Rabbit Leader Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Greetings from a fine winter's day in Brisbane. The Centenary of the Royal Air Force Group Build has just concluded and it was a pleasure to see so many builds make it through to the final Gallery. Part of the initial brief for this GB was to try to link a particular RAF themed build to something close to home. Therefore it was fitting that I chose something with an Australian flavour and secondly to link this with something personal. The GB WIP has the inspiration and back story for these two Spitfires and their famous Australian pilot Aces that flew them. The Airfix Spitfire Mk.IIa kit is built pretty much OOB. Actually, besides a set of Wako Creative seatbelts, I don't think I added anything extra. Paints used where Tamiya XF-71 for the cockpit, Gunze H-72 Dark Earth, Gunze H-73 Dark Green and a 30+ old tin of Humbrol 90 for the Sky undersides. The Sky Blue fuselage band and Spinner was a home brew of White with a dash of Azure Blue. Final Clear coat was Tamiya's XF-86 Flat Clear. The Tamiya Spitfire Vb has the addition of a spare Airfix DH Spinner and the rear canopy from a dis-used Italeri kit. Wako seat belts were once again used and a spare set of wheels were pinched off a 1979 Airfix Spitfire 1 as I stupidly ruined one of the kits wheels during the build. XF-71 Cockpit Green was again used and having rejected many samples of what I had for Ocean Grey I decided to try the new-ish Tamiya colours. The Dark Green is XF-81 and Ocean Grey XF-82. I wasn't sure how they would turn out however after two coats of Flat Clear, I'm relatively happy with the finished colour(s). Now to my eye, I find Medium Sea Grey to be quite a hard paint to match. I dug deep into my paint stash and settled on an ancient tin of Humbrol Authentic HB6. I had long thought that these old tins would never be used again, however I was pleasantly surprised with how it sprayed and even better how it looked. Decals for both machines came mainly from the superb DK decals 452 Squadron Sheet (and there's potentially another twenty-eight 452 Sqd Spits to build!!) and from the Airfix kit's good quality Catograph sheet. Special thanks should go to Franta at DK Decals for producing a great series of decal subjects, many of which are for Australian subjects. So here is my 2nd entry to Britmodellers RAF 100 GB, titled "No.452 (RAAF) Squadron - The 'Colonial' Contribution". Cheers and thanks... Dave 62 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Couple of really nice Spitfires Dave. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Very neat modelling. Two beautiful looking Spitfires. The base sets them off perfectly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Laidlaw Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Beautiful, both of them! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanC Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Greetings from a sweltering summer's day in Englandshire! Those two are simply fantastic. I love how you did the exhaust stacks on the Mk II. Very burnt metally... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Simply great looking Spitfires! The aerials arrangement on the Mk II seems to be a bit of a mix-up, though. According to the 'gospel of Spitfire aerials', http://spitfiresite.com/2010/04/spitfire-masts-and-aerials.html/2, early (pre-mid/late autumn of 1940) Spitfires with a radio aerial wire would have the mast with triangular attachment thingie. Then, the IFF aerials were introduced around October 1940, concurrent with the change of radio set to a VHF type with its antenna integral to the old aerial mast (which sometimes retained the now pointless attachment thingie for the wire aerial). This all seems to mean that you would either see a Spit with radio aerial wire but without IFF aerials or without the radio aerial wire but with IFF wires. Not bothe at the same time, although there might have been exceptions, as always… 😉 Super modelling! Kind regards, Joachim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Great looking Duo ... I did enjoy the build as well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnie Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 That's a great looking pair of Spitfires. Well done, Dave. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted July 24, 2018 Author Share Posted July 24, 2018 Thanks for all the comments guys. I appreciate the aerial feedback Joachim @Spitfire31. I’ll be honest, I studied a number of photographs and saw so many combinations, which also included differences with the early Vb. In the end I settled on this after viewing the profiles in Osprey’s Spitfire Aces on the Channel front 1941-43. This also swayed me to paint the Sky Blue spinner and fuselage band as the DK decals instructions suggests that these are just painted in Sky. I do not have period photos of this exact Mk.IIa, however have two of the Vb which would indicate that at some stage the IFF antennas may have been deleted from this airframe. In the end I’m still not convinced I’ve got both of these right. So thanks once again and kind regards.. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Russell Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Nice work! Only 28 to go! Maybe you and Joachim could get together and work out a consensus paper on aerials as a service to modelling. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duckwizard Posted July 24, 2018 Share Posted July 24, 2018 Winter ín Brisbane? Is that less than 40°C? If yes pls bring it here. Very nice Spitfires, I like them! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyot Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Those are gorgeous Dave,..... been looking forward to seeing these and you have not disappointed,....... top notch mate! Cheers Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Air-to-Air Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Very nicely finished and your paint choices compliment one another beautifully. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 A really nicely done pair Dave & a fine tribute to brave men. I do like the way you've done these, very tidy. 👍 Steve. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Quality work Dave,a pair of beauties! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonL Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Really nice pair of Spitfires there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted July 25, 2018 Author Share Posted July 25, 2018 13 hours ago, Ed Russell said: Nice work! Only 28 to go! Maybe you and Joachim could get together and work out a consensus paper on aerials as a service to modelling. Thanks Ed, I don't think I'd add anything meaningful to a concensus paper on Spitfire aerials I'm afraid, perhaps add to the confusion would be all I'd be good for. And as my DK Decals provider, I really should thank you nice lot at Red Roo Models for importing these as well. 13 hours ago, Duckwizard said: Winter ín Brisbane? Is that less than 40°C? If yes pls bring it here. Very nice Spitfires, I like them! 25 degrees is about right for us this time of year, I'm sure you'd happily trade that for what you're currently going through! 3 hours ago, tonyot said: Those are gorgeous Dave,..... been looking forward to seeing these and you have not disappointed,....... top notch mate! Cheers Tony Glad you approve Tony. Whilst I've been eeking out these two, your production line has gone into overdrive. I'd be happy to produce a tenth of what you produce each year!! Cheers and thanks to all... Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimrod54 Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Two great looking Spitfires Dave, both built to your usual high standard. Well done matey. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ c Posted July 25, 2018 Share Posted July 25, 2018 Really nice pair of Spitfires, great job(s) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-32 Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 Very nice indeed and a great base too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted July 27, 2018 Share Posted July 27, 2018 Good job Dave, they are a pair of beauties Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cookenbacher Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Wonderful project Dave! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newbie(kinda) Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Superb. Both of them. Although, if I have to choose, Spits look best in dark green and dark earth... ...I'll get my coat!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted August 1, 2018 Share Posted August 1, 2018 Gorgeous pair of Spitfires great work and the display base is very stylish too. Very nice indeed. Thanks for sharing. All the best Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAAMAN Posted August 2, 2018 Share Posted August 2, 2018 Beautifully done, great finishes on both, bravo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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