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22 to 46 a simple conversion? Penultimate Spitfire to Seafire...


Gazontipede

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Hi all,

 

A week or so back I picked up another 1/72 Airfix Spitfire 22 kit at a swap meet for a bargain price. Having already built PK433 I was just going to finish it off as the race example offered in the box but after reading through a few threads here on BM a cunning* plan started forming.

Surely, a conversion to a Seafire 46 wouldn't be that hard. Surely**. Involving, in the main, replacement of the five blade Spitfire prop with the natty contra-prop setup of the Seafire and the addition of an arrestor hook. I figure I can bodge up subtleties like different u/c doors, wheels, cannon barrels etc. I see that Freightdog did a neat little resin set that provided for all this and more, including a fuse panel with a camera port as well. Unfortunately after a bit of online searching it appears that this set is no longer to be found in the wild.

 

So, assuming a lack of conversion sets, what would people suggest as the best alternative means of tackling this project?

 

Possibly taking it a step further, would converting to a Seafire 47 (assuming I'm not going to be posing the wings folded and will thus just need to scribe some lines) only involve fitting the extended ram intake and some surgery on the overwing wheel bulges?

Are these parts (or at least just the long intake) available as spares in any 1/72 kits? Do people have any suggestions here?

 

Thanks

 

*Highly unlikely to actually be cunning.

** Meaning that even a ham-fisted hack like me might be able to cobble up a decent representation. Also with apologies to Leslie Neilsen

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Hello Gazontipede

Another addition to your FR.47 modification list would be new cockpit hood. Its windshield was rounded with internal bulletproof glass plate on that type. I believe there are AM replacements (probably Falcon, but possibly also others) available. Cheers

Jure

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Don't give up on the Freightdog set. When stuff is out of stock it disappears from the website.  It's worth dropping them a line to see if they have plans to restock.

 

John.

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Special Hobby 22/24 sprues cover all the ancillary parts required for the Seafire 46/47 inc rudders with tail arrester hooks

 

At least they do in my boxing.

 

Might be worth asking in the wanted section.

 

HTH

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Seafire 46 should be quite easy [sic] to do.  Seafire 47 gets more complicated- aside from the different windscreen and hood mentioned, the flaps are bigger (greater chord), the bulge above the wheel wells is larger, radiator housings somewhat different (just a trim job, I think).  And, of course, the carb air intake.

 

I hesitate to list changes from Spit 22 to Sea 46 off the top of my head, because I don't want to embarrass myself!

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For what it’s worth, here’s a link to an astonishing model build (a Seafire 47 converted from Tamiya’s 1/32 scale Spitfire IX, by Japanese modeler Jumpei Temma), which includes what are, IMHO, the best set of Seafire 47 drawings in existence.

 

The drawings are formatted so that they can be easily saved to your computer, and printed at 1/72 scale.

 

http://www.geocities.jp/yoyuso/spit47/spit47e-1.html

 

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hi Mr Gazotipede,

 

Your in luck,my mate Miggers has just called at my house.

I showed him the Spitfiresx2 being done by cedB and then he had me look in here for him(he's sitting by me now I'm on my laptop)

and he spotted this entry by you.

 

He says the Spit 22 to 46 is easy,just change the prop,add the tail hook and cut/reglue the wheel bay doors to match those plans.

He also says that the fighter windscreen in the 22 kit is ok to use also but to remember their were only 24 46's built,so not much

choice of squadrons.

 

He says the 47 is more involved but studying the guys plans will help you because they are very good but basically

do all the changes for the 46 but also fill and remake the flap line(further forward)and adjust the back of the radiators to suit that.

Also some of the wing panels lines also need filling as they are different on the 22 wing to the 47 wing.

 

he says a guy on here(he thinks its "Bedders")has done one and it came out really well.

 

Cheers,Ken(and Miggs)

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Thanks for all the responses guys! This will all help me immensely, particularly that super set of 1/72 drawings. B)

When I get home from work tonight I'll repost a version of this thread in the wanted section seeking any spare Special Hobby bits as advised.

 

Cheers

 

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Hi folks, yes, Photobucket struck my WIP bu theres a photo of the completed model here. 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235027972-seafire-iii-172/&

 

I'll try to replace the original photos on the wip but they're all locked in photobucket which I no longer use. But much better than that, you should check this link out which I used as my guide to getting from Spitfire 22 to Seafire 47. Inspirational stuff:

http://www.geocities.jp/yoyuso/spit47/spit47e-1.html

 

Justin

 

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