bigbadbadge Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 Glad you had a good trip. Sorry to hear about the pneumonia Bill, hope you are okay. The Spit looks lovely by the way. Keep up the good work All the best Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted May 4, 2019 Share Posted May 4, 2019 Sounds like you had a great time Bill! I’m glad! But sorry to hear about the pneumonia, hope you manage to clear it up and feel back to yourself soon Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted May 8, 2019 Author Share Posted May 8, 2019 Hi mates, The invalid is back at the bench, albeit with a lingering chest cough. Nevertheless, I have boldly commenced more stickering! Of course, the printed Sky colour of the codes on the decal sheet is not a perfect match for my painted-on fuselage band, but I think they're close enough that after some light weathering it will be OK. If not, I can probably make up some good excuse why it was that way in real life (based on interpretations of the dominant wavelength of the reflected colour, taking into account the 15th generation black and white photos, and a stoic argument about the film used and how overcast it was that day). The aircraft I'm depicting, AE-W BS152 of Lorne Cameron 402 Squadron, has a maple leaf badge under the windscreen. I only have a photo of the port side of this aeroplane, and I'm not sure that the badge is also on the starboard side. Anyone know? The decal sheet includes two badges. And, of course, the colour of the maple leaf has always been contentious when discussing JE-J, the more famous Kenley Wing stablemate. Certainly, the current Canadian flag features a red maple leaf. But that wasn't the flag during WWII - the Canadian ensign used between 1921 and 1957 actually features three green maple leaves. In 1957, they were changed to red. All of this may or may not have any bearing on the badge used by 402 Squadron on BS152. I would think that the leaf is red, but then JEJ himself said his was green. Anyone like to offer an opinion? Cheers, Bill 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Most Canadian Spitfires featuring the maple leaf emblem seem to have gone for red, so that would be my vote. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Bill, I'm just glad you're on the mend. Whatever color you choose for the maple leaf, who's gonna prove you wrong? Ciao 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted May 11, 2019 Author Share Posted May 11, 2019 Did I ever mention that I hate Tamiya decals? 😠 Cheers, Bill 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beggsy Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 Uh-oh. Too thick, too glossy, hard to slide over the surface? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted May 11, 2019 Share Posted May 11, 2019 On 08/05/2019 at 21:17, Navy Bird said: Of course, the printed Sky colour of the codes on the decal sheet is not a perfect match for my painted-on fuselage band, but I think they're close enough that after some light weathering it will be OK. If not, I can probably make up some good excuse why it was that way in real life (based on interpretations of the dominant wavelength of the reflected colour, taking into account the 15th generation black and white photos, and a stoic argument about the film used and how overcast it was that day). this will cheer you up then Quote The Sky band would have been factory applied and the unit codes would have been applied by the unit (or its servicing echelon), at Eindhoven in this case. That could be a reason for the difference as well as the years of fading and grime that are evident. 2 hours ago, Navy Bird said: Did I ever mention that I hate Tamiya decals? On 29/08/2016 at 23:26, Gary C said: The best way to get all Japanese decals ( Fujimi, Hasegawa, Tamiya etc)to work as they're supposed to is use hot water and the correct setting solutions. You'll need a bottle each of Gunze Mr Setter and Mr Softer. Micro sol and others won't work as they're formulated differently. Do not use Gunze on Microscale or Cartograf decals as it will chew right through them. Dip the decal in hot water, it doesn't need to be boiling but it does need to be fairly hot. The temperature of a drinkable tea will do. The glue is heat activated and is what makes up most of the thickness. If you dip it in cold water you'll spend the rest of the day waiting and cursing. Lay down some Mr Setter, this is in the blue bottle. It acts as an additional glue. Slide the decal onto it and into postion and leave it alone. The decal should wrinkle a little. Give it 10 mins or so and go over the decal with a brush with a little Mr Softer (green bottle) on it. Use sparingly as it is extremely hot. Too much and it will damage the paint, especially the weaker acrylics. The decal will now wrinkle a lot. Do not touch it as it is almost liquified at this point. Once it is dry it will have smoothed out and will