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Sptfire down!


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I am slowly assembling the bits to make a small diorama of a downed Spitfire, with the Pilot leaning nonchalantly against his machine whilst he waits for the Wehrmacht's finest to make their way over.... well that's the plan.

Stage one is to make a downed Spit.

Airfix Mk1a kit was used. Some of the inner walls were ground away to make them wafer thin, then a sharp pin and drill were used to make some holes to represent battle damage. All flaps were cut away to allow them to be "drooped" and the tail was mutilated to show it had been shot away. Cockpit door cut out, so it could be posed open. And one piece canopy cut up into 3 pieces, although in my case the sliding part was blown off in the fight (ahem - I lost it...)

Painted with Mr Color (I think I have a new favourite brand!), decals applied, damage picked out with a bit of Aluminium on a cocktail stick, and all sealed with Citadel Paints Purity Seal (Varnish to me and you). A heavy Flory was of Grime was applied all over, then Black was used to stain the area aft of the engine cowling to represent heavy smoke staining.

The spinner and propeller are only test fitted - I have to figure out how I want them rotated.

DSCF0582_zpss7foijgv.jpg

DSCF0584_zpsxdt8dswu.jpg

DSCF0585_zpsbfctzrsg.jpg

DSCF0589_zpsev9ctzaj.jpg

 

EDIT: Just noticed I haven't fitted the *(&%£ exhausts!

Edited by Bigdave22014
Stupidity
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EDIT: Just noticed I haven't fitted the *(&%£ exhausts!

 

Hello Dave,

I was wondering about that, all right so,

very nice job, I like the way you weathered the fuselage :yes:

Sincerely.

Corsaircorp

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8 hours ago, SovereignHobbies said:

Just a small bit of feedback - unless a very specific piece of damage was done, both ailerons would never normally be down together. If that damage was done, it's less likely a successful belly landing would be made.

 

Ah, yes. Fair comment.

Erm, the control rods/cables were damaged in the crash landing? (only because it's too late to do anything about it now).

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3 hours ago, Bigdave22014 said:

 

Ah, yes. Fair comment.

Erm, the control rods/cables were damaged in the crash landing? (only because it's too late to do anything about it now).

 

I'm sure a rough belly landing to a shot up aircraft would do further damage. 

 

Besides aircraft did continue to fly with one working aileron and even with no ailerons!! I can't remember the name of the pilot but a Lancaster returning from a raid lost both wing tips and ailerons in a cu-nim cloud, the pilot managed to control the aircraft using rudder and differential throttle (can't do that with a Spit though!), he took three attempts to land the damaged aircraft safely.

 

Looks good, I look forward to seeing the finished diorama.

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3 hours ago, FinnAndersen said:

Nice spit, but in those markings, it's during BoB, so it would be the British army or such to greet the pilot.

Unless he misread his compass and followed a reciprocal bearing over the Channel.

 

I like the modelling of the damage.  Most German BoB crashes show props bent back like that, but a lot of Spitfires had laminated wood props which would more likely split and shatter under impact.  I presume some Spits had metal props, I start to get confused when the discussions get to DH, Rotol, CSUs etc, and don't know if the prop mechanism necessarily dictates blade material.

 

Of course the actual demise of big lettered DWK must be recorded somewhere...

Cheers 

Will

Edited by malpaso
Spellcheck doesn't recognise WW2 prop makes
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13 minutes ago, malpaso said:

Unless he misread his compass and followed a reciprocal bearing over the Channel.

 

I like the modelling of the damage.  Most German BoB crashes show props bent back like that, but a lot of Spitfires had laminated wood props which would more likely split and shatter under impact.  I presume some Spits had metal props, I start to get confused when the discussions get to DH, Rotol, CSUs etc, and don't know if the prop mechanism necessarily dictates blade material.

 

Of course the actual demise of big lettered DWK must be recorded somewhere...

Cheers 

Will

Haven't got a clue old boy! Just copied what I'd seen in some pictures.

