plastyk, AModel, AZ, Sword, PWS Siedcle, and old KP. I'm hoping this is a little less challenging than some of the earlier short-run kits. Fingers crossed 🤞.

 

18 hours ago, CedB said:

I'm definitely in!

Couldn't find anything after a quick search but you might be lucky if you try searching for the serial (that I can't read in the photo)

 

Hello Ced, great to have you here on the front row . Thanks for having a look. 

 

I've  been having problems taking pictures indoors. The iPhone is showing me shadows that I can't see with my own eye. I usually took pictures at the desk with the big old red 1970's fluorescent lamp on. It's quite good at getting rid of shadows.

 

To cut a long story short, I faffed with last night's pictures within the Flickr app to try to make them a bit clearer, but it hasn't been entirely successful.

 

I think I'll retake the decal ones, so that we can see the markings and serial a little clearer. Reading ahead to PC's (very kind and helpful) post, it's clear  that there were quite a few JH-Q (and JH-M) aircraft.  

 

I'd better ensure I don't confuse the serials (as I did with WeetBix and Weetabix when I first arrived in Oz. What a difference in quality and taste of select whole wheat breakfast. Surprisingly, Ozzie WeetBix was invented first, with Weetabix being the UK/North American development. Confused? I was (and usually am). Just imagine how confused I could get with my Spitfire Cereals !).

 

17 hours ago, giemme said:

Tony, I'm in if you don't mind  

The Lagavulin sounds interesting too...  

 

Ciao

 

Hello Giorgio. Great to have you here . I don't mind at all, I need a good supportive audience. A bit of heckling is fine if I forget my lines, but please, no throwing of fruit or vegetables .

 

I asked Santa for a bottle of my favourite Scotch tripple for my birthday, I hope he brings one.

 

I'm still a bit squiffy from last night's Pale Ale so cheers , maybe we can have a 'wee jelly' together, as the Scots say, later on Sunday?

 

Righty ho. I'm off to wash my parts, then a bit more sleep, then some examination of this Supermarineation surprise.

 

Thanks again chaps for popping in, looking forward to this, with some good company to help along the way .

 

All best regards

TonyT

 

PS: I'll reply to the other messages next.

T

Edited March 4, 2017 by TonyTiger66
To correct autocorrect. 'Mice' indeed...

[JWM]

All the best for Birthday! 

Cheers

J-W

[rob85]

Tony I'm glad I catch you early doors! Happy birthday mate, and I'm glad you got a few good pints in. We did a swap in fact last night, I had a couple bottles of some Aussie IPA, they were ok but too sharpe but very drinkable!

 

really looking forward to this and I hope it does the trick of restoring your mojo.

 

Rob

[CedB]

Happy Birthday Tony (and Spitfire!)  

[Brandy]

I'm so glad you at least got to wash your parts on your birthday......Happy Birthday Tony! 

I'm looking forward to seeing this come together...and get finished!

 

Ian

[rob85]

Hang on your birthday is today?! 5th of march?? Many great things were born on this day if that's the case, you, the spitfire (and your building one! ) and 5years ago today my little boy! What a day

 

Rob

[The Spadgent]

Happy born day old boy. 

 

Jont

[TonyTiger66]

On 04/03/2017 at 0:55 PM, Procopius said:

I can't quite make out the serial number either, Buffers, but there's a rather good album of snaps from 317 "Wilenski" ["Wilno"] Squadron online, with a few of a different Vb lettered JH-Q/W3507:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I fear Spitfire Vb turnover was generally high on operations over France, so Skalski's aircraft may have been damaged or lost and replaced by this one, which seems to have lasted with 317 into 1943.

 

If nothing else, the album should give you an idea of the "look" of 317's machines. 

 

Re: the Tamiya kit, I'm not particularly fond of it, because it looks a bit wrong to me when it all goes together. A little squat, a little portly, it's slightly redolent of a penguin. I also am the only man in Christendom not to find it a pleasant build, but that's surely my own ineptitude. 

 

I'm sure you'll be excited to know that March 5 is also the Spitfire's birthday; K5054 first took to the skies on 5 March 1936. 

 

 

 

 

 

Many thanks for all of this PC . The link is really superb  .

It really does give the feel of the Squadron. Some great photographs of the pilots. 

One thing that stands out for me is that it looks, from those pictures, like they kept their aircraft clean. Maybe it's because if the stage of the war, but there seems to be an air of pride in the machines, I like that .

 

I suppose it's the overall profile of the Tamiya kit that makes it a little 'Pingu' like.  ?

 

Ad is nearly always the case, 'life' has gotten in my way of starting the build so far. In this case, yes, a busy weekend (busy having a remarkably good time to be honest ), but then a text message from our real estate agent to say they will be doing a house inspection on Thursday morning.

 

It's rather soon after moving in, just 8 weeks. We don't even have a sofa yet, many boxes and suitcases still unpacked. I hope they don't expect it to be beautifully tidy.

 

Therefore so have spent every hour possible, up until 3am yesterday and then only 3 hours sleep, trying to make everything as tidy as possible; unpacking in the region of another 20 quite large cardboard boxes.