lay down beautifully over just about any raised or recessed detail you care to think of. Used properly it is probably the best conforming decal process in the industry. Used incorrectly and you'll be just another guy complaining about crap Japanese decals. HTH T 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted May 13, 2019 Author Share Posted May 13, 2019 Thanks @Troy Smith. I actually have that post from Gary C. bookmarked, and it's the process I usually use with Tamiya and Hasegawa decals. In this particular case, the problem wasn't adhering or conforming, it was silvering. I have a pretty good gloss Future coat, but for some reason I got quite a lot of silvering with the stencils (which were the only Tamiya transfers I used - the roundels and codes are from an EagleCals sheet, and I didn't get any silvering with those). I chose to use the Tamiya stencils because I thought they looked better, font-wise, and the small characters were more legible. In any event, I managed to poke enough tiny holes in the carrier film to allow Mr. & Mrs. Mark Softer to get underneath and soak up the trapped air. So I think we'll be OK at the end of the day. Now I'm debating whether to do a panel line wash. I've recently developed an opinion that in my normal scale of 1:72, I prefer not to do a panel line wash, or if I do, to make it very subtle. But this lady is a big puppy, and a panel line wash might be more applicable. I'll try a few spots in an inconspicuous spot and see how it goes. Cheers, Bill 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 3 minutes ago, Navy Bird said: Now I'm debating whether to do a panel line wash. I've recently developed an opinion that in my normal scale of 1:72, I prefer not to do a panel line wash, or if I do, to make it very subtle. But this lady is a big puppy, and a panel line wash might be more applicable. I'll try a few spots in an inconspicuous spot and see how it goes. try using dark grey rather than black, adds shadow without being to harsh 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted May 13, 2019 Author Share Posted May 13, 2019 30 minutes ago, Troy Smith said: try using dark grey rather than black, adds shadow without being to harsh You be reading my mind, mate. Don't look too deep in there, though, it might be scary. Cheers, Bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 (edited) 8 hours ago, Navy Bird said: Now I'm debating whether to do a panel line wash. I agree with Troy, and on top of that I'll add that you might even consider doing a tone over tone wash, that is using dark green on the green painted areas and dark grey for the rest. Personally, I also use pure black for the movable surfaces where they hinge to their fixed counterparts, and also on often accessed hatches and doors. My Ciao Edited May 13, 2019 by giemme 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hamden Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 That looks really great Bill not to far to the finish line now! Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenoz Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 Looking good, with regards to the ensign (figs after Easter): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Red_Ensign and in the stained glass window from 1934 it seems a red leaf. and wikipedia (I know...): Use by other air arms[edit] Aside from the RAF, the Royal Navy's Royal Naval Air Service (First World War) and later the Fleet Air Arm, as well as the air elements of the British Army also used the RAF roundels. Many nations that had been within the British Empire and Commonwealth continued to use RAF roundels after achieving independence, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India until nationalism demanded unique roundels for each of those countries. South Africa replaced the red with orange (after having experimented with completely different colours), Canada changed the red dot into a maple leaf (in several forms), Australia changed the red dot to a kangaroo and New Zealand experimented with a gold, green and white fern inset in the red dot before settling on a red kiwi. India briefly replaced the SEAC roundel (blue on blue) with a blue and white chakra, before adopting an orange, white and green roundel.[3] Southern Rhodesia, the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and Rhodesia used variations on the RAF roundel featuring assegais before adopting a green ring with a lion and tusk on a white centre in 1970. So educated guess -> red 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 She looks great bill! That engine is excellent, some outstanding detail work in there. glad you sorted the decals. Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Belated welcome back Bill (I'm just back from Crete) and best wishes for a full recovery soon Spit's looking pretty marvellous from here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted May 15, 2019 Author Share Posted May 15, 2019 Thanks guys. A grey panel line wash is working out OK. The Tamiya kit is covered with rivets, but they are tiny, and some of them fill in and others don't. I actually like the effect, as it's quite random, and I think it looks more natural. In any event, the overall effect is very subtle, which is what I want. None of that black tar in the panel lines as hyped in the Modelling Fad of the Month Club back a few years ago. Cheers, Bill 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted June 1, 2019 Author Share Posted June 1, 2019 Slowly, slowly... I fixed the decal silvering to my satisfaction, but it wasn't any fun. I've finally recovered from my wee bit of pneumonia (which takes a while due to my low IgG antibodies - stupid chemo). But it's gone, so I could shoot a coat of Alclad Flat over my baby, and finally take the masking tape off of the canopy and windscreen. Man, that's been on quite some time! Here she is: I think you can see the light panel line wash as well. It's OK, it's not in your face which is how I like it. I managed to knock out the control column removing all the tape from the cockpit, but that shouldn't be too difficult to put back in. There is still a lot of work to do - I just sprayed the radiators with Alclad steel and then gave them a black Future wash to try an pop some of the detail in those extra PE bits. Looking at photos of the radiators, there are some extra gubbins in there which it look like I'll have to fake some way. I also need to touch up around the cockpit door - you may recall that I temporarily put that in place with white glue. But I'm liking it so far... Cheers, Bill 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giemme Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 (edited) 8 hours ago, Navy Bird said: think you can see the light panel line wash as well. It's OK, it's not in your face which is how I like it Agreed! She's just beautiful! Glad to know you've recovered! Ciao Edited June 2, 2019 by giemme 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Bill, as Giorgio said, she's just beautiful Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Bird Posted June 2, 2019 Author Share Posted June 2, 2019 (edited) OK kiddies, time for a quiz. Have a look at these photos which I've purloined from the web. At the front of the radiator there looks like there is a breather tube of some kind (or maybe a de-icer nozzle), and at the rear what is labelled as a heater duct. My questions - are these on all Mark IX Spits? Or only some? When so equipped, are they on both radiators? Tamiya includes the breather tube (or whatever it is) but only on the starboard side. They don't include the duct(s) at all. Help me, Obi-wan. Cheers, Bill EDIT: It seems like the duct in the last photo is for heating the guns. I'm going to assume these were on my aircraft. The one on the other side is somewhat longer. I'm using a bit of missile launch rail from some old 1:48 scale kit and some plastic tubing and sheet to try and scratch these puppies. Fun. Edited June 2, 2019 by Navy Bird Identification of mystery ducts. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Hi Bill From the MkVIII AP 1565H, the Merlin crankcase breather is plumbed to the front of the port side radiator as per your top photo above. The diagram is a split plan view and only shows this for the port side, so might be symetrical to the stbd radiator as well, or might be on the opposite side for the MkIX. Lower photo shows the inlet ducting for the gun bay heating, fitted on both sides, but assymetric. Port radiator inlet comes from the centre portion of the radiator matrix and exits the wing behind and outboard of the intercooler matrix, stbd radiator inlet comes from the outboard section of the radiator matrix and exits immediately outboard of the radiator matrix. the above photo is of the stbd inlet and is upside down. Top of radiator is at bottom of photo). Port inlet piping in radiator ducting is significantly longer than the stbd piping. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Looking very nice indeed Bill, glad you are feeling better fella. Keep up the good work. All the best Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Looking splendid Bill Pleased to hear you fought off the sickies and let's hope that's it for the summer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Procopius Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 Bill, Glad your health is better, I'm currently crushed beneath the weight of a cold (do not kiss a snuffling twenty-month-old on the lips) and seasonal allergies of unusual and unwelcome intensity. In any case, in your first picture, those little tubes are in -- at least on modern flying examples -- both radiators, having wriggled underneath a parked Mk IX at Oshkosh a few years back. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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