 

And, yes, the pilot was chasing one of those naughty Jerry's when the tables turned and he came down in La Belle France (Just outside Calais, turn left at the Gendarmerie and keep going until you find a downed Spit. Everyone knows it, just ask the locals!)

Do you ever get the impression I'm making this up as I go along? no? really?

 

EDIT: Actually, given FinnAndersen's comment I may change the Wehrmacht to an angry yokel with pitchfork. "Get orf moi land!"

Edited by Bigdave22014
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AFAIK all Spitfire Mk.I's  had metal prop blades (apart from the 2 blade)  

A very small amount had Rotol units, but these had metal prop blades. 

The compressed wood is Jablo, AFAIK these are on on Rotol units

 

BoB Spitfires certainly came down in France, 

 

4871667320_c0025bea42_o.jpgCaptured Spitfire      1940. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

8481634694_dde7ba514b_o.jpgCaptured Spitfire 1940. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

Quote

As per Jochen Prien in book " Jagdgeschwader 53 " he claims that " ...Oberleutnant Georg Claus brought Spitfire AZ-H to Cherbourg Airfield - He caught it in the midle of Channel , Tommy ( P/O Hardy of 234 SQN RAF ) made off to the south but Oblt. Claus improved each of his turns with a brief burst of tracer fire. So it went all the way to Cherbourg Airfield.There Tommy ( F/O Hardy ) lowered his undercariage and luckily the 20 mm flak failed to hit him.
( actualy single 20mm shell did hit Spitfire behind cockpit - there is picture in the book ) 
Then he landed safely and taxied in..." 
Leutnant Karl Leonhard from 3 staffel JG 53 claims:
"...The English pilot slid back the cockpit hood and immediately raised his hands - he obviously expected to be shot at once othervise. He was just as surprised when I asked him to lower his hands and instead to climb out and come to to the pilot's mess to have glass of
champagne with pilots of JG 53..." 
There was a single hit to Spitfire which was caused probably by German flak canon when Spitfire was aproaching landing strip at Cherbourg - just behind cokpit ( page 141-142 
Jagdgeschwader JG53 by Jochen Prien ) There are claims that RAF pilot detonated demolition charge in order to destroy radio IFF system but In my opinion P./O. Richard Hardy had no time

 

 

HTH

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Wow, thanks Troy. Outstanding pics, always liked the idea of enemy planes in own markings. Knew it went on (on both sides) but never seen much about it, and you come up with two colour pictures!

 

Aaannd, I'm going with the original idea.

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6 hours ago, Bigdave22014 said:

Wow, thanks Troy. Outstanding pics, always liked the idea of enemy planes in own markings. Knew it went on (on both sides) but never seen much about it, and you come up with two colour pictures!

 

Aaannd, I'm going with the original idea.

 

the German used the term 'beute'  for captured types.

they also had a dedicated unit for testing and demonstrations purposes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zirkus_Rosarius

note link at the bottom about RAF units  

See also[edit]

 

The Germans even re-engined a Spitfire V with a DB605 engine

also has pics of various Zirkus Rozarius types

 

 

also there are photos of 'Watson's Whizzer's line ups of captures me262's

see

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Lusty

 

hope of interest

 

cheers

T

 

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On 03/06/2017 at 3:57 PM, malpaso said:

Of course the actual demise of big lettered DWK must be recorded somewhere...

 

It suffered damage, from a Bf109, near Dover on (I think, I'm in the kitchen and my references are in the loft) 12th August 1940 and struck off charge on 26th August

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 06/03/2017 at 4:21 PM, Troy Smith said:

AFAIK all Spitfire Mk.I's  had metal prop blades (apart from the 2 blade)  

A very small amount had Rotol units, but these had metal prop blades. 

The compressed wood is Jablo, AFAIK these are on on Rotol units

 

BoB Spitfires certainly came down in France, 

 

4871667320_c0025bea42_o.jpgCaptured Spitfire      1940. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

8481634694_dde7ba514b_o.jpgCaptured Spitfire 1940. by Etienne du Plessis, on Flickr

 

 

 

HTH

Who's going to buy the beer for all those bods,they have caught the pilot leaving the flaps down............

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