Spitfire A-Go-Go and the Siege of Malta...KoPro, Spitfire Mk.Vc, 1/72nd scale

[John Masters]

The wings are attached and attached to the wings are the oil cooler and radiator faring.  Next to the aircraft is the Vokes air filter.  Once it is dried, I will smooth out the seam.  A test fit showed that if the forward section of the Vokes is flush on the nose there is a slight gap in the rear.  The opposite is true.  I will be fitting it flush on the rear section thus making any puttying simpler.  You'll see.  Very simple.

 

 

I am tempted to add the slipper tank to the underside.  This would mean that this would have been Jerry Smith's aircraft during the infamous two-pass first-time-ever-landing of a Spitfire on a moving aircraft carrier deck.  He would have jettisoned the tank shortly before he arrived on Malta.  Plus, I don't have a Spit with a slipper tank and I want one.  😉

 

--John

[John Masters]

Vokes filter and slipper tank are on...

 

 

Bulkhead brace...

 

 

Next up...mask the canopy (a closed canopy is what's provided), attache to the fuselage, then I'll be ready for some primer!  

 

--John

[John Masters]

I've filled in a few gaps and, yes, I filled the gap beneath the forward windscreen which I had forgotten and the camera caught.  All's well.

I'll go to work tonight for a few hours and then come home and prime this baby...😁

 

 

...oh yes...almost forgot.  I'll glue in the four cannon barrels before I prime it as well.

Edited November 14, 2018 by John D.C. Masters
guns...

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

On 11/12/2018 at 3:07 PM, John D.C. Masters said:

Right.  USN colours...

I only mentioned it because of the 40 Spitfires delivered on Wasp were supposedly painted in route after recieving orders to do so. 

http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/364/Club-Run-to-Malta.aspx

A few photo’s I've collected over my research. 

 

[Courageous]

Looks like the kit hasn't given you too much trouble. Looking good, will look even better with a primer on. Slipper tank adage looks cool.

 

Stuart

[John Masters]

Thanks Dennis.  Now, the question is...what was the underside painted?  Azure?  Sky Type S?  I know they left that alone...

 

And thanks Stuart.  Yes.  Standard KoPro moulds.  No surprises.  I like the tank too...it's different.

[72modeler]

First off- scoot over, Dennis and quit hogging all the popcorn! Secondly- John, do you have or are you aware of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces vol. 83 Malta Spitfire Aces?

 

Great read, lots of photos, and many color profiles with color and markings information as well as pretty good 1/72 scale drawings. If you don't have it, the big A has them. I have this one and if you want, PM me with the pilot/airplane/s you are interested in, and I'll tell you what they say. While their colors and markings research is usually pretty accurate, it's always nice to get a second opinion.

 

Dennis,

Spitfires? Spitfires? Seriously? I'm going to have to revoke your Vought Corsair fan club membership card! 😝

Mike

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

😉 everything ive ever read says azure bottom color. 

[John Masters]

4 hours ago, 72modeler said:

are you aware of

I am indeed!  It is on my bench as we speak.  Nice profiles and good info on many aircraft.

 

1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

everything ive ever read

Me too, so azure it is!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

5 hours ago, 72modeler said:

are you aware of Osprey Aircraft of the Aces vol. 83 Malta Spitfire Aces?

Can you tell me if you have photo’s of Beurlings T*L or T*D ? 

[John Masters]

The profiles in the Osrey book have a port side of T-L with just a little wear and tear, all blue.  The T-D is starboard and has the mismatched panels and is a very light blue-grey with a lot of desert tones coming through the new paint.

[John Masters]

A bit of primer...first round...

 

 

--John

[John Masters]

...and then a light spritzing of some desert tones.  They don't need to be a specific camo pattern, just enough to help show (I hope!) through the US Grey Blue.

 

 

 

I am thinking of using chipping fluid for the wear on this, but I am not sure.  I will probably thin the paint a bit too.  How about the roundels?  Wpild they have been repainted or masked by the paint crew?  So many questions...!

