Threadbear Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 My submission for this GB is I believe Airfix’s first foray into 1/48th, a scale that Airfix didn’t fully embraced until recently. The mounds state 1979 so within the time scale. The planned markings are a pretty standard RAF mid war scheme but with full invasion stripes. Will give me a chance to practice my masking skills. VCS-7 was a US squadron that was initially equipped with OS-2U Kingfishers flying off catapults for artillery spotting for the battleships but were deemed too vulnerable for the Normandy Invasion. So the USN pilots were trained up in Spitfires at RAF Membury, and were successful in this role over the Notmandy bridgehead until the Wehrmacht realised the role of the Spitfires. I believe this is the initial boxing purchased at this years South Expo. Some photos. Thanks for looking. Grahame. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 (edited) @Threadbear nice! i was (still am!) trying to pick up one of these for the gb. Will be following...👍 Edited May 29, 2018 by Lawzer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 Excellent choice Grahame,I've built a few over the year's it's not a bad build well regarded in it's time. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted May 29, 2018 Share Posted May 29, 2018 04100-1/9 04100/04100/10008/74100/04100G/A04100 Supermarine Spitfire Vb 1/48 scale. Listed as 04100-1 in 14th Edition (1977) catalogue, on 1977 1st & 2nd Edition price lists as NEW - AVAILABLE LATER, in 15th Edition (1978) catalogue and on 1978 1st Edition price list, but not issued. Available as 04100-1 with decals for QJ-R and BP-H from 1980 to 1982. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Nice choice! I recall building this kit as a 12-13 year old in a dirty desert scheme Malta based Trop Vb. It was my first foray in 1/48 and I loved the large chunky pieces. This looks to be an original issue, so hopefully the parts will be crisply moulded. Looks like a fun kit to possibly revisit one day. Cheers.. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandboof Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 Nice choice Looking forward to the markings Martin H 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 (edited) 18 minutes ago, Grandboof said: Nice choice Looking forward to the markings Martin H Here is a link on the background to the makings and use of the Spitfires by the US Navy. I stated that VCS-7 used Kingfishers but in fact was Seagulls. http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfires-of-the-us-navy.html Edited May 30, 2018 by Threadbear 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 6 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said: Nice choice! I recall building this kit as a 12-13 year old in a dirty desert scheme Malta based Trop Vb. It was my first foray in 1/48 and I loved the large chunky pieces. This looks to be an original issue, so hopefully the parts will be crisly moulded. Looks like a fun kit to possibly revisit on day. Cheers.. Dave Some of the parts are certainly chunky! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 Here is some images of the USN Spitfires. 4Q are the markings supplied by Fundekals. The kill marking is believed to from a previous squadron. And another. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 15 hours ago, Threadbear said: My submission for this GB is I believe Airfix’s first foray into 1/48th, a scale that Airfix didn’t fully embraced until recently. The mounds state 1979 so within the time Ah memories. I remember it coming out, I'd got the 48th bug in 77 when I got some Monogram kits while on holiday, and they seemed exotic! 48th kits were pretty limited selection back then, so Airfix today into the scale was most welcome. Overall this is a really well shaped model, with one obvious glitch, a too high thrust line, making the spinner too big. John Adams of Aeroclub worked out the fix, sadly the pics are not up any more, but the front top of the cowling is about 1mm too high, the bottom edge is correct, A fix is now much easier as the current new tool Vb has two complete props, so if you can get one of those it's an easy fix. If easier I can do a photo, but will take time to upload due to very dull computer problems. If you have an Eduard Spitfire, they have lots of spare bits, including two types of rudder and tailplane, which are much thinner than the kit parts. I still have a part converted one I was making a Seafire IIc out of from 1981 or so. Cheers T 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted May 30, 2018 Author Share Posted May 30, 2018 36 minutes ago, Troy Smith said: Ah memories. I remember it coming out, I'd got the 48th bug in 77 when I got some Monogram kits while on holiday, and they seemed exotic! 48th kits were pretty limited selection back then, so Airfix today into the scale was most welcome. Overall this is a really well shaped model, with one obvious glitch, a too high thrust line, making the spinner too big. John Adams of Aeroclub worked out the fix, sadly the pics are not up any more, but the front top of the cowling is about 1mm too high, the bottom edge is correct, A fix is now much easier as the current new tool Vb has two complete props, so if you can get one of those it's an easy fix. If easier I can do a photo, but will take time to upload due to very dull computer problems. If you have an Eduard Spitfire, they have lots of spare bits, including two types of rudder and tailplane, which are much thinner than the kit parts. I still have a part converted one I was making a Seafire IIc out of from 1981 or so. Cheers T I have the new mould Airfix VB and I couldn’t get on with it so was planning on maybe using that kit to jazz up this project? Any suggestions are most welcome. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troy Smith Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 3 hours ago, Threadbear said: I have the new mould Airfix VB and I couldn’t get on with it so was planning on maybe using that kit to jazz up this project? Any suggestions are most welcome. HI Grahame In what way didn't you get on with it? I've seen a few folks on here who had problems, without meaning to be rude, often user induced, though this is where written instructions over pictorial would help, essentially if you don't know that the fit is very very precise, and that a coat of paint or missed sprue nib early in the cockpit, it can and will throw off later fit of parts, like the fuel tank, you suddenly find gaps and detail wrecking filler job.... There are some links here as well as some Spitfire details you might find of use. Note that the nose is right on this, if you line up the fuselage halves of each kit, it will show what needs sanding down, basically a long thin triangle whose base is by the spinner. Use that as guide, and use one of the new tool spinners and you have solved the thrust line problem. As you have both if you compare the Rotol spinners and it will be obvious. '4Z' above looks to have the Rotol spinner, but the later six stack exhaust, and covered wheel hubs, I can't see what kind of prop is used by '4Q' The new tool kit is full of bit that's that are finer, but it's made of the weird plastic Airfix use, the old tool kit given the boxing is proper stuff like they had when I were a lad... There was a Polish chap who did a very impressive build of the 1978 tool kit on here, which I can't find now. he did pretty much everything except deal with the thrust line. Funnily enough the thrust line problem was mentioned back in the original review in Scale Models back 78 when it came out, but without John Adams easy solution. HTH T 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG X Posted May 30, 2018 Share Posted May 30, 2018 On 29/05/2018 at 19:51, Threadbear said: VCS-7 was a US squadron that was initially equipped with OS-2U Kingfishers flying off catapults for artillery spotting for the battleships but were deemed too vulnerable for the Normandy Invasion. So the USN pilots were trained up in Spitfires at RAF Membury, and were successful in this role over the Notmandy bridgehead until the Wehrmacht realised the role of the Spitfires. Thanks for looking. Grahame. That's a great 'back story' Grahame - I bet you get loads of support for this one - looking forward to it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted June 2, 2018 Share Posted June 2, 2018 you learn something new every day (and at my age at the expense of something else forgotten ). I didn't even know the USN FLEW spitfires! As I said, I want one of these kits so will be interested to see how it goes.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 Before even getting the glue out on this Spitfire I have come across the worst example of warping of a fuselage half I have ever experienced!! The starboard half is fine. So I plunged the port half into some near boiling water to straighten it out. But the fuselage is twisted lengthways as well! As you can see, the left fuselage is nose down and you can see the stress marks where it has been straightened out. Obviously there isn't much give lengthwise for correcting this. Any suggestions or just clamp it working from the tail??? I am reluctant at present to progress with this.... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Ouch!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 looking it the interior of the fuselage, the warped left fuselage as straight and on the right "straight" half, the ribs mid way are thrust up...… I am seriously wondering if this is a not starter? I was looking forward to this. I don't believe that the cockpit components will have the strength to take the stress of a clamped fuselage under stress? You can understand why the original owner of this kit got shot of it! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Looking at the original sprue shots you can almost see the bend in the fuselage... Sorry I can;t be of any help on how to tackle it tough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMA131Marine Posted June 5, 2018 Share Posted June 5, 2018 On 5/30/2018 at 3:24 AM, Threadbear said: Here is some images of the USN Spitfires. 4Q are the markings supplied by Fundekals. The kill marking is believed to from a previous squadron. And another. Cool! Look at how wavy some of those invasion stripe edges are! And the bottom picture is clearly a Mk.V with individual ejector exhausts instead of the typical twinned stacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted June 5, 2018 Author Share Posted June 5, 2018 38 minutes ago, Lawzer said: Looking at the original sprue shots you can almost see the bend in the fuselage... Sorry I can;t be of any help on how to tackle it tough Wish Id bleedin` noticed it then. I have to say the wings aren't exactly chipper either! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted June 12, 2018 Author Share Posted June 12, 2018 (edited) Another Airfix Spitfire Vb arrived in the post today and this time no problems with the moulding. And made a start so the kit is now ready for some paint in the cockpit etc. The lower wing required some scraping back of the inner surfaces for a better fit near the wingtips but otherwise no problems. The original kit I was planning on using is going in the bin. Started at last. Thanks for looking. Edited June 12, 2018 by Threadbear 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawzer Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Glad you've got round the problem! 👍 I bought the old school 109/spitfire vb dog fight double kit which arrived yesterday and I was a bit apprehensive when opening it in case it had the same problem.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Don’t throw away the old kit yet. You just might need something small from the warped kit and then realise that it was binned a few weeks back!! Cheers.. Dave 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Threadbear Posted June 12, 2018 Author Share Posted June 12, 2018 8 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said: Don’t throw away the old kit yet. You just might need something small from the warped kit and then realise that it was binned a few weeks back!! Cheers.. Dave Can help insulate the loft👍👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shatters Posted June 12, 2018 Share Posted June 12, 2018 Or sell it to some poor sap on eBay 😉 Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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