 

My Mancave/guest room was the joint messiest room (along with what can only be described as the living room; it has an unusual layout compared to other homes I'm used to).

 

As a consequence, hours and hours of what feels like a 1:1 game of Tetris for me, fitting 51 years of collected 'stuff' into quite a tiny space. A large bookcase is most definitely required, but roof bars will be needed for one of the cars first. Not mine; it hadn't actually got a roof  ).

 

At around 6pm today, the cutting mat was slotted into the middle of the desk, the paints are more or less organised to the left. The right hand side is utter mayhem, the compressor buried under part finished kits, aftermarket and miscellaneous tools for which I can currently find no home.

 

For a while I thought I had lost all my Tamiya and Gunze paints. The Mig Ammo rack I usually use to store them has been broken in the move. I would show photographs of some if this (although I know we'd all prefer build pictures), but the Flickr app is being awkward. Thankfully the paints were found secreted in a wireless router box, already buried in a wardrobe, purely by chance. They could have been lost for months.

 

Other 'life'  tasks delaying modelling include wiping the hard drives on my old iMac and two PowerBooks, putting new larger hard drives in, more memory and performing clean installs of new operating systems. It is long overdue. It has been going swimmingly well, but the actual download and install time of e.g. OS X Yosemite has been up to five hours  .

 

We have a spiffing new router, but it seems the network in this area is rather slow.

 

Enough if my rambling on about it all, but I hope just one photograph will work? 

 

i wondered if maybe the undercarriage legs may be a little short on the Tamiya? I found a pair of Aeroclub legs and wheels under all the 'rubble'. I wonder what the Spitfire builders out there think of them? A possible alternative?

 

Nope. Flickr won't co-operate . I'll try again early tomorrow, maybe it's the slow wireless network  .

 

Thanks again PC and thanks everyone for being here.

 

Have a nice week,

TonyT

 

 

Edited March 8, 2017 by TonyTiger66
Spelling

[TonyTiger66]

On 04/03/2017 at 5:58 PM, The Spadgent said:

Yesssss. The Tiger is back! 

have a lovely first kit back birthday, film watching whiskey party.

I'll just sit here if you don't mind.

 

Johnny boy. 

 

Hello John! It's very good to have you along .

 

It was a lovely day. Not Lagavulin in the end, Mrs. T couldn't find any here (neither can I ), but a 10 year old Glenmorangie instead.

 

It lacked 'peatiness' for me initially, but strangely with each glass I drunk on the day , I seemed to enjoy the flavour more and more !!

 

Sobriety has returned and much kit-bashing will commence very soon!

 

All the best

TonyT

 

 

[TonyTiger66]

On 04/03/2017 at 7:46 PM, CedB said:

Great link and photos PC

TT shares a birthday with the Spitfire! Not the same year, obviously, but nevertheless a lucky man!

Have a great day on Sunday Tony - it's been an 'interesting' year and I hope the next one is all you hope for  

 

Thanks Ced !

An interesting year to be sure, to be sure...

 

I think that now, every birthday, I have a perfectly acceptable excuse to wish to go and see a Spitfire .

 

Thank you for the well wishes for the next year. I have finally sent in an application to HMPO for a new passport. It had been expired for 9 years ! Hoping and looking forward to seeing the white cliffs of Dover from the window of some kind of Boeing later this year.

 

This of course leads to thoughts of real pubs and beer (This must be the CAMRA thread on BM ). I remember a good pub in Bath, very central, kind of in a cobbled alleyway, with a very military name. Like 'The ************'s arms'

the *********** being a regimental name. 

 

After 9 years without a drop of decent bitter, I'll be galloping to such watering holes like a man that's just found an oasis in the Desert. Not 'Ice Cold In Alex' but a variant thereof (God bless John Mills, that man made my childhood Sunday afternoons wonderful, many will surely know why ?).

 

 

I hope I can buy you one one day Ced  !

All the best

TonyT

[TonyTiger66]

On 05/03/2017 at 5:51 AM, JWM said:

All the best for Birthday! 

Cheers

J-W

 

Thank you J-W !

It's good to see you here  .

 

I hope I can make the General's aircraft look OK  .

 

Greetings to you in one of my very favourite cities .

 

All best regards

TonyT

[TonyTiger66]

On 05/03/2017 at 5:53 AM, rob85 said:

Tony I'm glad I catch you early doors! Happy birthday mate, and I'm glad you got a few good pints in. We did a swap in fact last night, I had a couple bottles of some Aussie IPA, they were ok but too sharpe but very drinkable!

 

really looking forward to this and I hope it does the trick of restoring your mojo.

 

Rob

 

Hello Rob!

That's it. In the absence of Flickr co-operation it's clear that 317 Squadron is grounded for the moment.

 

I have to declare the bar open.

 

Yes, the IPA is unusual for me, but truly the closest thing I've  tasted, to what I feel

in my nether régions is real 'beer' in nearly a decade. Just  a quaffable 3.4 % and full of flavour. Yum!  .

 

Thanks for the good wishes Rob, and, as often seems to happen on my threads, I wish you cheers  !

 

TonyT