 

--John

[John Masters]

Although the kit is quite easy to build, the next few steps will prove to be the most complex and time consuming.  The painting.  From the images I have seen both on-line and in my Osprey book, these aircraft were pretty worn looking. This makes sense.  Coming as they did from the deserts of N. Africa to Malta they were subjected to the extremes of Mediterranean weather: heat, sand, salt, winds.  Much like what I experience here on Paros, and more.  Then, add on the enormous amount of flying time, the heat of intense aerial combat, etc...they flew, but they didn't pay much attention to cosmetics.  Who had the time or the supplies?  2 years of naval and air embargoes made misers of the ground crews and I imagine they would have rather used the time and resources refitting a carburetor than worry about someone's paint job.  So this will, I hope, reflect that look.  

 

I have taped off the underside and readied the plane for the UK Azure.  The points of wear have been given some Gun Metal (aluminum is too bright) and left to dry, then selectively brushed with a worn hairy brush and Vallejo Chipping Fluid.  I have used this before (Finnish Buffalo-Orange 1) with good success and will try it again.  It gives me more control than salt and I am fresh out of hairspray! 😉  As you can see, I have also used the same process with the prop blades, the spinner and the wheel-bay doors.

 

 

 

--John

[John Masters]

And the Azure is on.  It is dry to the touch already but I'll let it set up a bit more before I carefully start rubbing the chipping fluid areas.  I'll use a wooden toothpick, blunted.

 

 

--John

[AdriaN (MLT)]

I think its supposed to be this blue:
https://www.planespotters.net/photo/279387/g-mkvb-private-supermarine-spitfire-lfvb

[John Masters]

Thanks Adrian.  Yes, I think if all things were equal it would've been, however, the paints they used in Gibraltar (or on the USS Wasp) for the new look were inconsistent, thinned randomly and, in the case of the Wasp, USN colours.

 

Thanks though.  Nice looking Spitfire.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello John .. I started a thread over in the chats about Buerlings Spitfires. Theres some info there and a clear photo of T*M showing the upper wing. 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235046287-new-question-anyone-have-photo’s-of-eiter-side-of-beurling’s-malta-vc-spitfire-td/

Feel free to read through you may find some info there as it crops up. 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2018 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[John Masters]

Thanks Dennis.  That's a good thread.  I'm building X*3, so if you have any images of that...

 

In any case, here is the underside, all worn out.  I know, it looks like a lot, but I can always add some more blue and once it has some smoke and staining, it'll be more subtle.  In fact, a little fresh blue put on with a small flat brush might be a nice touch.

 

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Masters]

Regarding the topside tomorrow...I'll use very little chipping, perhaps only around the areas that would be handled.  I'll skip the gunmetal too and just allow the 'desert' colour to come through a bit.  I'll use a lighter touch with the paint as well, probably thinned a bit.  The weathering will be mostly a worn FloryWash look, fading out the blue of the US Grey-Blue and, I hope, also toning down the brighter colour of the roundels and tail flash.

 

This I hope. 

[Smithy]

That looks very effective John, I like it.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello John, .. I Found very few photo’s of X*3. From the book Spitfires of malta i found these. 

These are screen shots from google. I sadly do not own the book.

    This web page has these photo’s. ⬆️

https://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/malta-spitfire-vs-1942-their-colours-and-markings

This webpage has some possible photo’s. 

https://249squadronraf.wordpress.com/

  This web page says that Jerry smith was flying BR126 when he had to return and land on Wasp. These photo’s are supposedly BR126

These are the spitfires being loaded on Wasp at Glasgow. This will hopefully give you an idea of the upper wing. 

I hope any of this helps you ? 

 

Dennis

Edited November 16, 2018 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[Kitchen Modeller]

That looks fine John - this kit seems to be a pretty good fit - good luck with the attachment!

[John Masters]

8 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

very few photo’s

Thanks!  

 

Yes...that was my conclusion too.  It seems like the profile painting of the Spitfire is before it received its blue coat.  I do see a bit of wear on the starboard side of the Vokes filter in one photo.  This tells me I am on the right track with this technique.

[Terry1954]

Just caught up on this one John. Another interesting Spitfire build. I like the look of this KoPro kit. Malta Spitfires are always very interesting as there were so many different official and unoffical schemes applied during that conflict.

 

The build is coming along great.

 

Terry